Chapter 6, Across the Pacific Summary and Analysis

Thor remembers the first time two crewmembers take the rubber dinghy for a row. They begin laughing, which makes the other crewmembers wonder if the two men had lost their minds. Upon return, two more go out and realize what is so funny. It is the sight of the Kon-Tiki, a pathetically tiny bit of wood on the massive ocean, being piloted by a crew of scruffy, bearded, nearly naked men. On a subsequent outing, the crew decides to always keep a line tied to the raft and dinghy, as losing the raft would prove deadly. Thor reflects that falling overboard would also be disastrous, as the raft cannot stop or go back to pick up a lost crewmember, foreshadowing an event to come.

The raft gives the crewmates an impression of solidity within the...