- Hardcover: 318 pages
- Publisher: Little, Brown & Company; First Edition edition (20 Oct 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0316910198
- ISBN-13: 978-0316910194
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.4 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 948,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| ||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
The story of how six men and one woman made maritime history: sailing the Pacific on a bamboo raft where every wave washed right through the structure. Their purpose was to test the theory that Asian raft sailors reached America some 2000 years ago. On a beach in Vietnam Tim Severin found fishermen still using small bamboo raft of age-old design. Forming a team of builders and riggers he constructed a 60-foot ocean-going raft from 220 giant bamboos, lashing them together with rattan. Named Hsu Fu, in honour of a Chinese mariner who was sent to explore the Pacific in the third century BC, the raft set out from Hong Kong on its epic voyage. Battered by gales and nearly run down by merchant shipping in the Taiwan Strait, the historic craft was swept past the intended landfall by a powerful current. Narrowly escaping pirates, the crew, including an artist, a photographer, a doctor and a Vietnamese fisherman - landed on the idyllic Pacific island of Miyako to repair a broken foremast. They then sailed north to the main islands of Japan to stock up on provisions and prepare for the perilous crossing ahead of them. Then for 105 days the raft edged eastwards, contending with fog, gales, breakages to spars and rigging, and the gnawing of bamboo beetles eating the very fabric of the raft. They took records of the birds, fish and whales - and pollution - they encountered, and supplemented their diet by catching fish by harpoon as well as hook and line. Broken ribs, a meeting with a killer whale, and the steady deterioration of their half-submerged vessel contribute to this remarkable tale. The crossing ended 5500 miles from Hong Kong after 6 months at sea - a modern record for raft journeys in hostile waters.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Cross the Pacific in a raft made from bamboo - You must be joking!
I first read about this trip in a one-page National Geographic article, which didn't do the trip nor Tim Severin and his crew justice. A long-time fan of Mr.Severin, I know what to expect from his books; very intense, often repetitious eulogies on the strengths and weaknesses of the craft; the pros & cons of his theories and the methods used to explore the possibilities opened up by these theories. This book is no exception, refusing to take any modern assistance (except mandatory safety equipment), insisting on traditional materials and building techniques, he constructs a raft which has never been seen outside Vietnam for a century, in order to test his theory that Asian culture could have migrated via the Pacific (either by accident or design) to the Americas. The trip is punctuated by storms, any one of which would destroy your average 60foot yacht, but Hsu Fu calmly lets the mightiest waves run right through her, barely disturbing the crew at their supper. A bonus is that the raft needs no helmsman, once set on a tack she steers herself, her attendant shoals of fish ensure continuous supplies of fresh food, the only problem is after 5 months at sea, she's falling apart at the seams. Having seen the original Sindbad dhow (parked on a roundabout in Muscat, Oman), I can attest to the workmanship and attention to detail that goes into each one of Mr.Severin's boats, so it must have been heart-breaking for him to see his journey cut short by the break-up of the raft, due to no fault of his own, and so near to the final goal.
I'd love to see the videos that they took on the voyage - the narrative gives you a real feeling of being at one with the sea, but I'd like to compare the picture in my head with the real thing.
Thoroughly recommended reading; I'm just about to start on 'The Spice Islands Voyage - In Search of Wallace', which should combine two of my favourite subjects:- Exploration and Evolution ... more on that later.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Well written adventure
28 Oct 1999
Format:Paperback
In this book, Tim Severin has demonstrated the sense of scholarly adventure of Thor Hyerdahl while showing the enthusiasm for new experiences of Richard Haliburton. His adventure has purpose in trying to understand how the ancients may have been able to make trans-pacific voyages. He makes the reader feel as if the reader is experiencing the adventure with the others on the raft. This involvement is achieved through an exploration of the human struggles as well as the physical struggles that such an epic adventure requires. It struck me while reading the book that this would be a good book for managers to read to learn about teambuilding skills. This book is instructional, well researched, and entertaining to read. If you have enjoyed Tim Severin's previous books, you will certainly enjoy this book.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
More brilliant testing of theory.
16 May 2002
Format:Paperback
Cross the Pacific in a raft made from bamboo - You must be joking!
I first read about this trip in a one-page National Geographic article, which didn't do the trip nor Tim Severin and his crew justice.
A long-time fan of Mr.Severin, I know what to expect from his books; very intense, often repetitious eulogies on the strengths and weaknesses of the craft; the pros & cons of his theories and the methods used to explore the possibilities opened up by these theories.
This book is no exception, refusing to take any modern assistance (except mandatory safety equipment), insisting on traditional materials and building techniques, he constructs a raft which has never been seen outside Vietnam for a century, in order to test his theory that Asian culture could have migrated via the Pacific (either by accident or design) to the Americas.
The trip is punctuated by storms, any one of which would destroy your average 60foot yacht, but Hsu Fu calmly lets the mightiest waves run right through her, barely disturbing the crew at their supper.
A bonus is that the raft needs no helmsman, once set on a tack she steers herself, her attendant shoals of fish ensure continuous supplies of fresh food, the only problem is after 5 months at sea, she's falling apart at the seams.
Having seen the original Sindbad dhow (parked on a roundabout in Muscat, Oman), I can attest to the workmanship and attention to detail that goes into each one of Mr.Severin's boats, so it must have been heart-breaking for him to see his journey cut short by the break-up of the raft, due to no fault of his own, and so near to the final goal.
I'd love to see the videos that they took on the voyage - the narrative gives you a real feeling of being at one with the sea, but I'd like to compare the picture in my head with the real thing.
Thoroughly recommended reading; I'm just about to start on 'The Spice Islands Voyage - In Search of Wallace', which should combine two of my favourite subjects:- Exploration and Evolution ... more on that later.
The Spice Islands Voyage
14 Dec 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Very interesting review of the concept of evolution and a fascinating revisiting of Alfred Wallace's travels in Indonesia 150 years after the original exploits. great reading.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
