Maritime explorers

[Menehune Man]

I found the site for THE MARINER'S MUSEUM (www.mariner.org/educationalad/ageofex/index.php) . Sure is interesting how long ago people learned to use the sea to explore and conquer other lands. Use the "Table of Contents" to check out all kinds of info. From the Greeks, Phoenicians, Vikings, Polynesians and others.

[Menehune Man]

Here's a (incomplete) timeline. You canCLICK HERE (www.mariner.org/educationalad/ageofex/timeline.php) for more info.
3200 B.C.- Egyptians started building ships larger than small coastal fishing boats.
2750 B.C.- First recorded expedition from Egypt.
2500 B.C.- Polynesians began migration throughout the South Pacific around this time.
8th Century B.C.- Hawai'ian Islands colonized.
7th Century B.C.- Phoencian merchant seaman explore The Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic coastline south to Africa and around it, north to Europe.
1st Century B.C.- First compass made by Chinese.
1002 A.D.- Viking Leifr Eiriksson discovered North America.
1151 A.D.- First use of explosives in war, by China.
1328 A.D.- Invention of sawmill spurs shipbuilding.
1405-1433 A.D.- The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon throne rules the South Pacific and Indian oceans.
1492 A.D.- Columbus sets sail.
1577 A.D.- Sir Francis Drake sets sail from England and circumnavigates the globe.
1778 A.D.- James Cook discovers Hawai'ian Islands.
There is so much more info at this site. Enjoy! Note: You can use the Table of Contents from this page too.

[Menehune Man]

I always thought that the Monitor or Merrimack-(later known as Virginia) was the first iron clad warships. That was incorrect information. In 1592, Korean Admiral Yi Sun-Sin led a fleet of armored Kohbudson,
or "Turtle Ships" against an invading Japanese fleet.
Here's more info. (www.mariner.org/monitor/02_navalst/ironclad_warships.html)

[sinjin]

There's something wrong with the timeline at the link you provided. I have never heard anyone before suggest that Polynesians were in Hawaii around 2500 BCE. Am I missing something? I believe the evidence suggests they arrived in Hawaii only some 1500 years ago at most. :confused:

[Glen Miyashiro]

It looks like an error on some staffer's part. If you look at that web site's page on Polynesians (http://www.mariner.org/educationalad/ageofex/polynesia.php), they say:

By the eighth century A.D., the Polynesians had crossed 15 million miles of unknown ocean and colonized every habitable island in a huge triangle bound by Hawaii on the north, New Zealand in the southwest, and Easter Island to the east.Somebody goofed and mistook the eighth century AD for the eighth century BC when they were putting together the master timeline. :rolleyes:

[Menehune Man]

Sorry everyone. I should have noticed the problem too. Around 800 A.D. sounds right for colonization of Hawai'i according to others. Thanks. Polynesians were making serious ocean voyages early in the history of ocean travel, though. Impressive yeah?!

[Glen Miyashiro]

Also note that the Polynesians page said that by the 8th century AD, Polynesians had reached Hawai‘i, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). The Polynesians didn't do all three at the same time -- I think the colonization of Hawai‘i is usually believed to be around 500 AD, with Aotearoa a little later and Rapa Nui last.

[sinjin]

Polynesians were making serious ocean voyages early in the history of ocean travel, though. Impressive yeah?!

Polynesians made serious ocean voyages just to become Polynesians. Of course no trace is left of those voyages that ended badly. I like to think that the first attempt to land in Hawaii was successful. What really impresses me is that they knew Hawaii was there all the way from the Marquesas or Tahiti without ever having seen it.

http://www.goldenageproject.org.uk/231waves.html

[Glen Miyashiro]

What really impresses me is that they knew Hawaii was there all the way from the Marquesas or Tahiti without ever having seen it.I dunno... that's a distance of about 2000 miles. Can wave reflections be seen from that far away? Certainly when they got within a couple hundred miles they could see the wave reflections, which dramatically improved their odds of finding an island once they were in the general vicinity. But from 2000 miles?

I think that during their eastward expansion into the South Pacific, generation after generation, the Polynesians got used to the idea that the world was a giant ocean studded with islands wherever you went. After all, that's what they knew. So it probably wasn't a huge leap of faith to assume that there were more islands just over the horizon, because in their experience there alway were. That's why the Polynesians in Tahiti and the Marquesas were confident and willing to try the journey north.

It does make me wonder whether once those sailors got to Hawai‘i -- after the longest journey any of them had ever made -- they stopped, settled down, and said "Forget it brah! We no like try that again. Wuz HAAHD!" :D

[LikaNui]

I dunno... that's a distance of about 2000 miles. Can wave reflections be seen from that far away?
Certainly not. But on the topic of reflections, remember that voyagers can easily (quite often) see the green color of islands reflected on the bottom of clouds. Very helpful navigation tool.

[Menehune Man]

Polynesians made serious ocean voyages just to become Polynesians. Of course no trace is left of those voyages that ended badly.

I used a computer symulation called "Challenge the Wind" at the Bishop Museum. I tried to sail from the Marquesas to Hawai'i in a canoe like Hawai'iloa. I miss calculated so ended up sailing by Hawai'i to the south and then was lost at sea never to be heard from again. What a bummer! At least I can get to try again sometime, eh.

[Menehune Man]

I used a computer symulation called "Challenge the Wind" at the Bishop Museum. At least I can get to try again sometime, eh.
I did it! On the computer, I sailed up from Tahiti to Hawai'i and made it.

Question? Does anyone know what's the latest with the Hokulea and Hawai'iloa canoes?

[Glen Miyashiro]

I did it! On the computer, I sailed up from Tahiti to Hawai'i and made it.

Question? Does anyone know what's the latest with the Hokulea and Hawai'iloa canoes?You can keep tabs on them at the Polynesian Voyaging Society (http://www.pvs-hawaii.com/) web site.

[Miulang]

Really nice story in this morning's Star Bulletin (http://starbulletin.com/2006/07/07/news/story04.html) about the 30th anniversary of Hokule'a voyages. I get chicken skin every time I remember when I saw her and Hawai'iloa make landfall in Seattle in 1996 to be welcomed in a Native American tribal ceremony.

It's because of Hokule'a and her many trips through the South Pacific that the pride in ocean sailing by the indigenous people of Tahiti, New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji and the Cook Islands is also enjoying a renaissance.

Mahalo and hauoli la hanau, Hokule'a!

Miulang

[timkona]

Theres a gaff rigged schooner in Hilo Bay. Comin around to Kawaihae this weekend. Modeled after an 18th century privateer (pirate?) ship. Gonna do a mock pirate thing at Kukio Beach on the 9th in the morning.