ENGINEERING & HUMANITY WEEK CELEBRATES
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1-of-a-kind boat … for 12,500 reasons
Made of 12,500 reclaimed 2-liter plastic drink bottles and other recycled materials, this innovative 60-foot (18 meters), twinhulled catamaran is called‌
The Plastiki.
British adventurer and ecologist David de Rothschild and his team built it
to increase awareness of the pollution of the world’s largest natural resource— the oceans’ waters.
For buoyancy
the bottles were filled with powdered dry ice and sealed to re-expand with carbon dioxide and thus float.
The bottles were joined together with Earth Weld, an earthfriendly bonding agent the Plastiki team developed using sugar and cashews.
The frame
is made of woven plastic, held together with heat-welded tape and steel bolts.
Masts and sails
are two reclaimed irrigation pipes and recycled PET bottles.
Power
is generated by wind turbines on each stern, solar panels on the cabin, submerged turbines near the rudders and two mounted exercise bikes.
Plastiki facts
• Weight: 12 tons • Height: 59.7 feet (18.2 meters) • Average distance per day: 200 miles (322 kilometers)
Sailing a ‘statement’
David made maritime history in 2010 when he and his small crew sailed his recycled boat 8,000 miles across the Pacific. His expedition was an engineering first and brought global attention to the South Pacific garbage patch.
For his commitment to our planet, David de Rothschild is being honored with a 2013 Visionary Award from the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity.
For more information, and to take the pledge to stop using plastic bags and bottles, visit www.myplastiki.com.
All images used with permission and copyrighted by “The Plastiki.