Blog

August 2024
Conrad and Helen met up for the first time at the Victorious Festival – we chatted for a few minutes and realised we had the same mad idea – to build a boat out of recycled waste and sail it around the UK!

January 2025
Helen and Conrad meet up at Whiteley Village to have an initial chat about the objectives of the boat – aims.

March 2025
Spoke to a lot of people at the Dinghy Show who could help with recycled materials, insurance and gifts in kind.
Conrad and Helen start to chat regularly every Friday as a scheduled meeting to chat about the progress of the project.
Conrad starts to work on a boat design
Helen works on an initial route around the country on OS Maps.

April 2025
We set up the structure of the back end of the project with communications with a google drive and What’s app channels.

May 2025
We make contact with Green net who will be able to host an ethical website for us and email.
We come up with the name SecondWave!

June, July and August 2025
Helen works on the route of journey looking at each port stop, marinas, budget for crew.
Conrad continues on the boat design.

September 2025
Helen spends 3 solid weekends building the website!
We attend the Southampton Boat Show and get lots of new contacts.
We refine the website and sponsorship deck.

November 2025
Voluntary Action Chichester invite us to speak at one of their networking events and we launch officially to the world!

December 2025
We meet up with Lucy B at an event in Southsea – after 5 minutes of chatting we knew we had our PR lead! Welcome aboard Lucy!
We come up with the 4 E’s ideas and this solidifies the pillars of the project.

January 2026
We become a registered CIC.
We have our first monthly in person meeting and set up a series of monthly calls with the core team.

February 2026
We welcome Ming Wu – the Boat Builder and Jeff Leigh-Jones (our Sailing Adviser).
Our very 1st online meeting with all the core team – wow we’ve made progress!
Meet a Sunday Times journalist who can support with media content.
Helen meets up with Voluntary Action Chichester to go through the back end policies to ensure we comply with CIC regulations.
Helen attends an ocean event in Brighton and we get invited to go to a Creatives for Climate event.
We attend the Dinghy Show and meet up with the RYA Green Blue,

March 2026
Lucy creates our PR strategy to bring everything to life.

April 2026
Lucy, Jeff and Helen meet up to discuss sailing route will link with the community event side – taking into account weather and tides.
We meet up Isaak from Joso Productions to discuss a Hero film to attract sponsors.

May 2026
We finalise our bank account and Crowdfunder.
Advertise for a Fundraising Volunteer Lead.

June 2026
Helen attends the Plastic Free Gathering in Bristol and make contacts with Plastic Free Falmouth and Plastic Free Exmoor, as well as lots of lovely other people!
Jeff finalises route and creates a passage plan.
Lucy updated our PR and marketing strategy
Conrad develops links with STEMUnity who will be able to provide the education aspect to the Community Event.

July 2026
Great day filming with Isaak from Joso Productions – making a promotional film and content our Crowdfunder. Thanks to Ming for the use of his workshop @Makers Guild at Portsmouth Guildhall for the day.

August 2026

Helen volunteers on Skomer Island – a nature reserve on the West Coast of Wales. We had previously discussed brining back waste from different corners of the country to make the boat. So that when we visit the 7 key ports, we can state that the boat was made our of waste collected from the local beaches.

After speaking with the warden on Skomer, Helen collects a broken kayak which had been washed up on Skomer Island and straps it to her van. She also went to the Ocean Lab at Goodwick, Fishguard where there is a local charity Recycle Mor which has been set up. This collects waste from local fishermen on Pembrokeshire harbours and then sends it to Waterhaul in Cornwall to be made into products. Helen collects from used fishing nets in the back of her van to bring back to make the trampoline of the trimaran.