11 Jul 2006

French Polynesia hails Norwegian raft crossing from Peru

1:31 pm on 11 July 2006

French Polynesia is hailing the Norwegian team that has sailed on the raft Tangaroa from Peru to replicate the 1947 crossing of the Kontiki.

The six-member crew arrived on the atoll of Raroia in the Tuamotu group after 71 days at sea.

The team included Olav Heyerdahl who is the grandson of Thor Heyerdahl who made the original crossing in 101 days.

The crew proved once again that it could have been possible for South Americans to navigate a vessel made of reeds over the ocean to Polynesia.

The Tangaroa crew also wanted to monitor pollution of the seas, relay data as an educational project for school children and make a film of the voyage.