Dugout canoes are the main transportation on the long inland rivers like the Sepik and in the extensive lagoons and swampy regions. Out-rigger canoes sail along the coast and between the outer islands. The addition of outboard motors make travel much faster than with paddles or sails, but fuel is expensive and sometimes difficult to get. A man will travel a long way up river to buy a large log. The log is towed back to the village, lifted onto the bank and roughed out with an adz.
Fire is used to help burn out the interior and seal the surface against insects.
The prow is shaped according to the tradition of the area, sometimes additional designs are carved on the sides, and it may be painted with natural pigments or store house paint. For use with an outboard, a separate plank is tightly fitted into the back as a transom and caulked with clay. A canoe lasts around five to seven years. When canoes rot, many of the prows are cut off and saved for the artifact buyers. Canoes are decorated with clan symbols and other emblems of power to insure speed and success.