Traditional Navigation Society of Yap 2009On 26 January 2009, two traditional canoes set sail from Yap, bound for Palau. The main purpose of the voyage, sponsored by the Traditional Navigation Society of Yap, was to recreate the sailing expeditions to Palau the Yapese made in the 16th-century to quarry stone money. The "Mathaw Maraw" was guided by Master Builder and traditional navigator, Chief Bruno Tharngan of Maap, while the 30-year-old "Simion Hokule'a," built by Master Navigator Mau Piailug and his brother on Satawal, was guided by Master Navigator Ali Haleyalur of Lamotrek. There were 17 crewmen on the two vessels: 8 on the "Mathaw Maram" and 9 on the "Hokule'a." [This information comes from a news release issued by Sebastian F. Tamagken, Chief of Media and Protocol for the Yap State Goverment.] The canoes arrived safely in Palau on 29 January.
Many thanks to the Traditional Navigation Society of Yap for allowing us to post these photos here and to Larry Raigetal, Director of the Department of Youth and Civic Affairs for the Yap State Government, for kindly providing captions for the photos.http://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/tnsy3/470807654_zHhAi-Ti.jpghttp://microbuds.smugmug.com/gallery/7318501_iYZES/2009-02-09T06:47:02ZCopyright 2010, the copyright holder of each photograph. Some portions copyright SmugMug. All rights reserved.SmugMugCrewman for the "Simion Hokule'a" making final preparations before departure. All crew members are from Lamotrek Atoll. The canoe was Navigator Mau Piailug's canoe, built by him and his si ...<p><a href="http://microbuds.smugmug.com">microbuds</a><br />Crewman for the "Simion Hokule'a" making final preparations before departure. All crew members are from Lamotrek Atoll. The canoe was Navigator Mau Piailug's canoe, built by him and his si ...</p><p><a href="http://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/7318501_iYZES#470807654_zHhAi" title="Crewman for the "Simion Hokule'a" making final preparations before departure. All crew members are from Lamotrek Atoll. The canoe was Navigator Mau Piailug's canoe, built by him and his si ..."><img src="http://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/tnsy3/470807654_zHhAi-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="Crewman for the "Simion Hokule'a" making final preparations before departure. All crew members are from Lamotrek Atoll. The canoe was Navigator Mau Piailug's canoe, built by him and his si ..." title="Crewman for the "Simion Hokule'a" making final preparations before departure. All crew members are from Lamotrek Atoll. The canoe was Navigator Mau Piailug's canoe, built by him and his si ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p>2009-02-11T03:15:02Zmicrobudshttp://microbuds.smugmug.comhttp://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/tnsy3/470807654_zHhAi-Th.jpg2009-01-25 10:22:11Navigator Ali Haleyalur of Lamotrek, with a coconut in his hand, performing the last tribute of respect to other schools of navigation. Ali is chanting an old navigator's chant that speaks ...<p><a href="http://microbuds.smugmug.com">microbuds</a><br />Navigator Ali Haleyalur of Lamotrek, with a coconut in his hand, performing the last tribute of respect to other schools of navigation. Ali is chanting an old navigator's chant that speaks ...</p><p><a href="http://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/7318501_iYZES#470807603_x8he7" title="Navigator Ali Haleyalur of Lamotrek, with a coconut in his hand, performing the last tribute of respect to other schools of navigation. Ali is chanting an old navigator's chant that speaks ..."><img src="http://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/tnsy4/470807603_x8he7-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="Navigator Ali Haleyalur of Lamotrek, with a coconut in his hand, performing the last tribute of respect to other schools of navigation. Ali is chanting an old navigator's chant that speaks ..." title="Navigator Ali Haleyalur of Lamotrek, with a coconut in his hand, performing the last tribute of respect to other schools of navigation. Ali is chanting an old navigator's chant that speaks ..." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p>2009-02-09T13:17:52Zmicrobudshttp://microbuds.smugmug.comhttp://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/tnsy4/470807603_x8he7-Th.jpg2009-01-25 10:26:21Navigator Ali Haleyalur holding a turtle shell and chanting old chants to the spirits of the great navigators from the "Weyriyeng" school, to which he and his ancestors belong.<p><a href="http://microbuds.smugmug.com">microbuds</a><br />Navigator Ali Haleyalur holding a turtle shell and chanting old chants to the spirits of the great navigators from the "Weyriyeng" school, to which he and his ancestors belong.</p><p><a href="http://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/7318501_iYZES#470807906_2AnLo" title="Navigator Ali Haleyalur holding a turtle shell and chanting old chants to the spirits of the great navigators from the "Weyriyeng" school, to which he and his ancestors belong."><img src="http://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/tnsy2/470807906_2AnLo-Th.jpg" width="100" height="150" alt="Navigator Ali Haleyalur holding a turtle shell and chanting old chants to the spirits of the great navigators from the "Weyriyeng" school, to which he and his ancestors belong." title="Navigator Ali Haleyalur holding a turtle shell and chanting old chants to the spirits of the great navigators from the "Weyriyeng" school, to which he and his ancestors belong." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p>2009-02-09T13:20:43Zmicrobudshttp://microbuds.smugmug.comhttp://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/tnsy2/470807906_2AnLo-Th.jpg2009-01-25 10:24:35Ali and his crew on the "Simion Hokule'a" heading out into the channel of Yap on their way to Palau. The village of Balabat in Rull is in the background.<p><a href="http://microbuds.smugmug.com">microbuds</a><br />Ali and his crew on the "Simion Hokule'a" heading out into the channel of Yap on their way to Palau. The village of Balabat in Rull is in the background.</p><p><a href="http://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/7318501_iYZES#470807903_389Gk" title="Ali and his crew on the "Simion Hokule'a" heading out into the channel of Yap on their way to Palau. The village of Balabat in Rull is in the background."><img src="http://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/tnsy1/470807903_389Gk-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="Ali and his crew on the "Simion Hokule'a" heading out into the channel of Yap on their way to Palau. The village of Balabat in Rull is in the background." title="Ali and his crew on the "Simion Hokule'a" heading out into the channel of Yap on their way to Palau. The village of Balabat in Rull is in the background." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p>2009-02-11T03:15:40Zmicrobudshttp://microbuds.smugmug.comhttp://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/tnsy1/470807903_389Gk-Th.jpg2009-01-25 10:44:10The "Simion Hokule'a" and her crew near the mouth of the Yap channel.<p><a href="http://microbuds.smugmug.com">microbuds</a><br />The "Simion Hokule'a" and her crew near the mouth of the Yap channel.</p><p><a href="http://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/7318501_iYZES#470807353_Bxm7e" title="The "Simion Hokule'a" and her crew near the mouth of the Yap channel."><img src="http://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/tnsy5/470807353_Bxm7e-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="The "Simion Hokule'a" and her crew near the mouth of the Yap channel." title="The "Simion Hokule'a" and her crew near the mouth of the Yap channel." style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p>2009-02-11T03:15:59Zmicrobudshttp://microbuds.smugmug.comhttp://microbuds.smugmug.com/Micronesia/Traditional-Navigation-Society/tnsy5/470807353_Bxm7e-Th.jpg2009-01-25 10:44:58