History Lesson and Holiday Reading

I hated history at school (sorry if any of my past teachers ever see this!).  It was only when history became relevant to myself and my own interests that it started to come alive.  Or maybe it is an age thing.....

I love the Clive Cussler books, especially those with Dirk Pitt as the lead.  He can make history come to life and there are usually classic cars and diving in the plots.  There is often part of the story relating to early voyages across oceans.

Not really history when I first read it (but maybe it is now), I also read Thor Heyerdahl and the Kon Tiki Expedition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kon-Tiki_Expedition:_By_Raft_Across_the_South_Seas

An attempt to prove what may have been possible with a balsa log raft.  They made the voyage, but scientific analysis seems to disprove the original theories.

Then we get to the Polynesians.  What were their origins?  How did they travel?  We now know from genetic analysis that spread was originally from SE Asia through Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, New Zealand and then into the Pacific Ocean as far as Hawaii.  Of interest to me, they also travelled to the Philippines (my wife's country of origin).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesians
Looking at their travel mode, simple catamarans and trimarans seem to be in evidence in many of the areas they seem to have travelled.  Currently in the Philippines the Banca is used extensively for local travel, transport and fishing.

Usually they have a single cylinder 4 stroke engine.  Around 12 Hp for the one shown.  Sailing versions exist, but are fairly rare.
Could boats like these, or the catamaran version of similar hull shape been the method of travel 1000's of years ago?

Maybe history can be an inspiration to my boating plans?