The Epic Voyage of the Seven Little Sisters

In 1954, some seven years after Thor Heyerdahl and his 5 crew sailed a raft across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to the Marquesas Islands, and American man sailed a raft single handed from Peru to American Samoa, some 650 miles further. This is his book.

For those who have read Tim Severin's nautical expedition books, this one is in a similar vein. There are chapters on the inception of the idea, followed by some planning, then travel to Ecuador to try and locate suitable balsa logs for the construction of the raft. In this, the author differs from Severin. Severin is always recreating historic vessels, using age old techniques and methods. Willis is building a raft of his own design, incorporating modern design for the rudder and wheel, a jib-boom/bow-sprit to allow his mainsail to sit further forward than conventional, and other technical design decisions. However, manilla rope bindings, balsa and mangrove timbers were the base materials, and it was with ingenuity that Willis completes his work.

Willis really is a man of the sea. Throughout the book he recounts stories of his life - almost all revolving around his time on ships, or other equally hard working jobs. He really is a bit of superman, and some readers may not enjoy his repeated high opinion of himself. Really I think he is just ultra confident, and relies on his confidence in his ability to get by.

As usual with these types of adventure, there is a desperate race to be completed on time to catch the necessary trade winds and and currents in order to make the journey. Running months late, and stuck in Ecuador, all local advice is that it would not be possible to depart at this time of year, and he would need to be significantly further south, in Peru. After some drama with shipping companies, he finally manages to find a cargo ship to hoist his 10 ton raft on board, and transport his south to catch the current and wind. With a parrot and a cat, he kisses his wife goodbye and sets off, with the assistance of the Peruvian navy, who tow him offshore.

And from there, his journey is, really nothing short of incredible. Don't be fooled into thinking that a raft is simply sat upon, waiting to drift off to Samoa. This raft is much more like a yacht - it requires sailing, and constant attention. Willis claims that he sleeps around 2-3 hours a day during his voyage, made up in 10-20 minute naps, waking to alter a sail or a rope, or adjust course slightly. As well as this feat, he eats a diet of ground grains (mixed with water to make a paste), liquid sugar and instant coffee. This he supplements with whatever fish he can catch (he is pretty successful).

Worth mentioning here, that this is one of those sailing books where the dorado (or mahi-mahi, as it is called in NZ) is referred to as a dolphin. This is pretty common for the era, and the constant catching and eating of ‘dolphin' is nothing to do with actual dolphins, so no need to panic!

Around the midpoint of the voyage, Willis finds that his fresh water supply is practically gone, due to some low quality water containers he has been using. It is at this point that he shares that he can drink seawater without any ill effects - and used to drink a cup a day when at sea! He now rations his freshwater to a cup a day, taking two cups of seawater!

As well as these feats, he also manages to survive a fall overboard, storms, a fall from the mast which leaves him unconscious, a mysterious crippling stomach pain which leaves him unable to move for several days, temporary blindness, from the glare, a transmitter that ceases working on day 1, and 3 gas burners - 2 of which fail within days, the third around half way through the voyage. As I said above, a bit of a superman.

Of course, he makes his voyage successfully (or else there wouldn't be a book), 6,700 miles from Peru to American Samoa. As the book says, he sailed his raft further and faster than the six man crew of the Kon-Tiki, and he did it solo. It took almost four months.

The writing was pretty good. It was well paced, he balanced up the current progress of the raft with stories from his past well, and despite some weird dialogue where he ‘spoke' for the raft, or the parrot, or the cat, it was good reading. Perhaps he talked himself up a bit, but it is quite an incredible voyage he has made.

For me, 4 stars.