Now Those were REAL Boat Builders

[John]

While on a vacation in Mexico last week, I read "The Ra Expeditions" by Thor Heyerdahl. Probably lots of people have heard of his expedition on the balsa raft "Kon Tiki" from the west coast of South America to the South Pacific to prove that it was possible that people had traveled this route several thousands of years ago. Heyerdahl also noted similarities in the cultures of ancient Egypt and many old cultures of Latin America including the Olmecs, the Aztecsk, the Incas and the Mayas. His theory was that Egyptians had built boats out of Papyrus reed and sailed them across the Atlantic, so he set out to prove it was possible. If anybody wants to read a sailing adventure, mixed with some history and anthropology, as well as boat-building design theory -- this is your book.

Heyerdahl's first boat builder was from Chad, where lake dwelling people still built reed boats back in the 1960s. However, they weren't experienced in building boats similar to the Egyptians' ocean-going vessels, so for his second attempt he got some boat buliders from Lake Titicaca in Peru, where they still built boats similar to the Egyptians. Every aspect of the boats the Egyptians built was shown in their ancient wall paintings, including the fact that the line used to tie the steering oar was not as heavy as other lines they used. Heyerdahl ignored this and the result was that the steering oar snapped. If he'd have used lighter line, then it would have served as a fail-safe mechanism and the line would have broken before the oar did.

But it makes for fascinating story. Recommended for those of you about to embark on a long trip and looking for some good reading.

 

[kloudie1]

Kon Tiki

I agree, great book! I read it in the early 60's.. was one of the books that really got me interested in sailing instead of powerboating.

 

[sailaway78]

Never ceases

It never ceases to amaze me that they did this. That boat looks like it would come apart with the first swell over two feet. Also their navigation is almost unbelievable. I wonder how many of us could manage this feat. No decent compass, no charts, no sextant. If they had anything that resembled a sextant it was very primitive, and yet they managed.

 

[John]

It never ceases to amaze me that they did this. That boat looks like it would come apart with the first swell over two feet. Also their navigation is almost unbelievable. I wonder how many of us could manage this feat. No decent compass, no charts, no sextant. If they had anything that resembled a sextant it was very primitive, and yet they managed.

Heyerdahl had two boats built. The first was built along "inland" design. He said that it rode up and over the waves like a snake and that sailing in it was like being on a cork. The second, which was constructed in a somewhat different manner, was more rigid but took the seas very well. I think the main thing was that being so light, these boats tended to just ride up and over waves. Also, don't forget, they had many years in which to improve their craft.

As for navigation - I think they did have a primitive sextant. They also were able to tell when land was nearby from changes in the waves, as well as from watching different kinds of birds. But, I think the main thing was that at least the first who went across the Atlantic were very possibly just blown off course; they got there accidentally. Pictures on walls, however, show other boats arriving complete with royalty, so they must have gone there intentionally at some point.

With all the horrors and stupidities, we're still a pretty amazing species, no?