Crew member Jason Poata with Te Au-o-Tonga

Crew member Jason Poata with Te Au-o-Tonga

Te Au-o-Tonga, a traditional double-hulled canoe, was sailed from Rarotonga to New Zealand in 1999, using navigation by the stars. The vessel was steered by three oars, each more than 10 metres long. One oar was fixed in place while the other two were held by crew members – a rather demanding task when winds were strong or when the canoe approached its top speed of 12 knots (22 km per hour).