Yachting is a great way to explore all the beauty the seas and oceans have to offer us, yet too often we still leave unnecessary harm while doing so. To make sure we can preserve our oceans we need to work together to fuel the cultural change that needs to happen.

As a charter company, you can help your clients minimize their and your footprint. In this article I will discuss a few ways to reduce not only your CO2 emissions, but your footprint in general. Let's talk sustainability!

1. Install solar panels on your yachts

The obvious one! In most charter destinations there is abundance of sun, and thankfully there are lots of yachts already equipped with solar panels. As solar panels become more advanced, there are already some boats that can run their AC from the solar panels, eliminating the need for a generator.

2. Offer sustainable soap products to your clients

If clients have to buy all their products like shampoo, dish wash detergent and sunscreen on check-in day, the chances are slim they will buy sustainable products due to lack of availability in supermarkets or because they simply do not think about the fact that grey water goes right into our ocean. The best way to make sure your clients use sustainable products is by providing it for them. By doing so you also enhance their experience providing a more luxury feel to their arrival!

3. Avoid single use plastic products

Contrary to the previous point, I have been on charters where we were provided with wasteful gadgets, such as plastic bracelets for the crew, cheap sunglasses or plastic floating key chains.

While the intention is good, gift your customers something sustainable instead, such as reusable bags for life for their grocery haul so they don't end up with 40 single use plastic bags. Another cool item to gift or sell to your clients are insulated tumblers with your brand on it, they will be happy to keep their drinks cool and help the environment at the same time!

4. Prevent plastic water bottles

One of the most obvious ones that you will see when walking around in a marina on check-in day: shopping carts with plastic bottles everywhere. Buying loads of 1.5L bottles is usually the easiest way for charter clients to make sure they have enough drinking water on board, however, this results in a lot of plastic waste.

A way to prevent your clients having to buy tens of smaller bottles, you could provide them with the larger, reusable 25L bottles and a pump for easy use. Partner with your local water company to set up a weekly delivery for all your yachts, and that's that!

You will ease the grocery haul your clients have to do on check-in day, plus providing such an environmentally thoughtful measure will also show your customers that you care about our oceans; they will appreciate you for it!

5. Reduce food waste

On check-out day, the garbage bins are full of unused, perfectly fine food and I have even seen six packs of water bottles that are being thrown away.

While it's hard as a charter company alone to prevent these marina wide problems, you can do other things like providing basic kitchen needs like oil and spices for your clients that stay on the boat, instead of throwing everything away after each charter.

Additionally, charter companies could work together with marinas to introduce a Food Swap Station or similar alike where people can take their food leftover after charter, and new clients can pickup anything they like for theirs. This is how I imagine a marina of the future! 💫

6. Use the sails and an electric dinghy

While this is out of your control and up to the charter client, minimizing fuel or diesel engine use is the best way to directly reduce CO2 emissions. ZeroJet, a New Zealand based company, makes awesome, lightweight, powerful electric dinghies worth checking out!

7. Education, education, education

The biggest reason why people do not use sustainable products, do not recycle, or do all the wrong things is simply the lack of knowledge. Charter clients are in a for them unfamiliar country, and might not know how to minimize their footprint.

By educating your clients on how and where to recycle, how to get rid of their black water tank and why it is important to use sustainable products in the sink and shower, they will be more conscious during their charter. And again, you show that you care 💚

8. Invest in a hybrid or electric yacht

While I know this is definitely not be available to everyone, some charter companies and shipyards are already investing in electric yachts, like Dream Yacht Charter and Fountaine Pajot announced that they are Launching an electric catamaran line early this charter season.

By investing in a hybrid or electric yacht you might attract sustainability focused clients that you might otherwise miss, and you directly contribute towards a cleaner yachting industry.

We should support this type of innovations in the industry, and hopefully we will see more and more electric yachts on the water with time!

9. Reduce paper waste in your base by digitizing your operations with Floatist

Finally, you can decrease your paper waste by using Floatist to run your operations: you can facilitate check-in and check-out using our mobile app, and plan and track your maintenance to-do's in the app as well. Additionally, you will improve your customer experience since they have their own app before and during the charter with all necessary information about the boat. Contact us for more information or a demo!