They said the Titanic was unsinkable - and look what happened to that ship.

Eighty-eight years later, retired builder George Ridge is making the same boast for his unique boat, built not with hundreds of tons of metal, but from old newspapers. Only 10ft long and made entirely of papier mache, Paper Dream, which contains old copies of the Argus, is due to set sail in Eastbourne Harbour.

George, 73, who grew up in Fulking, near Ditchling, and wife, Kathleen, are bringing the boat, which they believe is the only one of its kind, with them when they move to Eastbourne this summer. To harbour-users, Paper Dream, painted red, white and blue with a figurehead at the front, will seem rather delicate, bobbing around below the fishing boats, yachts and tugs.

But Mr Ridge, who was born in Portslade and now lives in Oxford, insists its seaworthiness is unquestionable, thanks to a coating of protective varnish. He said: "I've been in it several times and it's quite safe. No one else has ever built a full-sized boat out of papier mache."

After six months of hard work, Paper Dream was tested on a lake and found to be stable and strong.

Next month, George will make a 46-mile journey along the Thames from Oxford to Henley. He said: "It's going to take about a day and three-quarters for the river journey. It will be good to try it out on the sea when we get back to the South Coast."

Despite growing up in Sussex and working in Brighton for many years, George never developed a taste for going onto the water until late last year when he watched the 1951 Humphrey Bogart film The African Queen, about a river boat of the same name, on television one afternoon.

He said: "I didn't think any more of it for a bit. Then one night I had a strange dream that I was sailing along a river on a papier mache boat. It didn't leave my head. I just kept on thinking about it until, one day, I decided to have a go at building it."

He has fitted an outboard motor to the back and up to three people at a time will be able to sit inside. It can reach speeds of five knots to compare with a canal barge or river cruiser. Shortly after George started building Paper Dream, Kathleen had a heart attack. But she has now recovered and will accompany her husband on the voyage, which sets off on June 10.

George said: "Kathleen was always very supportive of my efforts and I think she's pleased with it. I decided to use the maiden voyage to raise money for a hospice, so it does some good. It will certainly get some attention, that's for sure. I don't know what's going to happen after I finish sailing it."