The Tangora Expedition 2006

The balsa raft Tangaroa was built in Peru, and the six expedition members sailed it 8,500 km across the Pacific Ocean in the wake of the Kon-Tiki to Polynesia. The balsa logs were brought from Ecuador, near the city of Quevedo, at about the same place where Thor Heyerdahl found the timber in 1947. The timber was floated down to the coast and the large city of Guayaquil. From there it was transported to Peru and the port city of Callao, where the raft was built.

In February 2006, the expedition itself began in Ecuador. On April 28, the raft was ready to be launched in Peru. 100 days later, the crew hoped to be able to sail to port in Tahiti after 8,500 km at sea.

Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki raft had spent 101 days on the famous and similar journey in 1947. The Tangaroa expedition was a little faster and covered its 8,500 km on the raft in only 93 days. It was exactly as long as the expedition cake lasted - it was provided by sponsor and project participant Thor Heyerdahl Institute.

Expedition Tangaroa sailed from Callao in Peru to Tahiti in Polynesia. The goal was to increase engagement and focus on pollution in the Pacific Ocean, build and sail with an improved version of the Kon-Tiki raft, and take water samples in the Pacific Ocean, on behalf of the University of Bergen.

The replica of the Kon-Tiki raft was made by carpentry teacher/expedition participant Lauten and 9 students in the carpentry department at Thor Heyerdahl Upper Secondary School. They had this as a project and elective in 2004/2005. Nanset Primary School in Larvik was involved in the production of the sail.