Right now in Brockwood Park School, Hampshire UK, two students are building a 16ft, wooden, double-ended, clinker sailboat. At the start of July this boat will get them home to Russia in the most sustainable way possible. Down the river Danube, through 10 countries, they will row and sail over 3000km of inland waterway ending up on the Romanian coast of the Black Sea.
"When you enter [the workshop] it feels like you walked through the looking glass from wonderland and emerged in another dimension. You smell sawdust and tree oil. But instead of seeing Alice, you see Andrew, our inspired mentor of woodworking skills. You suddenly have gained superpowers to create anything you can think of, from a spoon to a house. Or for example, our 16 foot Martinicus Double Ender, which is at the heart of our mission to sail to Russia this summer through the canals and rivers of Europe."
Finn and Tereza are taking this trip as a call for action against climate change. It is a degrowth challenge for Tereza to travel from England, to her home in Russia, with the smallest footprint possible; a flight home to Sochi will contribute another 786kg of CO2 into the atmosphere. They are drawing attention to the fact that sustainable travel is the only way forward. By immersing themselves in nature and different cultures of the world, it will be an educational, practical, learning experience.
They are also looking to raise £12,000 for the project. £8,000 of this will be used to reimburse the woodworking department for the boat's materials and help other projects in the future. £4,000 will be used to launch the project and feed and accomodate Finn and Tereza on the trip. There are also several items that are needed for the trip that can be bought and sent to the school. More info here: https://northseatoblacksea.home.blog/funding/
If you would like to donate to the project, please visit: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8eK9g0d9Zx