Top 10 Tips for Eco-Friendly Chartering

Sea turtle near water surface interacting with a plastic lid, emphasizing ocean pollution awareness.

NauticEd wants everyone to respect the environment – especially our gorgeous oceans and marine animals. Below are our top 10 eco-friendly chartering tips.

Be Reef Safe

Use reef-safe sunscreen (i.e., sunscreens that do not bleach coral). Here’s tips from NOAA (https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html)
Anchor responsibly
- Never anchor on or near a reef
- Never let the anchor chain drag across the reef
- Use mooring balls
Keep toilet waste tanks closed – open and dump only when offshore (at least 3 miles) and then close tank again – it is easy to forget.

Go and Protect Local

Shop and eat local
Recycle and toss rubbish according to local guidelines
Leave the wildlife wild—don’t chase animals/fish/whales and dolphins; don’t pick plants

Provision Properly

Don’t buy small plastic water bottles – buy big bottles and bring your own refillable water bottles
Purchase environmentally friendly products
Bring your own bags for shopping
Avoid single-use items

Clean Up

Leave only footprints
Pic up some extra trash that is NOT yours
Organize a beach clean-up day

Thanks to David M for this pic and his family’s beach clean up effort on a charter

Reduce Carbon Footprint

Sail vs motor – sail as much as you can
Minimize generator use
Try rowing the dinghy
Ask for an electric dinghy motor

Make Good Selections

Charter an echo-friendly yacht
Look for boats with solar panels or other hybrid devices
Choose a destination that respects environmental guidelines
Plastic clothespins are a bad idea – use wooden ones

Practice Sailing

Try to use the sails as much as possible
Study the charts to avoid improper anchoring or scraping the reef with your keel
If you see trash in the water, practice your man overboard skills

Washing

Take a shower in the rain
Use eco-friendly soap in the shower or when you wash in the ocean
Limit detergent in cleaning dishes – select eco-friendly dish detergent
Leave dishwater in the sink for reuse
Pre-wash dishes in saltwater

Reduce – Reuse – Recycle

Reuse food storage bags
Reuse towels
Re-wear clothes
Use Tupperware-type containers instead of plastic wrap or bags
Pressure the charter base to install recycling bins at the base (many don’t)

Share your Knowledge

Show your crew how to reduce, reuse, and recycle
Set eco-friendly as the tone of the trip for your crew
Share your environmentally friendly knowledge prior to chartering to create an environmentally friendly tone
Study up on your destination, your route, and local guidelines

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NauticEd is a global sail training and certifying body as well as a yacht charter agent. We represent all yacht charter companies worldwide with a selection of over 5000 yachts in 55 sailing destinations. The SLC sailing license is accepted worldwide.

Take sailing courses here

Inquire about a yacht charter / sailing vacation here

Learn about the SLC sailing license here

Author

Grant Headifen

My vision for NauticEd is to ensure that families and friends get out on the water not only safely but with true COMPETENCE, confidently savoring every moment of their valuable time.

Achieving this means being the pinnacle of sailing and boating education—offering comprehensive multi-media theoretical instruction coupled with hands-on, on-the-water training through our global network of American National Standards Instructors. We steadfastly avoid becoming a mere certification mill; our focus is on delivering genuine competence, ensuring our students are well-prepared for enjoyable, real-world boating experiences.

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