SAILING-CLASSICS
Sustainability
We feel very responsible to also contribute in keeping our ecological “footprint” as small as possible. And even more so, as the oceans and seas have no voice themselves. In taking guests on board our ships and for them to sail with us, we see it as our responsibility to contribute in protecting such waters.
Notwithstanding that our ships RHEA, CHRONOS und KAIRÓS sail up to 50 weeks per year, they do not use that much diesel. About 70 % of our miles we do under sail – and each ship of ours roughly does one round per year around the globe …
Still we need a certain decent amount of energy from our diesel generators for, among others: the air-conditioning system, the desalination device, the cooking, the washing and drying, the steering and the (navigation) lighting. That’s about 2/3 of our total energy usage. All in all, we use per guest approx. 75 liter diesel per week, and this is almost only AGO (Automotive Grade Oil), which is diesel being lower in sulphur than the MGO (Marine Grade Oil, containing about 100 times more the amount of sulphur than AGO, but still 5000 times less sulphur than heavy oil, which is used by most ocean liners and cruise ships).
In the near future we will start using the clean synthetic Diesel Shell GTL (produced by means of the electrolysis process), wherever we can get hold of it. This is a fossil fuel, produced in Dubai, containing raw material natural gas, which burns in a very clean way, so this is comparable with the ships that run on the new liquefied gas.
Further we are busy with a new project in getting such synthetic diesel produced with Photovoltaik in Malta, this in conjunction with our plans to build our 4th sailing ship, which would be a “zero emission“ ship. Although this new project is not yet put in place, this is our vision, and we are currently busy with all the needed preparations to have an entrepreneurial reply to the current “corona challenges” which we are facing.
But sustainability is more than only about fuel. It is a sum up of many details, from choosing the right environmental friendly soap and shampoo, the refillable water bottles provided to the guests, which already have been implemented on board since a while, up to using biodegradable washing powder and the separation and disposal of the different garbage types.
And all this also needs the commitment and cooperation of each crew-member and guest.
Also the way how to get to the ship, to a great extent by airplane, is a major aspect. We, at least, suggest to the guest to compensate the resulting CO2 by means of a certified supplier, for example: https://www.atmosfair.de/de/.
After the „corona restart“ we will compensate the CO2-usage on board by our “sailing-diesel-project” and should this project not be in place yet, we will forward this to “atmosfair”.
We need your support
Each one of us, with his/her own behaviour can contribute to sustainable travelling. For this, we would like to ask you the following:
- Please do not throw any trash/garbage over board (…nor throw this in the toilets). You can find a garbage bin in the bathroom, as well as under the counter on deck (aft) and in the saloon (deck house).
- Please use the ash trays and do not throw any cigarette butts over board, as they can do harm to nature and sea life.
- Please help us in saving plastic waste, and fill the provided water bottles for your own use for free at the water dispenser in the deck house.
- Please turn off the lights and air-conditioning, whenever you are not around in the cabin.
- Please do not spill water, as it takes much energy to generate this water.
- Please use your towels more often before letting them washed (your towels are marked with your cabin name, so you can easily recognise your towel while drying on deck, e.g.) Should you want to exchange your towel, please leave the towel on the floor of the bathroom.
On behalf of the whole Sailing-Classics-Team: thank you very much for your support.