Pāele- Waterproofing Finish

Traditional Hawaiian canoe builders protected the finished wood with an organic black coating known as pāʻele. Recipes varied, but generally combined finely powdered charcoal with plant juices including hili kukui, the inner bark of the kukui root, and sometimes ʻakoko, banana bud, tī and ʻuhaloa. A final dressing of kukui-nut oil produced a smooth, water-resistant finish and was regularly renewed. Historical evidence indicates that kukui oil was used on all parts of the canoe,