GUAM is closer to increasing the number of Chamorro canoes on the island as one resident, Keith Quintanilla, recently completed the main hull and outrigger of a fiberglass canoe.
Quintanilla, a boat repair specialist who has previously built two canoes and takes orders to repair power boats, has been documenting his personal canoe project for several months. Variety learned he is nearing completion of the canoe via his business account, the “Boat Doctor” Facebook profile.
In a post dated July 7, Quintanilla uploaded pictures showing the 27-foot main hull and its smaller outrigger fully assembled and painted.
His canoe is based on designs by 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. The canoe needed repairs, and since 500 Sails had previously worked with Quintanilla to repair other canoes in its fleet, he agreed to help. In exchange, Quintanilla was given permission to use Aunty Oba as a mold to fabricate his own canoe.
He inverted Aunty Oba and applied mold-release wax to its exterior surfaces. The next step is to create and mount spars, a yard, a mast, and a boom made of bamboo. Once complete, the outrigger will be lashed to bamboo and connected to the main hull.
With a main hull and outrigger of his own, Quintanilla can replicate the process to make molds and fabricate additional canoes. He expressed excitement about the possibility of creating more.
“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 said. “This vision could revitalize traditional maritime culture and encourage greater community involvement. With continued support and effort, this dream can become a reality.”
He added that the project opens up the potential to sail between islands and revive Chamorro culture. Quintanilla 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 remaining task is to use bamboo as spars, a mast, a yard, and boom and connect the mainhull to the outrigger.
Keith Quintanilla, Guam’s “boat doctor,” used 500 Sails’ Aunty Oba as a mold to create his own canoe.
The mainhull of Keith Quintanilla’s personal canoe, fabricated on Guam, features Chamorro-themed designs.
The outrigger hull of Keith Quintanilla’s personal Chamorro canoe.
