Robert Hopkin, of Gibraltar, said Darwin came to see him in November 2005 over the sale of a 60-foot catamaran worth £45,000 ($91,000). Gibraltar is a British territory on the southern tip of Spain.

The Plastiki's arrival in Sydney will not, however, be the 60-foot catamaran's first time to reach Australian soil. Winter storms producing near-hurricane strength winds forced the vessel and its ...