Plastiki Assisted, Not Rescued

Despite what the mainstream media — who consistently display their ignorance of all things nautical — would have you believe, the crew on the 60-ft eco-cat Plastiki were not rescued off the coast of Australia this weekend. Readers will recall that the boat, built from 12,500 empty soda bottles, was towed out of San Francisco Bay on March 20 by an outboard-powered RIB. In fact, the plan all along was to hire tow boats at each stop as Plastiki has limited mobility and no engine.

The crew had originally planned to stop in Coffs Harbor, and had pre-arranged a tow there. But when they realized that a storm brewing in the Tasman would push them farther north — away from their final destination of Sydney — they decided to get towed in early. They consulted with the Queensland Water Police for suggestions, and contracted for the 42-ft Australian Volunteer Coast Guard vessel Mooloolaba Rescue to tow them into Mooloolaba yesterday. No fuss, no muss.

Plastiki is still on schedule to arrive in Sydney on July 25.