Mar 24, 2010: Plastiki

[xoxoxoBruce]

Back in 1947, Thor Heyerdahl & friends, built a boat from reeds called Kon-Tiki, and proved the Pacific could be navigated with primitive craft.
Flash forward to 2010.
A bunch of hippies, including an Olev Heyerdahl, have set sail from San Francisco headed for Sydney, on a super hi-tech plastic boat called the Plastiki.



Far from a reed raft, the Plastiki is a super sophisticated craft with all the electronic bells & whistles. Electricity comes from solar panels, wind turbines, trailing water turbines, and stationary bike driven generators. The solar desalinization unit produces 12 liters an hour, and they even have a mini-greenhouse to grow fresh greens.

Supposedly this hi-tech, corporate sponsored, mucho-money, expedition, is to call attention to plastic recycling, the polluted Pacific, renewable energy, yada yada yada. But I think they just wanted to have fun.

Of course, no matter how hi-tech the craft, the Pacific can swallow it in a heartbeat.

You can check out the details, and follow the voyage, here.