Top Tips for a (Cleaner), More Sustainable Boat Charter

 

Chartering a boat is one of the best ways to holiday (we think!). Whether exploring a new coastline, swimming off the side or getting to grips with handling and navigating a sailboat, it's an incredible way to spend time on the water, surrounded by the magic of our seas.

But being so close to the sea, we have a huge responsibility to protect it and to make sure we have as little impact as possible.

Here are some of the ways you can be a Clean Sailor on your charter trip!

  

 

1. Choose a sailing vessel 

Sailing is one of the cleanest ways to get around. Using just the power of the wind (and a blast of the engine here and there) a sailing boat is a great way to keep the environmental impact of your charter trip low.

Unlike super yachts and motorboats that rely entirely on (huge) quantities of fossil fuels and an engine, you'll also find your charter trip is a lot more peaceful bobbing along by sail!

 

2. Use eco-friendly products only onboard 

Unlike on land, whatever goes down our drains on a boat, heads directly into the sea with zero treatment or filtration.

By stocking up on plant-based, bio-degradable shampoo, soap bars and washing up liquid, you'll help keep chemicals out of our seas.

Instead of using traditional chemical-based products, try to:

• Use natural, non-toxic shampoos and body bars only

• Use natural and eco-friendly cleaning products

• Not use any bleach! This is very damaging to our seas and all that live in it

 

3. Remember your reusables!

Remember your reusable water bottle, coffee cups and shopping bags!

With plastic being THE BIGGEST issue of our seas, it's important we limit our use of the single-use stuff.

Make sure you pack your:

• Refillable water bottle

•  Reusable shopping bag (here's one we made earlier...!)

• Stainless steel mug or flask if you like hot takeaway drinks

Also, try and buy loose fruit and veg, instead of plastic-bagged ones. Cut's down on the waste you have to store on your boat AND helps limit single-use plastic!

For more tips from our Crew on reducing single-plastic use, see here

 

4. Slinging your anchor 

Dropping the anchor in a secluded spot is one of the things we love the most about sailing. The thing is, there is a whole world going on beneath the waterline...

Anchor in a designated spot as shown on our charts, keeping the safe shallows of reefs, seagrasses and kelp forests, in particular, free and safe for marine creatures to live, feed, breed and raise oung. 

(Our anchor chain needs to be ~4 times the depth of water we are in. So, if you are in 5 metres of water, a minimum of 20 metres of anchor should be used.)

 

5. Nothing overboard  

Sounds obvious but whether it's orange peel or cigarette butts, if it doesn't grow/live in our seas, then it doesn't belong in it...

Cigarette butts in particular are a bad contaminant in our oceans - not only are they made of plastic, they contain ~400 chemicals each. 

If you smoke, make sure your butts end up in the bin.

 

6. Topping up and fuel usage 

Topping up on fuel is one of the most common ways sailors unintentionally pollute the environment. Oil doesn’t mix with water and when spilled into the environment can critically affect species living on, near or below the surface, persisting in the environment for months or even years.

Take extreme care when re-fueling and try hard not to spill a drop!

 

 7. Beach clean! 

No wind for sailing? Then there is nothing like a beach clean. A great way to explore and tidy up our coastlines as you go. Just grab a bag and see how much you can save from heading into our oceans!