On Monday last, Sydney had the pleasure of welcoming the Plastiki into her harbour.
In case you’re not aware, the Plastiki is a 60 foot catamaran, constructed from recycled materials such as plastic bottles, and was completing a voyage from San Francisco to Sydney. Conceived by David de Rothschild, the voyage was designed to highlight the need for us to consider how we use and dispose of plastic materials in this modern, throwaway world that we live in.
David de Rothschild on board the Plastiki
During the week I had the pleasure of meeting with Plastiki’s skipper, Jo Royle, and David, and got to hear about some of the ways that modern technology helped them to design and build the boat, as well as help them throughout the journey from San Francisco to Sydney.
As already noted, the boat is constructed largely from plastic bottles. For instance, 12500 of them were used in the hull. But there’s more: the sails, for instance, were made from a fabric made from recycled PET bottles. The design of the cabin was modeled from the characteristics of the African Namib beetle, so that it could help them produce the fresh water needed by the crew through the duration of the journey from the US.
But their on board technology was essential to the success of the journey. HP Computers and Inmarsat satellite communications kept them in touch with the rest of world, ensuring their safety throughout the voyage.
Jo Royle, Plastiki's Skipper
At the welcome press conference, David de Rothschild related a story about just how much they relied upon the communications systems, and how well they worked. Here’s an excerpt from that press conference where David describes a particularly busy morning.
The Plastiki will be on display at the Sydney Maritime Museum throughout the month of August 2010.
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