By Lauren Beavis & Rom Preston-Ellis
A man who bought a VW Campervan for £180 says it may have a world record after driving nearly - one million miles.
Steve Green is the proud owner of the multipurpose VW Campervan, now 52-years-old, which he brought over from Australia in 1998. The vehicle, named Cecil, has currently driven 1,375,630 kilometres - 900,000 miles and 14 times round the clock - without ever needing to be towed.
Cecil plays a key role in Clean Ocean Sailing - a Cornwall-based organisation which hauls tonnes of waste plastic collected from beaches. Since starting in 2017, Clean Ocean Sailing has collected more than 70 tonnes of plastic - averaging around 10 tonnes per year. Steve thinks Cecil's miles might be a world record.
He said: "I grew up watching Herbie - I believe cars can have a spirit of their own. It is mad the things Cecil has seemed to survive. He's approaching 14 times round the clock, which is about 900,000 miles (1.4m km) which as far as I can find out, is the highest mileage one of these in the world.''
Cecil takes up discarded 'ghost' gear (fishing gear discarded as waste in the ocean) and waste bags using a home-made crane made of scaffolding poles as well as a winch and tow hook at the front of van and takes the waste via trailer to an Exeter recycling plant. Steve explained: "If someone is walking their dog on a coastal path or if they spot big bit of ghost gear, we get the shout and go and get it before the next tide. That is what Cecil does."
Clean Ocean Sailing have hundreds of volunteers across Cornwall beaches and the Isles of Scilly who venture on Steve's boat Annie, a traditional sailing boat 117-years-old. Cecil's engine, which was swapped to diesel upon his arrival in the UK, runs on waste chip fat oil.
Steve recalls how he found Cecil, built in 1972, "in a state and mechanically in a right mess" - as he had been used as a shuttle bus for airport travels between Canberra and Sydney. Steve did not let that stop him, however, so purchased Cecil for the English equivalent of just £180 and spent the next six months repairing him after hours in a workshop whilst he was working as a mechanic.
When the time came for him to leave Australia, Steve had planned to sell Cecil at a car auction in Sydney, but couldn't bear to part with his trusted travelling home. He said: "We wanted to drive him back to the UK - we even managed to get a visa for India and Russia, but sadly China said no. So we put him on a ship back home and haven't parted since.
"The boat's over 100 years old and still going, so let's see if we can keep the old van going for another 50 years! Our ethics of using historic transport and sailing boats - which has evolved over thousands of years - fit with our ethos. If you have the wind and the tide, you take your time and understand nature and go with the natural elements it feels completely right.
"We have evolved as creatures on this planet, but it's when you force the situation it feels wrong." Cecil has never been towed - despite Steve paying for breakdown cover every year. Steve, who used to be a mechanic and still continues this work when required, said: "You have to be a DIY mechanic to drive one of these - but they are so simple to work on and simple to fix.
"He's never needed a tow and I have breakdown I've never had to use - I always have a laugh with the insurance company every year, which is actually really cheap and now covered by Footman James as a donation." Steve was inspired to set up Clean Ocean Sailing after a sailing trip to Isles of Scilly left him "heartbroken" when he saw so much waste dotted across the beautiful coastlines, teeming with wildlife.
He said: "There was so much rubbish washed up on the little tiny islands out on the west side, that no one goes to because they are wildlife sanctuaries. We're talking one metre deep of washed up trash of all sorts and I wanted to do something about it." The team work hard to reduce plastic waste whilst minimising their own carbon footprint too (which is virtually zero) and working in harmony with their surroundings.
Steve explained: "We could clear more waste, but for us it is as how about how we do it as how much we collect. We don't use engines (apart from chip fat oil for Cecil), and we sail, row and paddle everywhere - so there are limits to what we can do. We could get propeller engines for example, but that would be disturbing wildlife."
Steve says Clean Ocean Sailing work closely with wildlife charities who help them decide where they can visit and when - according to natural breeding cycles and populations. Steve added: "Some islands in Scilly people are not allowed to visit at all because they are breeding grounds for rare birds and seals. But in February we can access some islands, with special permission from wildlife trust, to collect as much waste as we can - whilst navigating rocks!"
A spokesperson for Volkswagen told the BBC said there were a number of other very high mileage campervans and could not confirm a record for Cecil. But he said Cecil was "really impressive". Find out more about the amazing work of Clean Ocean Sailing on their website.
