Va’a built in a Porirua backyard set to sail

A nearly two-decades-old promise from canoe builder John Misky to his late grandmother will finally be fulfilled when the va’a he promised graces the waters of Porirua Harbour this morning.

The 10-metre-long sailing canoe was moved from Misky’s Porirua home to Pahina o Tokelau Church yesterday, where 10 members of the local Tokelauan community helped move it off a trailer and hoist up the mast, while another 50 people watched on.

Misky said he would be taking ‘‘a long holiday’’ after the launch, but there’s more to be done to prepare for a crew of six young people to sail it to Auckland. They would pay tribute to iwi on the way – and raise money for the Tokelauan Bible translation project his grandmother loved.

‘‘She’ll be really happy because creating something like this is not often seen,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a wonderful way to help fundraise for the Bible translation and also to bring the community together.’’

Misky is no stranger to seafaring. He joined the Polynesian Voyaging Society in 2009 and completed a double-hulled canoe voyage from Auckland to Tahiti, Hawaii, Samoa, San Francisco and Mexico.

So he’ll be bringing his young crew up to speed.

‘‘I need to make sure the crew is

capable and competent to sail the canoe,’’ Misky said. ‘‘It’s all about learning all the bowline knots, which side to put the sail when we are sailing. It’s just understanding

the concepts around sailing.’’

It was in 2003 that Misky told his grandmother he would build a va’a and sail around the North Island to raise money for the Tokelauan Bible

translation project.

But he didn’t start building the va’a inside the big black shed on his driveway until 2017.

More than five years later, the journey was nearly complete and Misky said his grandmother would be pleased if she was still here.

The canoe has been a labour of love. The hull was carved from kahikatea and had the Matariki star cluster engraved on it; its outrigger – or ama – was fashioned from a local willow tree that had blown over during a storm.

The canoe is also adorned with a pāua shell turtle to symbolise a lost grandchild; star markings on the mast represent navigation and the people who passed.

The steering pedal at the back was dedicated to the late Reverend Perema Leasi, who blessed the project at the beginning. Before it is launched this morning, there will be a blessing by mana whenua.

Yesterday, Reverend Tui Sopoaga, of the Congregational Church of Tokelau in Porirua, said the community was excited about the project because they were very religious people.

‘‘When we were brought up, we learn about the Bible and go to church,’’ Sopoaga said. ‘‘It’s very important to us.’’

The va’a could also make history come alive because children rarely see traditional canoes, Misky said.

‘‘Just to see children up close and personal and seeing something come alive for them increases the sailing awareness of Pacific people,’’ he said. ‘‘It has a lot of significance in its own way.’’