The Kon-Tiki Raft Competition

Each year, hundreds of Scouts and Girl Guides converge on Sandvlei to take part in the annual Kon-Tiki Adventure.  The competition is organised by the Cape Western Area Sea Scouts, under the auspices of the South African Scout Association.    Accompanying the teams are hundreds of members who come along to enjoy the great atmosphere of the event and to also assist the teams in the raft building. 

The competition starts on Friday afternoon at 1500.   This is when the raft construction starts. Raft teams have to build a raft which is capable of staying afloat for a minimum of 24 hours.   The raft has to provide covered, waterproof accommodation for a team of six Scouts/Guides, as well as toilet facilities.   The accommodation has to have a demarcated cooking area.   There are various guidelines for the raft crew in the Team Information Booklet which can be downloaded from the "Downloads" page.

The construction demands a high quality of pioneering, because no nails or screws may be used on the raft.   The teams are limited to using pioneering spars and ropes.    

The Theme

The theme for Kon-Tiki changes each year.   The theme could be related to a particular country, an event (such as the Olympic Games), a TV series (such as Survivor), a particular event in the country, such as the African Renaissance theme of 2000.    Details for the theme will always be released in the Team Information Booklet, which is available from the Sea Scout Base or it can be downloaded from this site.  

Raft Design

The design of the raft is always related to the annual theme of the competition.   Teams use their imagination and come up with the most amazing ideas, such as an aircraft fuselage or a cowboy chuck wagon.    Teams who take the time to make sure their raft blends in with the theme are rewarded by the 'theme'  judging which takes place after the rafts have launched.

This is a sample of a design for a large raft Base and Drums which a team used in 2005 - click on the thumbnail to download a copy. 

Spare Time Activities

Spare Time Activities form an integral part of the raft competition.   Teams have to carry out various skill testing activities on board.    These are normally in the form of testing pioneering and creative skills and the results are judged on the Sunday morning.   This aspect of the competition counts towards the overall points for the raft competition and also earns a separate floating trophy for the winning team.

Raft Meal

Teams aboard the rafts have to make a meal consisting of at least three courses.    This is normally a Saturday evening meal and a serving has to be presented for meal judging.    This aspect of the competition also earns a unique floating trophy as well as the points counting towards the overall raft competition.