Re-framing waste: Tasmanian man set to sail to Sydney on reclaimed marine trash

Can rubbish become a thing of value? A man attempting to sail to Sydney on a raft made entirely of trash thinks so. Look inside the vessel.

What’s possible for you as a human being if you are struggling and you have nothing?

That’s the question Samuel McLennan wants to answer as he attempts to sail to Sydney from Hobart on a raft he made entirely of rubbish.

In 2021 Mr McLennan was lost. His business hadn’t grown as much as he would have hoped, he had just gone through a break-up and was questioning the deeper meaning to his life.

“I was on my knees,” he said.

After doing extensive inner healing, he “magically” got put on the Project Interrupt path – to challenge what people think is possible and reframe thinking about waste.

Samuel McLennan with the raft at Oyster Cove Marina after travelling down the Derwent River from Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

He said the 27-foot craft (8.2m) with a 20hp engine and upcycled sails is a conversation starter about corporate social responsibility, individual responsibility and the correlation between rubbish and mental health.

It is made predominantly of high-density polyethylene pipes, fish nets and tarps collected from Tasmania’s shoreline and waterways.

“Rubbish doesn’t grow naturally in the environment,” Mr McLennan said.

“It’s a result of how human beings think, speak and act.”

Despite the craft being made mainly from fish and oyster farm debris, Mr McLennan said he wasn’t pointing fingers at any particular industry, but was opening conversations about impacts and responsibilities.

Samuel McLennan has built a raft entirely out of plastic waste found on Tasmania's coastline and waterways with the aim to sail to Sydney. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

With the ultimate destination of Sydney, Mr McLennan will make his way to St Helens before hopefully crossing Bass Strait.

The craft, named Heart, had its registration cancelled by Marine and Safety Tasmania prior to his departure.

In a statement on April 4, Marine and Safety Tasmania said it had observed the vessel while under way and “believes it is unsafe and may endanger the lives of those aboard”.

In the statement MAST CEO Lia Morris said they would consider re-registration if confirmation was provided from a qualified marine surveyor or naval architect that the vessel is safe and capable of undertaking the voyage.

Mr McLennan’s living quarters onboard Heart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Mr McLennan said the next day a marine surveyor interested in sustainability showed up to conduct the surveys.

On April 16, MAST said it had re-registered Heart in accordance with the surveyor’s report, which stated the vessel is suitable for safe operations in “appropriate weather conditions in sheltered waters”.

While Mr McLennan holds faith in his creation and his abilities on the water – as an avid surfer and experienced skipper he has been in some challenging situations – he is open to abandoning the mission for safety.

“If it’s all good, great, let’s keep going,” he said.

“I’m not going to go on something that I think will fall apart, that’s just ridiculous.”

Mr McLennan has several months to make his way to St Helens before another survey will be conducted to assess whether the craft is fit to tackle Bass Strait.

Before his departure early next week, Mr McLennan is hosting a clean-up of the rivulet behind the Kettering Marina on Saturday from 10am.

He hopes to inspire more people to create things of value from rubbish.

Originally published as Re-framing waste: Tasmanian man set to sail to Sydney on reclaimed marine trash