Outriggers of New Guinea

Outriggers of New Guinea

These lithographs of outrigger canoes were based on sketches made by artists aboard the French ship the Astrolabe, which charted the north coast of New Guinea in 1827. The outrigger, with its much smaller secondary hull fixed parallel to the canoe, increased the craft’s stability. The wooden struts were lashed to the outrigger and the main hull. The natural flex in the wood and lashings provided some flexibility for the vessel as it went through waves, which helped to stop it from tipping over.