Circumnavigating New Guinea in a traditional sailing canoe
With the 2025 Australian Wooden Boat Festival exactly six months away, the program is coming together nicely! Boats Afloat registrations are going well with nearly 300 applications made so far (NB applications close at the end of September). Boats Ashore registrations still have plenty of room so if your thinking of displaying on land then get onto it!
In the meantime the Symposium presenters and participants are being finalised, with the the Pacific theme weaving its way though the subject matter.
One presentation the musn’t be missed is will be from Thor Jensen a Documentary filmmaker who circumnavigated PNG in a traditional sailing vessel with local sailors and boatbuilders. Born in 1981, the Danish filmmaker captured the 2016-2017 voyage, of the world’s first circumnavigation of the Island of New Guinea in a traditional sailing canoe. Called ‘Sailau‘ the documentary follows Justin John, Sanakoli John and Job Siyae on their adventure.
The AWBF recently caught up with Thor and asked him about his journey.
Tell us about your journey to the ocean, your upbringing and life and until now?
“I grew up in Copenhagen on a side street to Nyhavn, the old harbour in the centre of the city with the colourful houses and wooden boats that you see on all the tourist adds for Copenhagen. I spent the school holidays sailing the coastal waters with my grandparents in their 34” fibreglass monohull. In my mid twenties I spent two years as a kayak instructor in Venezuela and ended up sailing home to Europe from the Caribbean. After I had produced a couple of sea kayaking films in Denmark I was ready for a bigger challenge.“
How did you find yourself circumnavigating PNG? What inspired you to carry out the journey?
“First time I heard about New Guinea was in an old film from 1953 by Danish Adventurer Jens Bjerre. Back then I was fascinated by the diverse tribes and colourful cultures. But nowadays it still seems like PNG is seen trough a lens of colonial stereotypes. Instead I wanted to tell a contemporary story of the island in collaboration with the locals. And when I saw the beautiful sailing canoes from the Milne Bay Province, known as Sailau, I knew I had to find some sailors that could learn to sail one of those.”
How is the Pacific different to any other part of the world you’ve experienced?
“I undertook the circumnavigation with three Milne Bay master sailors, Job Siyae, and the brothers Justin and Sanakoli John. This gave me a glimpse into their way of seeing the world and their incredible seamanship. A beautiful thing is the culture of reciprocity, you go into a relationship with people by exchanging gifts. I also like that you are defined by your kinship and relations, not your job title.”
What do you look forward to about Hobart, and the AWBF?
“I’m looking forward to Hobart and the Australian Wooden Boat Festival (AWBF) for the chance to connect with fellow boat enthusiasts and adventurers. And not least the amazing lineup of Pacific Islanders that will be visiting. We will be screening our documentary SAILAU, and I’m keen to hear what the audience will think of it. And although I’ve never been to Hobart I’m sure the cold waters will make it feel like home.”
Look out for the full Symposium Schedule when the AWBF launch the event on November 7th 2024