The voyages of the Kon –Tiki
It was decided to call the raft Kon-Tiki after the legendary high priest who sailed with his people into the west from the coast of Peru and was never seen again.
The explorers stored their rations and drinking water under the bamboo deck in cardboard cartons and small cans. Special survival rations were given to them by the army. This, with baskets of fresh fruit and coconuts, was enough food to last six men for four months. They also took scientific instruments, a projector and films, radio equipment, books, red mats and straw mattresses.
Finally on 28 April 1947, people watched her sail away and wondered if they would see six adventures again.
The Kon-Tiki was towed out of the harbor into the rough seas by the coast. Now she was at the mercy of the winds and ocean currents. She was caught up in the swiftest part of the Humboldt Current and that, together with strong winds, soon carried her beyond any possibility of return. She bobbed about like a cork was a more modern ship would have been in trouble. They were now on their own with about 8,000 kilometers to go.
Nothing seemed firm on that raft. The logs moved against the ropes, which gradually bit into them. The raft sank lower as the outside wood became sodden with water. The ropes were inspected daily by the men who had to be held by their ankles over the edge of the raft with their heads under water.
Flying fish often fell on board and were eaten or used as habit to catch dolphin or other large fish for food. They had no fear of dying with danger or thirst. The men could have survived on water obtained by chewing the flesh of raw fish. At night the men would look into the sea at the big shining eyes of deep water fish. Sharks visited them often. Once, the raft was nudged by the nose of a 15 tones whale shark which as 17 meters long.
So the weeks passed with the Kon-Tiki bobbing on the crest of giant waves and sliding into the troughs. Sometimes the helmsman was up to his waist in water. They were traveling in a north westerly direction. It was so hot that they wore the breast minimum, of clothing. On June they came very close to the Equator. Now the raft was caught by another current called the South Equatorial current which carried the Kon-Tiki south west. They were still hundreds of kilometers from Polynesia. The Kon-Tiki’s long were getting weaker and very slippery. They sailed about 75 kilometers.
Al last they sighted sea –birds and so they knew that land was near. On 30 July they passed the island of Puka-Puka and saw a smoke signal there. But they were unable to steer towards.
Late on the ninety-seventh day, they saw a blue lagoon through a gap in a red coral reef. There were some islands in the lagoon. They could see some huts with roofs of palm leaves on one of these islands. There were people on the beach who came to meet them in a canoe. The Kon-Tiki continued to drift along the coral reef that was 80 km long. Great waves pounded the reef and the raft started drifting towards the Raiois reef. The adventures watched anxiously as the hours passed slowly by and they continued to be carried slowly towards the reef. Then the swell caught them and the Kon-Tiki rode on the crest of an enormous breaker which dashed her on the reef-a shattered wreck. It all happened in a few seconds but miraculously no life was lost. This was on 7 August, Thus ended an adventurous trip which had lasted 101 days.
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