Tangaroa Expedition Tangaroa Expedition The Tangaroa Expedition of 2006 closely resembled the Kon-Tiki expedition sailing a balsa raft from Peru to Polynesia. Tangaroa outperformed Kon-Tiki by having an improved sail rig and by actively using guaras (centerboards). As such, the expedition represents a scientific continuation of Thor Heyerdahl's experiments in recreated maritime technology. The raft was named after the Māori sea-god Tangaroa. Based on records of ancient vessels, the raft used a relatively sophisticated square sail that allowed sailing into the wind, or tacking. It was high by wide. The raft also included a set of modern navigation and communication equipment, including
Thor Heyerdahl excavations at such prominent sites as Orongo and Poike. The expedition published two large volumes of scientific reports ("Reports of the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition to Easter Island and the East Pacific") and Heyerdahl later added a third ("The Art of Easter Island"). Heyerdahl's popular book on the subject, "Aku-Aku" was another international best-seller. In "Easter Island: The Mystery Solved" (Random House, 1989), Heyerdahl offered a more detailed theory of the island's history. Based on native testimony and archaeological research, he claimed the island was originally colonized by Hanau eepe ("Long Ears"), from South America, and that Polynesian Hanau momoko ("Short