We Found a Boat Made of Rocks and Plastic Bottles!

We found an electric sailing catamaran built from volcanic rock and recycled plastic bottles. First, we tour the factory, then the boat, then we take her sailing. This episode starts at the Windelo yard to see how they build a durable, lightweight performance catamaran at a competitive price — with no extra cost for the reduced ecological impact. The hulls use basalt fibre from volcanic rock and PET foam from recycled plastic bottles, a composite sandwich the yard says cuts construction emissions by nearly 50% compared with traditional GRP. From there we come aboard for a full tour of the interior living spaces and the exterior, then we go for a sail to feel what life is like on this vessel under passage and see first-hand how she performs in light airs. Silent electric propulsion, solar, hydrogeneration, and an easily driven hull are the other half of the story. If you care about sustainable boatbuilding — or you just want to know whether a “plastic bottle boat” can actually sail — this is factory, tour, and sea trial in one. What do you think of this approach versus conventional fibreglass? Tell us in the comments. Episode S04E26 Recorded: Mid-August 2026 Viewer-first. Ad-free. Supported by those who choose to. Become a member by clicking the "Join" button. http://www.youtube.com/@sailinghelios/join Support Our Journey: 🔗 Check out www.sailinghelios.com for exclusive behind-the-scenes content 📸 Follow us on Instagram for updates: https://www.instagram.com/sailinghelios2023/ 📸 Follow us on Facebook for updates: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sailinghelios 📸 Follow us on Substack for updates: https://substack.com/@sailinghelios @windelocatamaran Products we love: Aussie Chiller Hats: https://www.aussiechiller.com/judith Jude wears a Bushie Plus in Blonde colour, and Richard wears an Explorer in Camel. EZRaft inflatable dinghy: www.ezraft.com €100 off with discount code "helios" Momentum Electric Marine: https://momentumelectricmarine.com/ We use a U2 Electric Outboard - 2.5kW Smartboatia - AI Powered Copilot: https://smartboatia.com Lookout AI Powered Camera System: https://www.getalookout.com/discount/HELIOS10 10% off for a limited time using the Discount Code: "HELIOS10" Morpheis Smart Anchor Buoy: https://mooring-solution.com/helios €100 off using the Discount Code: "helios" Within the EU get an extra €100 by trading in a Gripy Anchor Buoy Sailproof rugged tablets and waterproof electronics for sailors: https://sailproof.shop/ We use a tablet provided by Sailproof Carawater Smart Water Pump: https://carawater.de/produkt-kategorie/druckwasserpumpen/ We love having a silent water pump. 4K Video Chapters 00:00 We are back in Canet-en-Roussillon 01:53 Ecological Foundations 07:37 Windelo Factory Tour 23:05 Windelo 54 Boat Tour 42:49 Sailing a Windelo 54 50:53 The Energy Equation 54:43 Our Thoughts