In the area around the Caribbean, islanders make a living from yacht charters in the Caribbean and travellers visiting the region to experience the sun, sand and sea that make this one of the most popular and loved destinations in the world. However, the ocean around these beautiful and interesting islands, that used be considered resilient and inexhaustible, is actually very fragile.
The good news is that with the world becoming a more eco-friendly place and marinas and charter yacht providers are becoming more and more concerned with green issues such as reducing their carbon and offsetting their carbon footprint while being more interested in forms of sustainable travel.
While it is good that others are doing their part, as a traveller you can take action to ensure your charter yacht sailing trip is as green as it can be. You can achieve this by keeping in mind the following:
Respect Nature
Respect the nature around you observing and enjoying it without causing any damage. Take care when diving and snorkelling around coral reefs. One misplaced kick could destroy many centuries of growth. Avoid touching any fragile organisms with equipment or even your actual body. Always leave areas as you found them, by clearing away and taking your rubbish when you leave.
Look At Booking A Charter Yacht That Uses Alternative Energy
Various boat manufacturers now design yachts to be environmentally friendly. Many even have solar panels and wind generators on board to charge the electrical systems. This helps reduce the amount of time the boat needs to use the engine to recharge its batteries. You can check with charter yacht brokers or tour operators to see if they have these eco-conscious boats.
Reduce and Offset Your Carbon Footprint
Avoid running air conditioning all the time and instead open the side vents and hatches to allow the natural winds to provide ventilation to make your trip comfortable. This will reduce the amount of pollution you create when you constantly run the generators or air conditioning.
Control How Much Rubbish You Generate
As many companies and individuals consider recycling too expensive, the rubbish generated often ends up in landfills, which in turn negatively impacts the beautiful environments. Try then to control how much rubbish you generate. Do not take plastic of any type of, such as disposable cutlery, plates and cups, plastic bags or six-pack rings. Make sure you pack re-usable shopping bags instead of plastic bags. By using less plastic, your carbon footprint will be smaller.
Rubbish Disposal
Never throw any rubbish, even if it is food, over the side of the boat. Fish and other aquatic wildlife and birds are unable to use food meant for human consumption. It can have adverse effects on their natural predator/prey interactions, coral reef’s balance of nutrients and the natural feeding habits of animals. Store any plastic bags securely onboard so they don’t end up over the side of the boat if you have to take them.
A trip on a charter yacht sailing around some of the most idyllic regions of the world can be a great way to relax and forget about work and real life for a few days or weeks. However, we all have a responsibility to protect the oceans and seas of the world and we can all do our own part to do this. Hopefully, the article above can give you some tips on how easy you can achieve it.
