The Nautical and Aeronautical Collection of the Museum of Angra do Heroismo includes a collection of small nautical models, such as this one of the famous Kon-Tiki raft, a rudimentary vessel built by the renowned Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl. In 1947, Heyerdahl sailed this raft across the Pacific Ocean, from Peru to the Polynesian islands. He sought to demonstrate his theory that these islands had been colonised by South American indigenous peoples, using the same type of improvised vessels and relying solely on the propulsive power of the winds and ocean currents.
