Tiki Boats

As any qualified Tiki historian knows (i.e. one who has read the Book of Tiki and Tiki Modern), the Kon Tiki raft expedition led by Thor Heyerdahl contributed significantly to the Tiki movement in the 1950s and 1960s. In honor of Thor's contribution to this grand cause, I have put together this post of Tiki Boats - yes that's right, Tiki Boats!

Here are a couple of postcard shots of the original Kon Tiki boat and the museum in Oslo where you can go and see the real deal.

A Kon Tiki book and movie still.

These postcards are from the Tiki tour boat from Tiki Gardens in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida. I pretty sure that's "Trader Frank" Byars (founder of Tiki Gardens) and his wife Jo on the bow of the boat in these postcards.

These are from Captain Beans Polynesian Tour Boat from Hawaii. Check out the Tikis on the bow.

This is the Tiki Islander Tour Boat in Naples, Florida.

A brochure from the Tiki Islander Tour Boat posted previously on TC by Tiki Trav

I'm pretty sure this is the same boat renamed as the Marco Islander.

A couple of great shots of Don The Beachcombers boat the Tamara - originally built in Hawaii and then moved to Tahiti where Donn Beach retired.

Here are some Polynesian canoes with Tikis from the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii

Here are a couple of contemporary Tiki Boats

Tikiboat tour in Newport Harbor California

Tikiboat barge in Miami Florida - looks like you could have a helluva party on that baby. This is the boat that will be used for Hukilau 2009.

A big thank you to Thor, without you and your raft we would not have all of the great Kon Tiki restaurants, Kon Tiki hotels, the Kon Tiki signs, the Kon Tiki mugs, etc.

Cool thread idea! I subject near and dear to my heart. Here's one of my favorite fiberglass designs c. 1958; the coveted South Seas Samoan.

For a little more on this wonderful boat visit:

http://www.archivalproductions.com/boatsinthebelfry.com/gallery/samoan.html

Classic Silver Line Boats

[ Edited by: SilverLine 2010-04-22 12:15 ]

Wow, that was the Chevy Impala of motor boats, wasn't it? Does it have the name on a plaque on the boat, in a cool typeface? I have seen a "Tahiti" boat with a Tiki mask logo and name.

DC, thank you for that extensive, wonderful post! Here is another snap shot of that Tiki Boat in Balboa:

..and here, the 40 foot Outrigger canoe that used to sit in the basement lobby to the N.Y Plaza Trader Vic's, originally from the set of 1960 version of "The Mutiny on the Bounty" with Marlon Brando:

just posted this in finds!

Silverline,

Love the South Seas Samoan boat, is that your project?

Bigbro,

Thanks so much for the picture of the outrigger from Trader Vic's at The Plaza.
Where did you get that image?

That must have been an impressive sight down in the basement. One question about the "40-foot outrigger". I had posted a postcard from Trader Vic's at The Plaza in an earlier thread and this is what the back of the card says:

The postcard says it is a 54-foot outrigger. Noticed the same thing on Critiki.

DC

Here is a Tiki boat of a different kind - the Outrigger Buffet at the Kona Inn in Hawaii.

DC

[ Edited by: Dustycajun 2008-11-06 17:02 ]

Here's a couple I found..
The Liki Tiki

The Tikki Boat

The Hawaiian Voyaging Vessel The Hokulea

On 2008-11-06 16:52, Dustycajun wrote:
The postcard says it is a 54-foot outrigger. Noticed the same thing on Critiki.

40..54..who's counting? :) I always trust postcard captions above all, 54 feet it is!

On 2008-11-06 16:52, Dustycajun wrote:
Silverline,

Love the South Seas Samoan boat, is that your project?

No, I wish! That beauty is a bit beyond my abilities and pay-grade!

Since this started with the Kon Tiki boat, here's the image from the board game box.

