The catamaran (or as it was originally named Kaffamoran) is believed to have originated in the area of the Red Sea well before there were even peoples later to become known as "polynesians" It is believed that the "polynesians" (as they became known), adopted this style of transportation along with quite massive ocean traversing "rafts" of bound together logs steered by the use of multiple retractable "boards", in their trek throughout the Indian and pacific oceans.