Sailing Thailand INFO

Plastiki proves the power of ingenuity, imagination combined with some eco awareness with creator, environmental advocate and eco-adventurist David de Rothschild at the helm.
Plastiki is a showcase of how waste can be used as a valuable resource. This modern vessel has been engineered from cutting edge materials and all available sustainable design technologies, the 60 foot catamaran, constructed from PET (polyethylene terephthalate, a recycled plastic resin and a form of polyester) makes up her super structure while 12500 recycled 2 lt plastic bottles pressurized with dry ice powder, making her buoyant enough to carry four people on an 11000 mile voyage from San Fransisco to Sydney. The unique sail is hand made from recycled PET cloth, the mast, a reclaimed aluminum irrigation pipe and the secondary bonding, 100% organic made from cashew nuts and sugar cane.
Plastiki is relying primarily on renewable energy systems including solar, bicycle generators, wind and trailing propeller turbines, rain water catchment and a urine to water recovery system. She is even fully equipped with her own hydroponic rotating cylinder garden.
After all this state of the art technology on board the question still remains unanswered, can this thing actually sail? She is a down wind vessel and the design and sail plan only allows her to sail with the wind just forward of the beam and she is unable to tack only jibe, her predicted average speed is five knots.
Rothschild passion and devotion to create education and awareness has manifested itself into the shape of this slightly odd looking catamaran in a devoted effort to encourage the world to ‘reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink more of the planets natural resources’ and is hoping to deliver an environmentally spectacular ‘message in a bottle’. More information go to www.theplastiki.com

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