-Randy

VERY cool ....could this be the only TIKI BOAT based bored game ever!? lol

8ft Tiki reminded me of this embellished pontoon boat we found at the King Kamehameha Tiki House in, Sedalia, Missouri. I guess they used to take attendees on cruises around the lake back in the day. It didn't look like this boat had been out in quite a while. Maybe soon that will change!

Classic Silver Line Boats

[ Edited by: SilverLine 2008-11-07 20:52 ]

Very cool! Rural Poly pop archeology at its best! C'mon guys, there GOTTA be vintage photos of this in action somewhere! Is the Parkhurst family being unapproachable?

I think this is one of my favorite threads on TC right now! All of these boats are just incredible! I would love to build something like one of these one day....

Though not really tiki looking, that 1958 South Seas Samoan owns my heart!

[ Edited by: Babalu 2008-11-11 12:29 ]

OK, I might not have posted the BIGGEST boat here with that Trader Vic outrigger, but here is the SMALLEST:

This is the single game piece that comes in that Kon-Tiki game that aquarij posted above.

How small is it? It is THIS small :

(I provided the "water")

Late '70's, off the coast of Maui onboard the Kea...something.

This might help w/ an vessel id

Damn frisky deckhands!

I don't recognize the boat, but I do recognize Tony Orlando. Wonder where Dawn is?

Hey Dusty, Another great post. I love those photos. I have been looking for a old pontoon boat in my area to build something like those. I have looked at a few but I just have not found the right one yet. This really gets me inspired. It will be named the "Pon Tiki"
Since a few models were posted here are mine. The built one is one my brother built for me a few years ago. I brought it back from the big island and gave it to him because our grandparents brought us back the same kits in the early 70s when they went to Hawaii. He built it and donated it to my tiki room. The big unbuilt model he found for me at a car swap meet a year ago. You can see it is much bigger than the typical little gift shop outrigger kit. Made in Hawaii by Anekona. Tapa cloth sail. The illustrated history of the Hawaiian outrigger canoe book is dated 1969. So that dates the kit. I do not know how long they made them but it is really cool.

I found this ad in the 1978 Burbank / Glendale yellow pages, it features the Tahiti Boats logo ~

Thanks to everybody for adding the great Tiki Boat images to this post.

Bora Boris nice find on the Tahiti Boat logo, I was wondering what that looked like.

I spent all day on the ocean yesterday and decided I need to add some more boats. Here are a few more postcards of some "land based" Tiki Boats.

This is the outrigger that used to be in front of the Bali Hai restaurant in Shelter Island, San Diego

This is the outrigger buffet at the Panalu'u Village Restaurant

And here is the old Outrigger Bar at the Kona Inn.

Sum my tiki boats brah...

Hapa-crapa sailing the seas of Rattan..

Nice, a new kind of Tiki Boat, now that's what I call a drinking vessel!

Here is another mug of its kind created by Unkelfun as the grand prize winner of the Tiki Farm mug design contest last year.

Saw this cool model boat kit for the Kon Tiki.

Also found this book with neat illustrations of the Polynesian explorer outriggers.

Here is Henry Kaiser building the Ale Ale Kai in Hawaii.

This is an add for the Owens Tahitian boat.

DC

King of the Hill's Bobby Hill and friends launching his Tiki boat. ~

this is a fun topic. here is my collection of tiki boat drinking vessels and tourist pieces.


a couple of maori tourist pieces.

hawaiian style cribbage board that gets a lot of use by my wife and me.

gecko's waka taua

tiki diablo's panga panga, still waiting for that outrigger, danny! :)

tiki tony's skull canoe

I have a few boats housed in my permanent collection:

Large sized Maori Waka

A couple smaller Maori boats:

Hawaiian outrigger:

CocoJoe's lava and Hapawood jelly jar tiki boats:

HIP Tiki outrigger

And I have a witco clipper, but it's not tiki enough to include...

Buzzy Out!

[ Edited by: Bay Park Buzzy 2008-12-01 15:57 ]

Buzz,

And I have a witco clipper, but it's not tiki enough to include...

