( CNN ) -- Call it a `` message in a bottle '' or an epic eco-adventure -- but now after 8,000 nautical miles and nearly four months at sea , you can finally call it over . After sailing through brutal southern storms and battling numerous technical challenges , the crew of `` Plastiki '' -- a ship made out of thousands of plastic bottles -- is now on its final leg of a trip across the Pacific Ocean . `` It feels amazing , '' Plastiki 's expedition leader , David de Rothschild , told CNN Sunday . `` I think what 's happened with the Plastiki has really captured the world 's imagination ... the impact has really surpassed my expectations . '' The Plastiki will reach Sydney , its final destination , Monday morning -- ending a 125-day journey , but also completing years of planning and dedication for the team . De Rothschild said that a 2006 United Nations report on plastic littering the world 's oceans was his personal catalyst for action . Made of approximately 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles and engineered using the most sustainable methods possible , the Plastiki is meant to be used as a platform upon which solutions to the myriad of environmental problems can be found . `` I was inspired to go out and really build Plastiki to showcase waste as a resource , '' said de Rothschild . `` And here we are nearly four years to the day just pulling in to a little harbor just north of Sydney , ready to sail in tomorrow [ Monday ] . '' The Plastiki 's arrival in Sydney will not , however , be the 60-foot catamaran 's first time to reach Australian soil . Winter storms producing near-hurricane strength winds forced the vessel and its crew to take refuge in Mooloolaba , Queensland , on July 19 . Brutal winter storms in the Tasman Sea made the leg from New Caledonia the most challenging . One night , winds gusting over 60 knots surprised the crew , leaving them battling to prevent the mast buckling and losing the sail for eight hours . Co-skipper of the boat , Dave Thomson , called the waves some of `` the biggest you 're likely to see . '' Once in Sydney , the Plastiki will be harbored at the Australian National Maritime Museum . It will remain on display for a month as crew members hold special events aimed at raising awareness of plastic waste in the ocean . The general public will also have the opportunity to visit the vessel during an open day . But de Rothschild said that although the boat is made of recyclable material , he 's not planning to toss it in the chipper just yet . `` I really feel the Plastiki is entering its next chapter , '' said de Rothschild , outlining hopes to put the boat on display around the world . `` The plan is to create a global oceans exhibit that can showcase not only the issue of throw-away plastics but really about nurturing and re-evaluating our oceans ... our most precious of ecosystems , '' he added . `` The Plastiki is definitely not coming to a halt . ''
Plastiki will make 4-month , 8,000-nautical - mile voyage in Sydney . Ship is made of more than 100 plastic ##s . Expedition leader said he was inspired by a U.N. report on littering .