Plastiki nearing completion at San Francisco's Pier 31

 

David de Rothschild’s Adventure Ecology Foundation expects its 60-ft catamaran, Plastiki, that will float on 12,000 plastic bottles, to be 80% completed by the middle of next month, nearing its planned launch and sail across the Pacific. The two-pontoon framework is almost finished, then to be filled with discarded 2-quart plastic bottles. The bottles in turn are pressurized with carbon dioxide from melting dry ice crystals inserted inside.  

The photos here show progress on the framework on July 27, 2009, and a technician filling some of the bottles with dry ice.  

Click here for a very cool interactive video of Plastiki, showing the details of its construction in a rotating 180 degree artists drawing.  

For background on Plastiki and its environmental purpose, click here for The Chronicle’s March 3 story by Carl Nolte.