SEAVAX - in open water trials, with no plastic to scoop, but she floated just right, according to calculations.

Not in any way connected with the generating history of Herstmonceux Museum, but powered by electricity, harvested as natural energy from the sun. This project followed the Gull-Wing hydrogen powered sports car, using the garages at the Museum. Mainly because the team who helped build the DC50, were largely conservationists, and could not help but wonder if a SolarNavigator 'inspired' design, might be adapted to tackling the plastic menace.

TANK TESTING - This water basin was especially constructed to one side of the Generating Works. The tank was filled with well water and plastic debris scattered to simulate ocean waste, then the pumps and filters were switched on. In the space of a few minutes, the tank was clear of flotsam. The Concept worked!

Quite obviously, the SeaVax looks nothing like any of the SolarNavigator boats, nor PlanetSolar, the Swiss ship that set the first sun powered circumnavigation record in 2012.

The 'team' got their thinking caps on, with Chris Close as project director, and soon had ideas that were worth pursuing. Fortunately, their onboard technician was adept at building proof of concept machines, deftly forming aluminium sheet, timber and even the dreaded plastic, into the machine that proved the concept, back in 2016.

In 2023, plastic is still a menace, according to several reports, claiming that waste disposal, as dumping from rivers into the ocean will double. There will be more plastic in the sea than fish. It's an extraordinary situation, with few actors looking to invest in cleaning up the existing mess, or even swapping polyolefin's for biodegradable substitutes. Thus, threatening safe seafood supplies.

SOLAR PIONEERS - Stephane Chopard & Raphaelle Javet (communications) and Raphael Domjan (pilot) on a visit to Herstmonceux Museum in August 2017. Raphael's Turanor PlanetSolar project set the benchmark when it comes to solar powered zero carbon transport.

The SeaVax team showed there are ways of combating the problem, and maybe one day, we'll see autonomous machines like this, skimming the ocean waves clean of detritous, and an outright ban on single use packaging. Plastic products that are recycled responsibly, are perfectly acceptable, do not think otherwise. We are not plasti-phobic, just sensibly precautious. Our society depends on engineering and medical plastics.

There are several innovative vehicles and vessels on permanent display at Herstmonceux Museum, including:

1. Art Gallery - Collection of paintings, pictures, graphics, sculptures, wooden carvings & exotic glassware

2. Archives - Historic documents library, patents, trademarks, copyright, films, catalogued legal papers & letters

3. An Edwardian ice well, throwback to the days before refrigeration

4. A large underground (condensation/cooling) and water storage chamber for ice making

5. The world's smallest water basin, test tank for model boats

6. World's smallest wind tunnel, vehicle drag measuring instrument using electronic strain-gauges

7. Three PV boat models, Navigator, SWATH & 2 cats + route map prior to Swiss PlanetSolar

8. Seavax, the ocean cleanup proof of concept prototype from 2016

9. AmphiMax, radio controlled (working) beach launching & recovery vehicle for SeaVax

10. Anthony the most dangerous giant Australian bulldog ant, 300 times normal size

11. EV - FCEV refueling station model in 1:20 scale

12. The only working (fully functional) water well in Herstmonceux village

13. The fountain of youth, supplied from natural well water drawn on site

14. Second World War, 'Anderson Inspired,' bomb proof shelter constructed by Major Charles de Roemer

15. City sports FCEV-BEV, hydrogen gull wing proof of concept DC50 electric car

16. Land speed record car: Bluebird-Electric BE1 (original 1st) with battery cartridge exchange

17. Land speed record car: Bluebird-Electric BE2 (original 2nd) with cartridge exchange

18. A complete mummified squirrel, found when re-roofing the Museum June 2017

19. A fully operational, and restored VW Kombi van dating from 1978 (historic vehicle)

20. BMW i3, battery electric vehicle hybrid, with onboard generator range extender

21. Solar panel, sun tracking system, with battery storage

22. A hornet's nest found on site & preserved in 2016 (reported as [Asian] invasive species, to be safe)

23. Three sewing machines, including an antique Singer and a Brother industrial.

24. Adventure climbing frames for children (back to nature) Swiss Family Robinson