Fret not being environmentally conscious does not mean you have to do without global travel. In honor of World Environment Day, we’ve put together our top 5 tips and ideas on how you can care for our sailing environment…

1. Reduce your sewage

Whilst we understand that this is not always feasible If possible try to avoid using toilets on board and head for shore where sewage is properly treated and processed. If you’re a boat owner and you have access to a pump-out station ashore, install a holding tank on your boat so that the sewage can be disposed of properly.

2. Rent an eco-powered yacht

This is a great option if you’re into sustainable travel and are seeking a luxurious vacation. If this is not possible, try and lessen your impact and reduce your fuel consumption by using the wind to power up your sails.

3. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

We’ve all heard of the common adage Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. So, instead of binning your disposable plastic bottle why not refill it? Better yet, avoid bottled water and use refillable water bottles instead. This will reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our environment.

4. Don’t dump waste into the sea

Just don’t… According to a recent study 20% of marine litter comes from human activities carried out at sea. Whether it’s cigarette butts, food, and beverage packaging or fishing nets, make sure that you don’t dump any garbage overboard.  Instead, keep any rubbish in the boat until you can dispose of it properly. Which brings us to the next point…

5. Be aware of your impact on marine life

A huge percentage of seabirds and sea turtles die each year because of ingestion of marine litter.  Proper waste disposal is essential, but so is navigating carefully around wildlife.  Make sure that you don’t disturb marine life by keeping anchors away from coral reefs, and avoid dragging anchors which could harm sensitive areas such as sea grass.

Start with these top tips and you’ll be doing your bit for our sailing environment.

(Image Source: Pexels.com)