The Three Boom Plank Canoe

The amatasi was described to me by an old man in Manua, who had seen one, as a plank canoe made like a bonito boat but larger and with three outrigger booms. A platform was built across the booms and the canoe was sailed with a triangular sail. The mast was stepped to a raised rim on the bottom of the hold and lashed to the middle boom. The triangular sail had a spar along each of the long sides. The apex of the sail was held back to the stern and on a tack, the apex was swung around to the bow. A boom (suati) projected on the right side. This he remembered and also the phrase "Tatao le suati" (Press down the suati), which was used when the canoe heeled over on the outrigger side.

The amatasi was very fast and was used in catching masimasi (dolphin) which were trolled for with a baited hook. Kramer (18, vol. 2, p. 268) figures an amatasi model, the main features of which are shown in figure 248. Another of Kramer's models (p. 269) shows a triangular mat sail with light spars along each side and the apex turned to the stern. The mast, however, is attached apparently to a kind of middle boom, but does not pass down to the hold. The outrigger booms appear well above the gunwales and the model does not appear a satisfactory one as regards the booms and the details connected with it. A noticeable thing is the backward projection of the float.

Wilkes (42, vol. 2, p. 150) who did not see any double canoes, states that the longest canoes were 30 to 60 feet in length and built of planks with the typical flanged edges. They had a deck fore and aft and could carry 10 to 12 page 405people. The fore deck was decorated down the middle line with large white Ovula (marine shells) attached to a row of pegs. This part formed the seat of honor upon which the Samoan chief easily sat with safety, but one of Wilkes' gentlemen had a very precarious time in keeping on it. The song sung to him was "Lelei tusa lava le tau mua" (Good above all is the part before).

"Having both a prow and stern, these canoes cannot be manoevred without tacking; consequently the outrigger that constitutes their safety is, in using their sail alternately to leeward and windward, and does not, when to leeward, add much to the stability of the canoe. They carry less sail than the canoes of the other natives of Polynesia and to guard against the danger of upsetting, the natives rig a sprit or boom (suati) projecting from the opposite side to that on which the outrigger is fitted. The boom is secured with guys to the top of the mast. When the wind blows fresh, some of the men go out upon it and thus balance or counteract the force of the wind. Those on the other side of the canoe are kept ready to go out on the outrigger when that becomes necessary. The sail is made of mat, of a triangular shape, with its apex below; some of these are ten feet high.

From the Wilkes' description, the canoes referred to were amatasi. As all canoes except the recent taumualua and the 'alia had one float (amatasi), it seems likely that the use of the name amatasi for this type was to distinguish a larger plank sailing canoe from the double canoe.