Hoʻokele: Stearing
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
Lou
Une
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
The paddle is placed against the side of the canoe between the steersman’s knee and hip. This causes the canoe to veer toward that side. The deeper the paddle is placed in the water, the more abrupt the turn.
The steersman extends the paddle out to the side and pulls in a sweeping motion to bring the stern back on course. For example, to turn right, the steersman reaches out to the left at an angle of 45° to 90° and pulls, causing the front of the canoe to veer right.
The steersman positions the paddle blade similarly to the ʻōʻō position but then pulls the handle of the paddle to the inside of the canoe, which pushes the blade of the paddle out and away from the hull. This is used when the paddle is either stopped or moving at a very slow speed and used to move the stern of the canoe quickly.
A skilled steersman should be able to keep the canoe on course primarily through paddling, and using the ʻōʻō position only when the corrective action requires more power than the steersmanʻs ability. This approach differs from steering under sail, where the wind provides the primary source of power. In paddle-powered travel, all propulsion comes from the paddlers within the canoe. As a result, the steersman must constantly adjust by shifting corrective strokes from one side to the other in response to any drift or deviation in the canoe’s heading.