Evening star., 1954-11-07

WA@Ns~ - SSSesas OS 0PAAV NeSAAA000
lashed to bamboo cross pieces.
Three innovations In raft con-
struction were provided In my
plan. First was the bowsprit-
which had much to do with the
success Of my voyage across the
Pacific.
Into sockets In the forward
mangroye beam I fitted two
beams. one on each side and
pointed up and forward. and
Joined In the center about eight
feet beyond the longest log on
the raft. This would give me
the means to carry a jibsail-as
a storm precaution. / could GO
on sailing even If the mainsail
was torn to shreds and blown
out of It's boftrope.
Then came the mainmast-a
double mast. meaning it con-
sisted of twin legs, supported by
steel cables. This was in the
ancient pattern of all seagoing
Peruvian and Ecuadorean RATS
But because the bowspring pro-
vided me a place to fasten a
stay far forward, I could move
this mast farther forward than
had ever been done on a raft be-
fore. This in turn gave me room
for an aftermast that would
carry a big triangular sail-an-
other feature on which I had de-
cided after the years of thought.
Could Sail Across Wind.
This rig provided me with what
seamen call a balanced ship-one
with which I could sail across
the wind and maneuver as
needed. The ancient RATS, with
single square sail, could only
run with the wind.
/ knew that if I were to steer
with the long sweeps which the
South American Indians had
used since ancient times, my
hands would be broken in "a
hours. This system requires a
man on duty at all times-and
often several men. I needed a
regular ships wheel connected to
a rudder Of the orthodox kind.
This was a hard nut to crack,
even after many designs, but I
finally managed it. I also car
ried seven planks ' that I could
use as centerboards to make
steering easier. The largest
weighed about ton. Then my
hut was built-with a frame of
thick bamboo and split bamboo
walls.
I took stock. Much time-my
only safeguard against the feared
storms-had been lost. I knew
the Kon-Tiki expedition left the
South American coast on April
29, it's members concerned about
the approach of the typhoons,
and for me it was already past
this date.
The Humboldt current which
! would ride sweeps north along
the coast. and near Cape Blanco
not far from the Ecuador-Peru
border, swings northwest-just
south Of the Galapagos islands
700 miles off the coast. But north
Of these islands run counter-
currents which might drive me
back east-while the storms
boiled over the water and cost
me still more weeks. 1t was nec-
essary to go farther south. where
the current runs closest to shore.
I therefofe got a launch to
tow me to the island of Puma in
the Gulf sxof Guayaquil. The
Grace liners stop there and j
could travelon one of them with
my raft to Callao, the capital
and chief port of Peru, about 300
miles to the south.
Run Down by Tanker.
One day while my raft was
tied to dock at Puma. waiting
for the arrival of a liner, I spieo
a small river tanker approach
ing. I shouted to the captain
that he was coming too close
But the vessel kept bearing doWr
on my raft. AS it bumped
against the raft, hurled myself
at the ship to prevent my craft
from being crushed. The impact
ruptured me, an injury / was tc
regret deeply later. Twice more
the river tanker smashed against
my raft. nearly crushing il
against the dock. My journey
was thus nearly ended before il
began.
When the luxury liner Santa
Cecilia arrived in Puma it lifted
my raft, all IL tons of it, to its
deck like a toy. We arrived in
Callao on May 10 and the Pc
ruvian navy put its shipyards
at my disposal for collecting
stores and making final prepara-
tions. Six weeks vanished before
I realized it. My friends, and
my wife Teddy who had Joined
me, grew more and more wor-
ried. I can only say that they
have their way and I have mine
II think I should come along,
my wife said, but I could not
agree. She then asked, Please