One of the seven 21st century voyaging waka designed and built by Salthouse Boatbuilders is in Tauranga awaiting an Auckland haul-out.

Uto Ni Yalo is one of a flotilla of vaka moana sponsored by German philanthropist Dieter Paulmann who, with his foundation Okeanos for the Sea, was searching for the best way to convey a message of marine protection.

Uto Ne Yalo at Tauranga Bridge Marina.

Inspired by Pacific Island culture and the history of ocean voyaging, Dieter had Salthouse build seven traditional waka for the Ocean Noise Project in 2009/10.

While each hull is built like a modern racing yacht of a resin infused foam and glass sandwich, pacific tradition is clearly visible with each hull lashed together using wooden beams and ropes.

The vaka moana are each adorned in traditional carvings, colourings and insignia of each of the participating nations.

Design is by Greg Salthouse and Nick Peal, who have mixed ancient design and knowledge with modern materials, and the seven voyaging waka come out of the one mould. All seven have been built with one mould, without felling a single tree.

The waka also have a centre board and Nick Peal adapted the shapes of the traditional crab claw sails.

'These are probably the latest style in building double canoes, it was just opportunity for those communities to go out and practice what they used to,” says Matapihi-based master navigator Jack Thatcher.

'They have done a lot of miles. They have crossed the Pacific - starting from New Zealand in 2011 they sailed to Hawaii, San Francisco and all the way back across to the Solomon Islands. That took a couple of years.”

Uto Ne Yalo during the Pacific voyage. Picture: Pacificvoyagers.org

Jack is one of a handful of those able to teach the Polynesian art of navigating across the pacific without using European navigation aids; compass, sextant and chronometer and charts.

Normally skipper of Tauranga-based Te Aurere, Jack's also sailed on the vaka moana

'I helped them get up into Hawaii, and trained a number of people along the way,” says Jack.

'Obviously I've got to love my waka, but they are both, I suppose, equally as engaging for the people that sail them.”

The vaka moana voyaging waka are lining up to get up on the dry in Auckland and the Uto Ni Yalo crew are waiting their turn, says Jack.

'There's two former students on board,” he says. 'I'm hoping to do a little bit of training and I thought they might come out with me for a weekend and do some sailing on a different type of waka.”

The seven waka were completed to take part in the 2010-2012 ‘Te Mana O Te Moana' Voyage. The waka proved seaworthy, reliable and safe, while the voyage demonstrated the art of traditional sailing techniques.

One of the purposes of the voyage was to remind and inspire Pacific people of their cultural heritage and show what they are capable of achieving with traditional methods.