TRAD2030 - Malama Wa'a Training Program

Course Description

The Malama Wa’a training program is centered on providing training in small vessel fabrication utilizing shop tools and equipment geared specifically for the purposes of repair and fabrication techniques. Above all, understanding and following safety procedures and personal protective equipment knowledge for all aspects of vessel repair and fabrication will be covered and highly stressed in all aspects of training. For individuals wanting to gain knowledge in being able to maintain Hawaiian and Polynesian voyaging canoes, the following courses will impart the skill sets necessary to maintain these special type of vessels. Work may be done on actual wa’a to prepare them for ocean passages.

Instruction for the program will be held at the Marine Education and Training Center (METC) located on Sand Island, Keehi Lagoon, which is a state-of-the-art training facility. The METC ranks as one of the premier training facilities in the United States featuring four large work bays allowing work on vessels indoors, a concrete pier equipped with two cranes to allow work on vessels in the water, finger piers for removing vessels from the water employing a marine straddle-lift, as well as classroom, laboratory, and office space.

For enrollment in the program, students must be able to climb a twelve-foot ladder onto a vessel's deck, get on the deck, walk around the cabin and descend to the ground in a time period of not more than twice the time it takes the instructor to perform these tasks. The students must be able to jump onto the deck of a boat that is 18 inches below pier level, work in a crouching or standing position for hours at a time, lift 40 pounds from the floor onto a 34 inch high table top, and be physically fit to wear an organic respirator. Additionally, students will be required to work in confined areas and in difficult positions.

Each student will be required to obtain a note from a medical professional stating that the student is capable of wearing an organic respirator. There are many physical demands and hazards in the small vessel fabrication, maintenance and repair industry. These include, but are not limited to, occasional heavy lifting, bending, crouching, and working in a cramped position. There will be exposure to woodworking saw blades and cutters, rapidly moving parts, and live electrical circuits. There will also be exposure to resins, solvents, fuel, paints, exhaust fumes, and dust. Students may get cuts, abrasions, burns, aches, and pains.

Course Outline

Portable Hand Tools and Machinery (METCPHTM)
This course provides an introduction to hand tools and machinery used in the marine industry. The proper use of machinery such as a hydraulic prop and bearing remover and media blaster will be demonstrated and practiced. The following woodworking tools will be introduced and utilized in class: table saw, band saw, power hand planer, jointer, surface planner, radial arm saw, wide belt sander, panel saw, and drill press. Hands-on training is emphasized. The proper utilization, safety procedures, and care of tools will be stressed. Classroom instruction and tasks performed will be in accordance with standard industry best practices. This course includes forklift training and certification, as well as utilizing related heavy equipment tailored for the maritime industry.

Woodworking (METCWW)
This course covers the safe and proper use of power and hand woodworking tools. Procedures for sharpening, maintenance, and adjustment of tools are stressed. Rough wood stock is milled and the fabrication of proper wood joints is stressed. Instruction is also provided in the survey and repair of the wooden components of a

Composite Repair Techniques (METCCRT)
This course covers the procedures employed in planning and executing repairs to composite vessels. Various common procedures used in the industry for composite repairs are covered in lecture, and projects dealing with these procedures are provided in the lab component of training. Classroom instruction and tasks performed will be in accordance with standard industry best practices.