Is your witco clipper in the "show us your witco" forum? If not could you put it there?

Thanks

On 2008-11-11 13:04, hodadhank wrote:
Late '70's, off the coast of Maui onboard the Kea...something.

This might help w/ an vessel id

Damn frisky deckhands!

Aloha Hodadhank,
Are these pictures from a family trip or something?
If so did you go to any other of the islands besides Maui?
I ask only in the interest of a possible vessel ID.

This Marquesan-carved canoe appeared on eBay four years ago. I think it went for over $600:

Here's a similar one on display at the Bali Hai in San Diego:

[ Edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2008-12-05 21:52 ]

@ bigbrotiki: That is just too cute... (the game pieces)
There are some incredible things turning up in this thread actually, great idea.

Sabu, that boat is just spectacular. Beautiful piece, I wonder who bought it...?

Jimzip :D

On 2008-10-30 18:11, Dustycajun wrote:
... Tikiboat barge in Miami Florida - looks like you could have a helluva party on that baby. This is the boat that will be used for Hukilau 2009.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=1653&forum=16&vpost=316684

On 2008-12-05 21:06, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
Here's a similar one on display at the Bali Hai in San Diego:

---

Sabu,

Of all the times I have been to the Bali Hai, I never noticed that boat. Where is it hanging?

DC

Here are a few weird/poorly shot pics of the Waitangi waka.

Tiki Party Boat for sale.

Tiki boat from the Forest Lawn Museum Tiki exhibit that closed today.

DC

Found at a junk yard near my house:

The TAHITI boat:

Not as jet-age as the South Seas Samoan, but the logo is indeed cool:

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2009-02-21 16:49 ]

Another overlooked Tiki boat, is the designs of James Wharram, he has created a whole series of Polynesian style catamarans, designed to be constructed by home builders. He is one of the main reasons catamaran boats have become popular with mainstream society. One of series is even called The Tiki!!!! He has been one of the carriers of the Tiki flame since the 1950's. Check his website out at:
http://www.wharram.com

Bigbro,

Nice Tahiti find in the junkyard!

Here is the schooner "Tiki" from the Adventures in Paradise TV show.

DC

Yes...but WHERE can we find a picture of the actual name plate that says "TIKI" on the back of the boat ? :D

Bigbro. Here is a brochure from the early 70's that sold on ebay.

looks like old chrome on stone.

"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann

[ Edited by: uncle trav 2009-02-22 14:36 ]

On 2009-02-22 11:19, bigbrotiki wrote:
Yes...but WHERE can we find a picture of the actual name plate that says "TIKI" on the back of the boat ? :D

This pic is from a fan site for Aventures in Paradise with some good info on the history of the scooner.

"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann

[ Edited by: uncle trav 2009-02-22 14:54 ]

Bleeep! The correct answer would have been: "On page 102 of the fabulous book TIKI MODERN." :D

On 2009-02-22 17:23, bigbrotiki wrote:
Bleeep! The correct answer would have been: "On page 102 of the fabulous book TIKI MODERN." :D

Do I get a consolation prize for playing the at home version of TIKI MODERN :D

Another Great thread DustyCajun!

A pin from Le Tiki III. What happened to Le Tiki I and Le Tiki II ?

The Kon-Tiki wave

Port aventura in Spain

Picked up a couple of nifty Tiki boat menus from the American Hawaii Cruise Lines.

The artwork is by famous Hawaiian artist is Herb Kane.

This first one is the War Canoe of Tahitian King Pomare I.

Here is the interesting story on the back of the menu.

The next one is a Marquesan canoe.

The canoe story.

DC

I posted this before way back when in Tiki Finds but it fits here as well. A huge print about five feet long. Coconut mug for size comparison.

Looks killer in the mood lighting.

Check out this cool tiki boat ride from the Hawaiian Village in Hawaii!

Good times.

DC