The Lapita Expedition
Hympendahl, Klaus
September 2011
208 pages, four-colour throughout with numerous photographs
208 pages, four-colour throughout with numerous photographs
The Lapita Expedition
4,000 sea miles in the steps of the first settlers in the South Sea
Thor Heyerdahl was wrong!
The Polynesian islands were populated from the West, not from South America. Pottery sherds as well as linguistic and genetic research corroborate the thesis that members of the Lapita culture were indeed the ancestors of the Polynesians and advanced from China via Taiwan and the Philippines all the way to the South Sea. In November 2008, Klaus Hympendahl embarked on the same adventure as the legendary Thor Heyerdahl once did: on two catamarans modelled on traditional Polynesian boats, he and his crew of scientists and adventurers were the first to sail 4,000 sea miles in the steps of the Lapita. Despite dramatic weather conditions and gruelling conflicts, both boats reached their goal after six months and thus proved that a colonisation by boat from the West was indeed possible. Afterwards, the catamarans were given to the natives in order to help revive the art of boat building that had been lost over time. An exciting, richly illustrated adventure report that provides plenty of background information and leads to some very exotic locations.
Exposed to the forces of nature – an exciting adventure in the South Sea
Klaus Hympendahl was born in Hamburg, Germany, and worked as a copywriter and creative director in advertising for a long time. He had his own advertising agency and later founded a yachting equipment company. He inherited his father’s passion for sailing, and from 1986 to 1991 he sailed around the world. In 2008-09, he led the South Sea expedition »Lapita-Voyage« on which this book is based. Klaus Hympendahl has written numerous articles for sailing magazines as well as several books, including Logbook of Fear and Pirates Aboard: Forty Cases of Piracy today and what Bluewater Cruisers can do about it. He has been living in Düsseldorf for many years now.
Thor Heyerdahl was wrong!
The Polynesian islands were populated from the West, not from South America. Pottery sherds as well as linguistic and genetic research corroborate the thesis that members of the Lapita culture were indeed the ancestors of the Polynesians and advanced from China via Taiwan and the Philippines all the way to the South Sea. In November 2008, Klaus Hympendahl embarked on the same adventure as the legendary Thor Heyerdahl once did: on two catamarans modelled on traditional Polynesian boats, he and his crew of scientists and adventurers were the first to sail 4,000 sea miles in the steps of the Lapita. Despite dramatic weather conditions and gruelling conflicts, both boats reached their goal after six months and thus proved that a colonisation by boat from the West was indeed possible. Afterwards, the catamarans were given to the natives in order to help revive the art of boat building that had been lost over time. An exciting, richly illustrated adventure report that provides plenty of background information and leads to some very exotic locations.
Exposed to the forces of nature – an exciting adventure in the South Sea
Klaus Hympendahl was born in Hamburg, Germany, and worked as a copywriter and creative director in advertising for a long time. He had his own advertising agency and later founded a yachting equipment company. He inherited his father’s passion for sailing, and from 1986 to 1991 he sailed around the world. In 2008-09, he led the South Sea expedition »Lapita-Voyage« on which this book is based. Klaus Hympendahl has written numerous articles for sailing magazines as well as several books, including Logbook of Fear and Pirates Aboard: Forty Cases of Piracy today and what Bluewater Cruisers can do about it. He has been living in Düsseldorf for many years now.
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