It’s getting easier for crew to help yachts go green, especially if you know what to look for.
Sustainability and green practices still have a strange ring to them when thinking of luxury yachts, but there’s tangible progress taking place. We’ve seen huge shifts in the last few years towards greener practices; particularly as the yachting industry has seen a massive uptick in worldwide attention. Boat show vendors, yacht builders, marinas and shipyards are all responding accordingly, looking to promote and advertise their green practices.
So where does that leave crew? What can we do to contribute? What can we as HODs and captains pass on to junior crew who might one day be in our position? Here are some points to consider.
Single-use plastics
They’re most certainly on their way out, especially as we hear the buzzword “microplastics” repeatedly make the rounds. While we will always need them in some areas, for example in medical kits and supplies, there are so many cases where we can do without them. We can do away with plastic drinks bottles and provide crew with their own drinking flasks as part of a uniform kit (Yeti or otherwise). It may be a harder sell for guests; most of the time for them, high-end bottled water is a standard luxury. However, there’s always the option for glass bottles, if having guest-issued water flasks is a no.
Recycling in marinas
Many large marinas, such as Safe Harbor, are now set up for recycling — sometimes even dedicated to cardboard or cans and bottles — with separate receptacles for each type of trash. It can be slightly harder to manage for deck, but separate colored bin liners and separate labeled bins can accommodate it.
Throwaways can be second-hand
As is the nature of luxury, we always seem to be updating our furniture, gym gear, water toys and beach set-ups with the latest. Fortunately, there’s usually plenty of wear left in our previous equipment. A slightly worn/older Peloton bike, dumb-bells or a teak chair are often still valuable and useful. In large yachting ports such as Fort Lauderdale, there are maritime specialty thrift stores, such as Sailorman (located at 3000 S Andrews Ave). It’s technically a chandlery, but you can sell old lines, furniture, cushions, tools — there’s not a lot they won’t take. Plus, there’s so much you can buy significantly cheaper than brand new. If you’re not in a larger port, you can still just donate to a regular thrift store. It’s a better alternative than landfill.
Teak decking
All of us are aware by now of the
incredibly high environmental cost of teak decking. It’s primarily harvested from old-growth forest in Myanmar, often illegally, and is notoriously tricky to grow with planned harvesting. Up until now, it has been the gold standard for decking, but we are finally seeing some alternatives such as synthetic teak. A fraction of the cost, massively easier to maintain and longer life all add to its appeal. We already have many tenders opting for synthetic teak, and now some yachts are replacing their entire decks with synthetic.
Propulsion
Lastly, we’re seeing new types of propulsions systems start to test the waters in yachting. Fully solar-powered catamarans now enter the fray in popular boat shows, as well as hybrid diesel/electric drive systems. Now there’s flagship new-builds from Feadship and Lürssen testing hydrogen propulsion.
It’s truly exciting for all of us to see a traditional, slow-to-change industry start to adapt and grow into a greener mindset.