Guam is closer to adding to the number of Chamorro canoes on its island as one resident, Keith Quintanilla, recently completed the mainhull and outrigger of a fiberglass canoe.
Quintanilla is a boat repair specialist who has built two previous canoes and takes orders to repair power boats. He has been documenting his personal canoe project for months now. Variety learned he has neared the completion of the canoe via his business account, the “Boat Doctor” Facebook profile.
In a post from July 7, Quintanilla uploaded the canoe pictures, which show that the 27 foot mainhull and its smaller outrigger have been assembled and painted.
His canoe is made based on the designs of 500 Sails. Quintanilla told Variety that in 2024, the 500 Sails canoe Aunty Oba was in transit to Saipan after participating in the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture in Hawaii. 500 Sails needed some repairs to Aunty Oba, and because 500 Sails has worked with Quintanilla to repair other canoes in its fleet, Quintanilla agreed to repair it. In exchange for the service, Quintanilla got permission to use Aunty Oba as a mold from which he could fabricate his own canoe.
He said that he inverted Aunty Oba and applied mold-release wax to the exterior surfaces. The next step in the process is to create and mount spars, a yard, a mast, and a boom out of bamboo. By the end of the project, the outrigger will be lashed to bamboo and then connected to the mainhull.
With a mainhull and outrigger of his own, Quintanilla can repeat the process of making a mold to enable canoe fabrication. He says he’s excited for the possibility of creating additional canoes.
“With the successful completion of this project, I now have the ability to use my Sakman Proa as a mold for future builds, which opens up the exciting possibility of constructing a fleet. Looking ahead, it would be incredible to build one or two Sakman Proas for each village and establish inter-village proa races,” he says. “This vision could revitalize traditional maritime culture and encourage greater community involvement. With continued support and effort, this dream can become a reality.”
He says it opens up the potential to sail between the islands, and revitalize the Chamorro culture. He hopes to preserve “a vital part of our cultural legacy” and live “in closer harmony with the ocean.”
“I feel both proud and inspired. This project has shown the potential to do so much more than build a single canoe—it has the power to revive cultural practices and empower future generations,” he said. “My motivation has always been rooted in a desire to return to nature and reclaim the traditional ways of our ancestors. With this Sakman Proa, I hope to one day sail to Rota or another northern island, fully embracing the seafaring spirit of our people. I hope to secure funding to construct additional Sakman Proas and to establish hands-on classes for youth in the community, where they can learn to build and maintain their own traditional canoes. My long-term vision includes offering traditional navigation workshops at community centers across the island. Bringing this dream to life would be a powerful way to reconnect with our maritime heritage and strengthen our cultural identity.”
The mainhull of Keith Quintanilla’s personal canoe, fabricated totally on Guam, features Chamorro-themed designs.
The remaining task is to use bamboo as spars, a mast, a yard, and boom and connect the mainhull to the outrigger.
The outrigger hull of Keith Quintanilla’s personal Chamorro canoe
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