Aamoana high school american samoa

Repairs to the ‘Samoana Shark’ — Samoana High School’s fautasi are expected to be complete within two weeks, says boat builder Maselino Ioane.

The Shark is the former Satani II, once owned by Nu’uuli.

Ioane, a boat builder from Vaiala, Samoa, who lives in Aua, says the Shark is the tenth boat he has built. Such a project would cost between $70,000 to $80,000, however, Ioane’s work on the Shark is a labor of love as he has a daughter attending Samoana.

Yesterday, students at the school in Utulei overturned the longboat, placing it upright after construction to its hull was completed.

Assisting Ioane on the project, spearheaded by the Samoana Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) are boat builders Taua Pania and Junior Fualau.

Ioane says the boat has received a fiberglass hull and all that’s left is the finishing work for the boat’s inside and outside. Says Ioane, the ’Shark’ features fiberglass on its inside and outside, the fiberglass allowing the fautasi to glide easily and move faster on the water.

“We started the work last year when school was out. Work was help up when school began and then with the tsunami...we resumed repairs last week on the boat,” Ioane said. “We have two more weeks to completion...and the students will prepare for the Flag Day race in April.”

Ioane says his work includes the Little Rina from Toamua, Samoa that won the territory’s Flag Day race in 2002 — and the Segavao, which won the Samoa Independence Day races last June. Captained by a woman — Vaimasenu’u Zeta Tago Martel (of Amaile, Aleipata) — the Segavao with its crew of 44 Don Bosco Technical Institute students stole away with American Samoa’s Flag Day fautasi championship in 2006.

Vaimasenu’u is the first and only woman captain to win a fautasi race in the two Samoa.

“The design of the va’a is the same as the Segavao,” Ioane says. “It’s a high-tech boat.”

The Samoana boat calls for a crew of 50 rowers who will be chosen from the student body.

“This will be a nice race this year with three new boats,” Ioane said, “if we have a race.”

He notes in addition to the Shark, there is the new Manu’a boat being built by an Australian boat builder and the new Pago boat being constructed by a New Zealander.

“I’m donating my time and labor on this project, for the school...I have a daughter attending Samoana,” he said. “You know, there have been fights...having the students train to row this boat will help keep them from fighting, will encourage school spirit and help students to get along.”

Pago Pago Rep. Va’amua Henry Sesepasara, captain of Pago Pago’s Aeto and Samoana PTA President told Samoa News the boat is a PTA project that has been in the planning since Samoana’s 60th birthday celebrated in 2006.

“It’s not a new project,” Va’amua said. “It had been planned from 2006. When Don Bosco won, the Samoana alumni wanted Samoana High School to have a boat.”

At present, it is not clear who will captain the Shark.

“As president of the PTA, I offered Gov. Togiola Tulafono to captain the boat...he is an alumni of Samoana...1966,” Va’amua said.

He has received no word as of yet from Togiola.

Va’amua adds: “If the governor is too busy, we will look for another captain — a student, maybe a teacher or the builder of the boat.”

When the boat is complete, a blessing ceremony will be scheduled, he says.

The Samoana PTA plans to organize a fund-raiser in order to raise proceeds to purchase scoop oars for the crew of the Samoana Shark.