Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology

Rather than confirm or reject their model, this paper will attempt to expand it, based on direct experience in Chumash marine architecture, craft handling capabilities, and comments by two Santa Barbara master boat builders who took part in the reconstruction of our Chumash plank canoe, Helek (Hudson 1976, 1977; Hudson, Timbrook, and Rempe1978; Howorth 1980). Our experiences provide a slightly different view of the variables involved and their relative importance, but are offered constructively to clarify various aspects of the Jobson-Hildebrandt model. It will be shown that larger dugouts were not more seaworthy than smaller ones, and that the reasons for large dugout use in offshore waters were associated with their greater cargo capacity.