The China Voyage: A Pacific Quest by Bamboo Raft
by Tim Severin
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Description
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, show more 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. show lessTags
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The China Voyage, Across the Pacific by Bamboo Raft by Tim Severin (pp 314). There are quite a number of well known oceanic raft Voyage books, including Kon-Tiki, The Ra Expeditions, Seaworthy, La Balsa, The Tigris Expedition, Sea Drift, and From Raft to Raft (among others). This true tale of a 4,500 mile journey by bamboo raft from Hong Kong to Japan, to 1,000 miles off North America may be the best written of the lot. The trip was undertaken to prove the possibility of China to the Americas travel, which purportedly it proved despite falling short. The book covers the development of the trans-oceanic theory, the building of the raft by Vietnamese fishermen, and the amazing Voyage itself by a team of 5. Again, quite well written and show more engaging to the end. show less
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Author Information
44+ Works 4,515 Members
Acclaimed adventure writer and explorer Tim Severin was born in 1940 and educated at Tonbridge School and Oxford University. He has made a career of retracing the storied journeys of mythical and historical figures in replica vessels. These experiences have been turned into a body of captivating and illuminating books, including The Brendan show more Voyage, In Search of Genghis Khan, Crusader, The Jason Voyage, and In Search of Moby Dick. He has received numerous awards for exploration and geographic history, including the Founder's Medal of England's Royal Geographic Society and the Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Scoiety. When not travelling, he lives in County Cork, Ireland show less
Common Knowledge
- Important places
- Pacific Ocean
Classifications
- Genres
- Travel, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 910.964 — History & geography Geography & travel modified standard subdivisions of Geography and travel Explorers & Travelers Discovery and exploration by Africa Morocco, Ceuta, Melilla, Western Sahara, Canary Islands
- LCC
- G480 .S48 — Geography, Anthropology and Recreation Geography (General) Special voyages and travels
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 120
- Popularity
- 270,653
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.45)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 10
- ASINs
- 2
