Kon-Tiki, for one, is a RAFT that was famously used by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl in 1947 to cross the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands. The RAFT was made of balsa wood and other native materials and was named after the Inca sun god, Kon-Tiki. Heyerdahl's journey was intended to prove that ancient people could have made long sea voyages and settled on distant islands. The Kon-Tiki RAFT was successful in its mission and Heyerdahl wrote a book about his experience which became a bestseller.