The objective of the game is to simply keep your pawn on the board. On your turn you will place a tile in front of your own pawn and then move it to the end of the path. At some point during the game pawns will start to interact with one another. At that time you will try to push your opponent to the outside edge of the board while you proceed to safer territories. The last pawn remaining on the board will win the game.
The game was designed by a mathematician by the name of Tom McMurchie and "utilizes a unique tile laying system that's very easy to learn but provides for a challenging and strategic game."
As with all Kickstarter campaigns, there are neat gifts for your pledge if the goal is met. For more info, go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/781219801/tsuro-of-the-seas-a-game-of-treacherous-waters?ref=live
This sounds like a fun game. Check out the video from the Kickstarter page...