In the original dust jacket. Navy cloth binding with gilt title on the spine.

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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.

Review: Very well written book (as always with Tim Severin) lots of accurate technical details. Excellent illustrations and hand sketches. Maps could be bigger and more detailed. Another excellent book with “The Brendan voyage” and “The Sindbad voyage”. Highly recommended for people interested in ancient navigations and oriental traditions.

Timothy Severin (25 September 1940 – 18 December 2020) was a British explorer, historian, and writer. Severin was noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Founder’s Medal of the Royal Geographical Society and the Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. He received the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for his 1982 book The Sindbad Voyage.