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500 Sails focused on both Carolinian, Chamorro maritime traditions
I am the executive director of 500 Sails, Inc., the non-profit organization that is the subject of Tuesday’s Saipan Tribune story entitled “Non-profit wants to see 500 ‘Flying Proas’ in the water.”
Thank you for the coverage of our program that aims to make access to traditional canoe sailing affordable and accessible to the people of the CNMI. I would like to emphasize that our program supports both Carolinian and Chamorro traditional sailing proas. Participants will have the opportunity to build and sail either or both kinds of proas.
500 Sails is a maritime traditions restoration project. It has a target of 500 proas built and on the water by 2030. This number matches the number of proas that met the Spanish galleon San Pedro when it arrived at Guam in 1565 before the practice of building and sailing traditional proas was suppressed by the Spanish and lost in these islands. Project participants will be assisted by a skilled team of “Sakman Leaders” in the hands-on construction of their own proas in a fully provisioned and tooled guma sakman (canoe house). Participants will pay only the cost of the materials and many will be provided with financial assistance based on need.
The 500 Sails project includes instruction in the art of proa sailing, cultural maritime history, swimming and boating safety. Instruction is a mix of hands-on training and small group learning in a classroom setting. Learning of a Chamorro language sailing vocabulary of physical proa components as well as sailing maneuvers and activities is incorporated into the learning and practice of sailing.
500 Sails is an CNMI non-profit NMD corporation and federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization.
Peter J. Perez
Tanapag
