Hoʻokele: Steering
Steering a traditional Hawaiian canoe requires adjusting its course as wind, waves, and ocean currents push, nudge, or sometimes violently jolt it off track. The ability to sense subtle shifts in the canoe's movement is just as crucial as visually spotting any deviation from its course. In fact, the sensation of a shift often comes before it's visibly noticeable.
Correcting the canoe’s course is best done through subtle adjustments. Sharp or sudden corrections can disrupt the canoe’s flow—and in the case of a single-hulled canoe, even cause it to capsize.
Traditionally, the steersman sits in the rearmost seat of either a single- or double-hulled canoe. In double-hulled canoes, one steersman takes the lead role while the other assists, making coordination between them essential.
According to early Western explorers, Hawaiian canoe steersmen—whether in single or double hulls- used steering paddles. It’s believed that the large "sweep" mounted between the hulls of a double canoe was a post-contact innovation introduced after Western influence.
A steersman uses three primary paddle strokes or positions to maintain course, whether the canoe is powered by paddles alone or assisted by a sail. The terminology used here reflects a specific Hawaiian tradition and may not be universally applied across the islands.
Steering Strokes:
ʻŌʻō
The steering paddle is placed against the side of the canoe, between the steersman's knee and hip. This causes the canoe to turn toward the side on which the paddle is positioned. The deeper the paddle is placed in the water, the more pronounced the turn becomes.
Lou
The steersman extends the paddle outward to one side of the canoe and pulls it inward in a sweeping motion, causing the stern to swing toward that side and the bow to turn in the opposite direction.
For example, to turn right, the steersman extends the paddle to the left at an angle of approximately 45° to 90° and pulls inward. This moves the stern toward the left, causing the bow to turn right.
Une
The steersman positions the paddle blade alongside the hull, much like the ʻōʻō position. However, instead of holding the paddle stationary, the steersman pulls the paddle handle inward toward the inside of the canoe, forcing the blade outward and away from the hull.
This action uses the paddle as a lever to move the stern sideways. The une stroke is particularly effective when the canoe is stationary or moving at a very slow speed and a quick change in direction is needed.
Steering Under Sail
When sailing, the bow naturally tends to turn into the wind. To maintain course, the steersman places the paddle on the leeward side in an ʻōʻō position. Adjusting the paddle’s depth helps control direction: the deeper the paddle is thrust, the more pronounced the turn away from the wind there is. Steering by paddling is very effective if the winds are light. As the wind intensifies the power of the wind will overcome the strength of the steersman, and the only effective way to steer is by using the ʻōʻō position.
Steering Without a Sail
A skilled steersman should be able to maintain the canoe's course primarily through corrective paddling strokes, using the ʻōʻō position only when greater steering force is required than can be generated through paddling alone.
This approach differs from steering under sail, where the wind provides the primary source of propulsion. When traveling under paddle power alone, all forward propulsion is provided by the canoe's paddlers.
The steersman must continually sense and respond to changes in the canoe's direction, making corrective strokes on either side as needed to counteract the effects of wind, waves, and currents. These adjustments should be smooth and controlled, maintaining the canoe's heading without unnecessarily interrupting its forward movement.