Substitute wood for a Micronesian canoe

I am member of an non-profit organization that is working on a project to build a 40 foot ocean-going sailing canoe that hasn't been seen since the 1700s. The canoe is the Chamorro Flying Proa and the proa will be built according to historic data and after a 1742 drawing by the expedition draftsman on Lord Anson's round-the-world voyage in the Centurian. The drawing can be seen on our web site at http://www.sakmanchamorro.com.

The hull of the Chamorro flying proa was made from the breadfruit tree. This is a very light wood that is not commercially available and only grows in Oceania and some parts of Central and South America. Our group is in San Diego, California and we're looking for a substitute wood that is available here, affordable and suitable for our purposes.

The proa will be pulled from the water when it is not in use, and the wood will be sealed. It will be built according to traditional building methods which involves carving out a hull rather than framing one. So we're looking for the least expensive logs available in our area (the West coast). The lighter the better since breadfruit wood is very light, and the wood will be worked by chainsaw and then by hand. Also the greater the diameter of the log the better, up to four feet.

We're trying to educate ourselves on the subject of lumber, but realize that sometimes it is best just to ask the right people. Can anyone offer suggestions on what kind of wood we should be looking for and where we should be looking?

Thanks in advance!

 

There's a breadfruit tree growing in my backyard. We eat its fruit when it produces.

"The wood is yellowish or yellow-gray with dark markings or orange speckles; light in weight; not very hard but strong, elastic and termite resistant."

Western Red Cedar and Redwood are both light but I wouldn't consider either to be very strong or elastic. If these features are needed in your boat you should probably find another substitute -- or go with a real Breadfruit log even if you have to import it.

 

Balsa would be a direct substitute for this wood. To a lesser degree teak.

K9

 

Thanks for the replies.

We tried to find breadfruit trees in Central America and Mexico through our limited networks, to no avail. Most people don't even know what a breadfruit tree is. I think they may be found in rural areas, but it seems like it will take an in-person search to find suitable trees. We're looking via old peace corps contacts and research scientists so maybe one day something will turn up but nobody is optimistic.

In the meantime, we realize that the Chamorros used breadfruit wood because that is what they had and there is no reason to assume that one can't be made out of another kind of wood. If it is heavier, well maybe it will also be stronger. No matter what, the first proa will be a learning experience anyway, so when we do get a breadfruit log later we have a better chance of doing it right.

K9 suggested balsa and teak, but I don't believe we can get raw logs in California. In the old days Hawaiians would make boats out of fallen timber from the Northwest coast that drifted to Hawaii. I think that was redwood.

Kengrome, if you know anyone with a large breadfruit tree that is willing to sell it and help us arrange shipping we're interested. We considered buying one from a Micronesian island, but shipping is not so easy. There are a lot more shipping options from the Philippines.

Anyway, we'll keep looking and will let you know what we find. Additional ideas and advise is very welcome!

 

I can put the word out to my neighbors, they are usually good at finding things I need or knowing someone who can. If someone here has a breadfruit tree that's large enough for you they will definitely be willing to sell it. What size log are we talking about?

Perhaps you can investigate the requirements of importing a whole log to the USA. While sawn dimensional lumber must be fumigated for pests before it is containerized and shipped, there may be more stringent rules in place for shipping whole logs.

Please check on shipping costs too while you're at it. If shipping costs for the length/size log you need are prohibitive you may not want to proceed with this plan anyways.

I can help arrange the shipping myself if anything comes of this effort.

 

Kengrome:

A breadfruit tree can reach well over 50 feet in height with a straight trunk. We need at last 25 feet of straight trunk and the greater the diameter the better. Many micronesian canoes are cut from a single log, but the very big ones are stiched and caulked together. I will make some phone calls and see if I can get an answer on import requirements and get a rough estimate of shipping costs. That will probably take a few days because of my schedule. I'll post as soon as possible.

Thank You!

 

All,

Thanks for your input. We're going with redwood, which is relatively light and was used by Native Americans as well as by Hawaiians (who would occasionally find redwood trees that eroded into the sea and floated to the Hawaiian islands) for canoe building. Redwood logs are available in the size we need here in California as well.

Regards,

Pete Perez