SeaKettle life raft makes its own drinking water
Posted on August 10th 2010
We're sincerely hoping that none of our boat insurance or yacht insurance customers need a life raft that makes its own drinking water. But it's nice to know that if you are on a yacht that sinks or capsizes then you'll at least be saved from dying of thirst.
Currently at the design stage the Sea Kettle has been entered into the James Dyson Award, an annual competition that supports young designer across the globe. American Kim Hoffman was inspired by stories of people dying of dehydration in life rafts surrounded by seawater.
Hoffman took the concept of portable desalination devices like the Watercone and designed a raft with large Gore-Tex covered reservoir at the centre of the roof. Seawater is pumped up to the reservoir and evaporates under the suns rays. As it rises it condenses on an upper canopy and drips back down into containers in the life raft.
Assuming the design makes it into production it could mean that victims of disasters at sea have a chance to make it back home to put in a boat insurance claim.
News brought to you by Insure My Boat, providing the UK with a range of fully comprehensive and third party boat insurance policies.
