Are you passionate about both sailing and sustainability? There’s nothing that can beat having the wind whispering in your ear as your vessel glides through the rolling ocean waves. However, what if you could enjoy all that whilst helping protect the environment? In an ever-changing world, we are all acutely aware that although sailing is one of the most eco-friendly forms of transport it still comes with some environmental impacts.
Pack With The Planet In Mind
We know that packing for a sailing adventure isn’t the easiest, which is why every piece of clothing and every bottle of shampoo counts. Therefore when considering sustainability, eco-friendly compact items are a priority. In keeping with this idea, biodegradable washing products should be high on your list if you’re going for a long time, as it stops the ocean from dealing with dirty, harmful waste; look for products that don’t contain bleach or sodium.
The best clothing for sunnier destinations include products made from thinner material as these are more energy-efficient as they don’t need washing for as long. On the other hand, clothing made from recycled material is always a good step in the right direction as well as other products including: Bamboo products – toothbrush, water bottles, even towels – should also a consideration in an effort to move away from single and multi-use plastic products.
Bamboo products promote the plantation of more bamboo plants, these can add as much as 35% more O2 into the air, resulting in putting some much-needed oxygen back into the eco-system.
Shower In The Sea
Running out of water to shower in isn’t an issue when you’re surrounded by the sea, however, we can’t promise how warm it’ll be! Take the plunge, and jump into the sea with biodegradable products: an excellent way to stay clean, and save water as you’re not wasting precious H2O. Do all of your washing in the deep blue, and then give yourself a quick rinse with some freshwater once back on board. This same principle goes for washing pots and pans.
To go the extra mile, change your cleanliness habits by only washing once every couple of days and use biodegradable baby wipes to keep you fresh – those who’ve raced offshore will be au fait with this practice!
Use A Carbon Offset Strategy
Travelling to those glorious ports on the other side of the world may involve a flight to get there- at first glance, this doesn’t seem too eco-friendly. However, there are a growing number of offsetting programs to lessen (and even reverse) the impact of your flights. By investing in eco-friendly schemes, like Treeapp, you can balance out the amount of CO2 you release into the air as a result of flying to your sailing destination.
The Kraken Impact Fund
As sailors, we are closely connected to the natural world, often relying on the winds and tides to power our adventures. We’ve seen the impacts of a changing climate and environmental issues at first hand. That’s why the environment is so important to us at Kraken; a fundamental consideration in all we do.
Are sailing holiday’s eco-friendly?
Sailing holidays are by definition low impact; we aim to be under sail as much as possible and limit engine use to manoeuvring in port or when the winds are against us. Food tends to be simple and wholesome communal cooking and we minimise the use of water and other energy. In most cases, your travel to the boat will have a bigger impact than the sailing trip itself.
What is the contribution to the environmental impact fund?
Even a low-impact sailing holiday causes some environmental impacts, from the fuel we use when we need to run the engines or generator, to cooking food, using water and or using taxis for excursions. And of course, your travel to the port also has an impact, especially if it involves flying.
We’ve calculated the impact a typical Kraken adventure has on the environment (including your travel to/from the port) using a standard carbon accounting approach. This involves identifying the different aspects of an adventure holiday and then applying greenhouse gas emissions factors to determine the overall impact, in terms of tonnes of emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent.
We will then invest in projects that impact offsetting projects from trusted organisations that deliver positive environmental and social outcomes, such as supporting forest protection and tree planting and improving access to clean drinking water through the use of energy-efficient cookstoves in the developing world or tree-planting schemes.
