60 days at sea
28.jun.2006 @ 08:36:07
At 8 o'clock this morning the distance to Raroia was 500 nautical miles. If we reach the sunny sand beach as planned, we can go wherever we want in Eastern Polynesia. Under the Norwegian flag we hope to bring with us an expedition culture were unlimited action radius is part of the essence. Tahiti is still our final landfall, but Tangaroa and the island community might give you some surprises before Papeete!
During some days of calm, we had the chance to check all the balsa logs. To our friends in Ecuador we can report that our cooperation with Alcan Baltek and their balsa specialists, proved a success. The logs are floating only a couple of inches lower than the day of departure. The seaweeds cover the surface of the logs, underneath the sea level.
The raft construction consists of several hundred knots. The sisal rope consists of natural fiber. With huge assistance from the Peruvian Navy, we have probably made the safest raft in the world. Every single knot attaching the main logs and the cross beams, is a time consuming result of several men working together, using all their strength and expertise. Also the bamboo cabin is made to resist big waves and stormy weather. So far, after several gales, we haven't touch one of the knots. The raft and the cabin are still firm and solid, making a lot of noise, of course, due to constant movement caused by the tremendous power in the sea underneath. There is still some more work to do before the complete report about the sailing and the excellent sails made by the Norwegian family company - Seglloftet.
Our experience says it's possible to steer the raft between the reefs and islands of Tuamoto. But the first landing will be the big test. Can the landfall be as dramatic as some people fear? We depend on weather conditions, our teamwork and skill in raft navigation. Tangaroa has proved capable of succeeding in the task. But we remember, and we are frequently reminded, how Kon-Tiki was drifting towards the notorious Takume and Raroia reefs, a fifty-mile barrier almost impossible to circumvent.
After two months at sea we are still friends. Fact is that we are even better friends now than in Callao. Here it's easy to discuss topics, to get a full understanding of the view of our crewmates. In Callao, we were in a dire straight the last month. Never time to talk things trough. And March stressed us to the edge, because of the overwhelming logistic challenge. On the raft, so far, we all agree that we share favorable conditions for making a good society: Every single member of this society has agreed upon the rules, and these rules have been made for the safety onboard.
Today is our 60th day at sea. Just "another day at the office" is a common joke in the morning, before a swim in the biggest clear water pool in the world. A lot of fish follow the raft all the time, and we have seen many crabs, including our dear "Johannes 2nd". But we have only seen four sharks. On the other hand, birds are visiting us constantly. We are extremely privileged to have this close contact with the sea around us. Øyvin has collected sea samples stored in special membranes. Except of possible invisible pollution that can be discovered after analysis in the University of Bergen, among others, the surface of the sea is visually clean in this isolated part of the Pacific.
Right now sun is shining on the logs, doing almost 3 knots in the ocean. Roberto and Bjarne prepare a 10kg dolphin. Øyvin is digging samples from the stomach of the fish. Anders, not recovered after the loss in the football cup (Germany - Sweden), has a phone talk with our film producer, Videomaker. Olav is sleeping, because he just finished his night watch. We have received great news from our very helpful contacts in Raroia and Tahiti. Tell more about that later. Now: Thanks all of you who follow our journey on the webpage!
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