La Balsa;: The longest raft voyage in history,

by Vital Alsar

Book by Alsar, Vital

Genres: Nonfiction

219 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Linda]

Fantastic what men can do if they are not too afraid. I loved this book and could never cross the oceans on a small boat much less a RAFT! I enjoyed the details of the trip and the way the men felt about the small cat who accompanied them.

[Jennifer Morefield]

I thought this was a fascinating account of 4 men who traveled from Ecuador to Australia in a raft made of balsa wood. It took 6 months and the voyage was fraught w/danger and was not easy. Part of the experiment was to see if the men could be confined for such a long time in such a small space and not kill on another. Interestingly enough, they got along super well. Vital was wise and set down simple ground rules before the voyage began that they adhered to. It was a great story about an awesome adventure. It was also a good lesson in cooperation and ignoring others shortcomings to accomplish a goal. They also had a cat named Minet. I loved him and he also made the trip more bearable which shows that pets can really add a lot to any situation. I enjoyed it. It was a great read.

[Ram]

A fascinating first-person chronicle of the longest raft voyage in recorded history, La Balsa recounts the extraordinary 8,000-mile odyssey from Ecuador to Australia undertaken by the indomitable Spanish navigator Vital Alsar, accompanied by his three crewmates — Marc Modena, Normand Tretault, and Gabriel Salas — and their improbable fifth companion, a feline named Minet.

More at

https://vramonline.wordpress.com/2025...

[Craig Schlossin]

An amazing voyage but not an amazing book.

[Charles]

This one is along much the same lines as Kon Tiki and I really did enjoy it, although it was very long ago that I read it. I actually read it as part of a Reader's Digest condensed books.

[Lee]

Exciting true story of four men who ride a " raft" from Chile to Australia. It was many years ago & with the internet I was able to follow up on their lives.

[Diane Wachter]

La Balsa: The Longest Raft Voyage In History, Vital Alsar, Enrique Hank Lopez, RDC-M, #4 1973, 11/75. Adventure