Re: “I think it is unlikely they crossed the ocean in a linear fashion.”
I agree.
Even in modern times, open ocean adventures in small boats almost always encounter life threatening weather or seas.
And, once on land, their problems may have only just begun, not ended.
Hostile natives, disease, drought, sudden disappearance of fish or game - I mean, good luck trying to live off the land or the sea in a place you know NOTHING about.
Re: “I think it is unlikely they crossed the ocean in a linear fashion.”
I agree.
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Yeah I agree too. coastal sailing has been around for 10’s of 10000’s of years. But cross ocean sailing is a relatively new skill. The Polynesians mastered it about 1500 years ago. and the Europeans mastered the same skill with different tools about 500 years ago.
Actually, set against the backdrop of deep time —1000 years is a short difference in time for two different cultures to master the same skill using different methods —and it suggests something interesting about the human condition/mind.