The China Voyage: A Pacific Quest by Bamboo Raft [Paperback]

'An extraordinary explorer.' INDEPENDENT 'Tim Severin is one of the last of the old-style explorers... His deeds speak to us of the purity of achievement in an age where experience has become blunted by comfort and complacency. We watch then, awed.. A vivid picture of the aching space of the ocean, the loneliness of the long distance sailor.' THE TIMES 'riveting account...he can certainly plan, take risks: and... he can excite.' IRISH TIMES 'much of the pleasure of this fascinating book is due to his understanding of the politics of confinement in sometimes desperate situations.' SCOTSMAN 'the story of this courageous quest is gripping and a wonderful armchair can escape to read adventure in an increasingly mundane world.' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'Illustrated with beautiful line drawings by Nina Kojima, and a variety of photos of the crew looking miserable, it's a good antidote to the pampered mundanity of urban existence.' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY '[A] vivid account.' ASIA WEEK

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. 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. They contended with pirates, 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.

Tim Severin has is the author of a series of books about his own explorations, and the holder of the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society. He lives in County Cork, Ireland.