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Teacher: Mr Young
Issue: You have been stranded on an island for 6 days. There is plenty of kaimoana around so you won't go hungry, but you are running out of water. You are desperate to get a message out for help. You remembered your GPS co-ordinates before your phone went dead.
Given Brief: Using only natural resources you are to plan and design a boat that can carry out an SOS message with your GPS co-ordinates on it.
Prototype One
I have documented the buliding of my first waka.
Head down to your local river, estuary or beach and collect some suitable sticks.
Remember to look on the high tide or flood line for the nice dry ones.
Have a look around the house for any more dry sticks, you could look for a dead branch, try the firewood shed, last resort try the dog kennel.
Select the most suitable sticks for your waka and cut to length using a handsaw or gardening loppers.
I drilled a hole through each end of the four sticks that will be used to go across the waka.
Harakeke
Harakeke
You will need to get 8-10 pieces of harakeke to use as lashing when securing the sticks together and for making the sail.
Make sure you use a harakeke bush that is close to your home and remember to acknowledge the tikanga around cutting and using harakeke.
This link will take you to a page that explores the histroy and tikanga of harakeke and how it is harvested and woven.
1mm-2mm either side of the centre line on each piece of harakeke is the best and strongest part to use for the lashing.
Use you finger nails to strip this part of the harakeke, longer pieces make it easier when lashing or weaving.
Lash the frame of your waka together.
Sail making
Sail making
Back to your pile of sticks and select a mast.
I cut my stick so that it there was enough length to hang under the waka to act as a keel.
Lash the sail to the mast.
Then lash the mast to your waka.
First prototype completed.
Time to sail it.
Remember to gather up all the bits of harakeke you don't need any more, tie them into a bundle and return them to the harakeke plant you got them from.
Prototype One
Prototype One
IMG_0102.movIMG_0104.movIMG_0105.movIMG_0107.movIMG_0108.movPlease send me photos or videos of your waka: garret@motec.nz.
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