19/08/2026
Meet the Master Builder:
Magele John Misky was born on the island of Fakaofo and is also Samoan from the villages of Samatau, Fagaloa, Iva and Afega.
He is the master builder and creator of the strip - plank sailing vaa Mataalii and the stitch- plank sailing vaa Sailimalo, which he built and successfully sailed in the Porirua and wider Wellington area, where he now resides.
Both vaa were built by Magele, who spent more than five years carefully reading, studying and deciphering the 100 year old notes of Te Rangi Hīroa (Sir Peter Buck).
Magele’s knowledge was further strengthened by his own experience at sea and the lessons he gained as one of the original crew members of Gaualofa in 2009.
This vaa marks Magele’s first build in Samoa, bringing together years of research, traditional knowledge, practical experience and a deep commitment to keeping Samoa’s voyaging traditions alive.
The build is part of Ala Vaa, a project proposed by the Samoa Voyaging Society to the French Embassy in Samoa, and supported through the Embassy’s Pacific Fund.
From the tree that began this story, to the hands of a master builder carrying forward generations of knowledge, the journey of this vaa continues.
Samoa Voyaging Society
France in Samoa - La France aux Samoa
