Sustainable Sailing: How to Conserve the Environment While Sailing
Photo by Markos Mant
Sailing is undoubtedly an exhilarating way to explore vast seas and oceans. Unfortunately, while most people followsustainable practices at home, the same can’t always be said for sailing.Sailing sustainably essentially revolves around choosing eco-friendly sailing options including using renewable energy sources, reducing marine pollution, and respecting marine life.
Fortunately, adopting sustainable sailing practices isn’t challenging, mainly because most sailboats are powered by the wind. If you are looking for sailboats that can effectively leverage the power of ocean winds, Far East Sails has some of the best designs. Apart from leveraging winds, below are sustainable sailing tips that can reduce your environmental footprint while on a sailing vacation.
1. Respect Marine Life
Respecting and protecting marine life is central to sustainable sailing. This begins with avoiding any activity that can harm the marine ecosystem. Discarding trash or littering while on board affects marine life. Sailors should be mindful of marine habitats and discard their litter properly or recycle where possible. Similarly, you should avoid fragile marine ecosystems like seagrass beds or coral reefs.
2. Reduce Emissions
Most sailboats rely on wind, and some sailors can even go for weeks without turning on their engines, which is good for the environment. Combining the power of winds and sun on your sailboat means you won’t leave any environmental footprint.
Turning off sailing equipment when not in use and installing energy-efficient appliances in your sailboat also conserves the environment. Regularly tuning your sailboat engine improves fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. This protects air and water from pollution.
3. Practice Responsible Anchoring
Most sailors don’t know, but their anchoring habits can affect marine life. Anchoring is crucial to sailing but can damage fragile marine life. Essentially, you should only anchor at designated and established anchoraging points. Watch out before dropping the anchor to ensure it drops on rocky or sandy instead of sensitive sea beds. Similarly, you should consider eco-friendly anchor options like mooring balls that can’t damage coral reefs and underwater structures.
4. Choose Eco-Friendly Products for Your Sail
Sustainable sailing also involves choosing eco-friendly products. First, you should select biodegradable cleaning products and toiletries for your sailboat. This minimizes water pollution and harm to marine life. You should also use recyclable materials instead of disposable materials. Lastly, don’t bring along single-use plastics, and dispose of waste generated onboard correctly.
5. Spread Awareness of Sustainable Sailing
Another effective way of conserving the environment is spreading awareness of the importance of sustainable sailing. Apart from learning more about marine conservation, educate your crew about the various guidelines and regulations that can promote marine life. You should also contribute to local initiatives, such as marine life conservation projects and beach cleanups. You should become a champion of sustainable sailing.
Endnote
Sustainable sailing goes beyond choosing eco-friendly sailing options. You should also prioritize sustainability in your actions while enjoying the vast seas and oceans. Properdisposal of waste, respecting marine life, using eco-friendly products, and spreading awareness or educating other sailors can preserve marine life.
Sea Going Green is a sustainable tourism consultancy working to alleviate the negative impact that tourism is having on the marine environment. Want to start sailing the high seas sustainably?