Steve Green, a Cornish boat engineer, has been overwhelmed by donations from Guardian readers after his mission to remove abandoned yachts from Cornwall's rivers was featured in the newspaper. Green, who runs the small organisation Clean Ocean Sailing with his wife, said he “nearly fainted” when hundreds of readers contributed to his crowdfunding campaign, raising over £23,000.
Green uses his dilapidated Volkswagen camper van, Cecil, which runs on donated chip oil from local pubs, to haul 166 disintegrating fibreglass yachts from the Helford and Fal rivers. These boats leak toxins into the water, and marine biologists have compared the fibreglass fragments found in sea creatures to asbestos fibres.
The problem extends beyond Cornwall, as many fibreglass boats from the 1960s and 1970s are reaching the end of their life across the UK with no disposal plan. Owners can abandon boats without consequence as there is no requirement to licence coastal vessels. Each boat removal costs between £1,000 and £3,000, and last year Green ran up £8,000 on personal credit cards when grants fell short.
Following the Guardian article, donations poured in from individuals giving from £2.50 to £1,000. Many donors expressed gratitude, with one calling Green “a proper hero” and another saying his work “gives me joy in my heart.” Some donors had personal connections to Cornwall, while others, like Liz from Yorkshire, admitted they were unaware of the issue.
Green has already used the funds to put legal notices on about 20 abandoned yachts, giving owners 30 days to claim them. One owner has come forward, apologising and saying the boat was “a project that went wrong,” but has not offered to cover disposal fees. Green has also assembled a team of volunteers to remove seven small boats from the water.
