here - Polynesian Catamaran Association

tTA N G A R OA r 11)t 11!z/œ four reazs ago àyoungEnglbhmpand rw'o Germ an pzk'ljbegan to sa# heading for zâvjCanbbean ïçiaals with a/zatutno money in their pockets.##doing rézk they had certal W/p 1n0t1 W mind that râer wrei jbem hm hg an O dyssev that z:p!m l contlhuing todap Slzt behind the hum an adventuw 1everybody Ja,ç forgotten réa )there w'a,ça sm all catam aran...f1:1The Iittle modelofTahitiandouble canoe exhibitedinthe South KensingtonScienceM useum1 tle 1id 5()s there Ns'ere not N'erl'11:.11) to las'esailetlacrosstheAtlantic'1t1st1-01-tl-ltlirpleastlre.'I-he 'Yachting'5:as :1 I'latter o1- '5&'ea1tI1#' gentlellen'.Cer tain l)'not:1 'fa(.dr' P )'otlng n'1an'sNvl'1i1-1-1 ., 4 tt1,1st1n-1e iu st2()sn-l:1Iboats1)ad sa1ledtltpAtl:11t1t2.lnost0 t-th el'n sing le-handed .Sol'ne becal-ne t-al'1lous,.f-orthe n-len .1oshuaSloctll'l'ld 1kl 1t dtlring 1is saiIing N'oqragearound the Ns'tlrltlb)'the entlofthe X IXecentury:a1-'rentzh gtly',A lain ( .-$erbatllt,did1t 1 lt?'.3 sa1111-,g 1is157irecrest11-1so Io . Forthe'srkll'lelztïnn Daq'1d sonNvasthe tirstoneto tzrosstleAtlaltitlil'l1953,also stll().Alltle otherattellpts svere klole Nvith biggerboatsal-ld'01-:1nuI'neroustzreNv .19($t.lalklitsIiberty'Nvind N'asnotq'etin tlel't'til'lkls and .1tek Kerouae Nvill Ns'rite hisfalptltlsbook.'42)1-1theroad '-OI'Il)'i1,1l957.SO.ca1)lrotl1l'lagil'le Ns'l'l:'t'sras the societl'reacti01'1&y'I1u-3'111-0o1ishl'oul'lg EngI1shl'nan1)atltht't1tlea to s1)11t1-1e .,A tlantic.1)oton atrad 1tio 1,1aIs11-1g Ie-1tlI1ed boat- but Nvith akloublehtllletlboat11-!spired by'the spirit(Attlt'tal-lkr1eltPtnl)'1-1es1ans'.7N1orethanthatshe'ks1II do it .$N'1th tNvo girls 01-1 blnard.j'll1f.ltlk1ng! 'Tle restl1l is that- for 1-1:11'1)''ears-tle 's'acl'1til'lg NN'()r1tl'haN'e t-orgtnttenthe Tangaroa's story,l'nostly rtln dt'hNN'l'1b)'the orthodox soc1etl' Ns'l'1itrh l'las'e jtlstrecalled the 'il'nnnoraI adN'enture'o 1-onel'nal Nsbith tNr$.'o girls. Stlch thilgs Ns'l'1iclseenlsrid1cu1otlslodal'...Noqvadays l'nanl' people renlel'nber theAtIantic crossing storl' as a renlarkablesaiIilg odyssel'- btl I'lost oj-tlen'l haN'elbrgottentheboat'snalMe and hou'sheNs'asbu ilt. B)'the tinle u'here catanlaral'ls aresa1l1ng everyNvhere. are nlaking tlp thegreatestp arto1-the relt1ng boatlleets,andeven break allthesailing records,itcouIdbe good to 1ook batlk at t1-11s 11ttle boatNs'hichbeganthestorl'.IIR lk)53 the k no'w'ledge aboutthe ancientPolrnesian nas'igators ald theirboatssvasredtlced to alluostIlothing.ThorIley'erdahlhad saiIed 1-1is 'K(nn-Tiki'raft'lion'150t1thx'Nl-nerica to Pol'nesi:.1 i1) 194 7 and Nvastrlainling thatthealeiel'ltPoljvlesianshav'enotsailed the Pacitic btlt'!ustdrit-tetlon it.l1'1 1937-I938 :1 I-l-enkll sailor btliIt acatalnaran (Kai1'nil0:.1) i1-1 the H au'aii:11)IsIands and sa iIed her frol'n there toC-annes.01)theFrench ItiNziera.i1250 dal'sbut 1isbook doesnottelIN'el-l'1'ntlchabotlttheboatcolstrukltionand ab ilities.The SeaPeople28 Issue74 * *