Polynesians, masters of navigation

Discover traditional navigation

Guided by the stars

Twin-hulled sailing canoes

With no GPS, no radio and no compass, Polynesian sailors relied on natural elements to navigate on the vast ocean, notably by using the positions of the stars.

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A twin-hulled canoe with full sail is depicted on the flag of French Polynesia

Navigating the traditional way

Polynesians have been sailing across the Pacific Ocean for centuries. In twin-hulled sailing canoes they could reach Hawaii in just two weeks. Masters of the art of navigation, they were able to find their way without the luxury of today’s satellite-assisted modern technology. In fact, they didn’t even have the use of a compass! Instead, they relied on their vast knowledge of natural elements including the stars, the sea, ocean swells, waves, the wind and even birds. This ancestral know-how has been acknowledged and acclaimed throughout the world.

If you’d like to know more about these traditional methods of navigation and learn how to sail the seas using natural elements to guide you, then join an expedition on a sailing canoe with Moana Explorer, where Teiva Véronique will teach you all the secrets of traditional Polynesian navigation techniques. Or embark on a va’a taie (sailing canoe in tahitian language), for an authentic experience far from the hustle and bustle of racing jet skis.

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