After the Leilani was damaged in the 1966 Molokai race and believed to be a total loss, the Board of Directors decided that a new koa canoe should be built to replace the Leilani. The only koa log that was available was on exhibit at Ulu Mau Village. It weighed eight tons and had a diameter of 4.5 feet. Both of its ends were termite infested.
The Club hired George Perry to build the canoe. He says the log came from the Kulani region on the Big Island was probably more than 100 years old.
The Paoa was 39 feet 6 inches long and weighed 400 pounds. No metal screws, nails or braces were used in the canoe, only wood dowels. Perry says he designed the canoe for calm water, as the Kakina was intended for rough seas.
The canoe was originally named the Leahi. However, when Duke Paoa Kahanamoku died in January 1968, the Club decided to honor Duke and renamed the canoe the Paoa which was Duke’s middle name. It was dedicated on June 15, 1969.
The first crew to race in the Paoa was the Boys 16 which included Skipper Barnes, Doug Straehley, Barry Hall, Johnny King, George McPheeters and Dale Hope. They won.
Although Outrigger won some races in the Paoa, it was eventually considered excess since the Leilani had been rebuilt and the Kakina was in top form. It was sold to Kukini Canoe Club in Ewa Beach in 1982 for $10,000.