LOW IMPACT SAILING

What low impact actions we take on Freeranger

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What we highlight here are the various practices we have put in place, or are planning to implement onboard Freeranger, towards trying to ensure that we minimise our impact on the ocean as we conduct our voyages.

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Freeranger has been highlighted by the International Seakeepers Society as a vessel making strides  towards reducing carbon emissions towards protecting our oceans.

 

Yet we consider our steps so far to be a work in progress. There is always more to be done!

 

Over the coming months and years we aim to continue to improve how we reduce carbon emissions, reduce waste, and reduce our possible impact on the ocean environment and its wildlife. 

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Mobility ​

Freeranger is a sailboat, carefully chosen in part due to her efficient hull and excellent sailing capabilities.

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She is able to sail in light to very heavy wind conditions. Therefore while we do have a diesel engine, the vast majority of time we minimise the amount we use this by harnessing the wind.

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We aim to choose sailing windows and sailing routes that go with, rather than against, the prevailing winds, in part because this increases our sailing efficiency (as well as safety, comfort and speed!). 

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Power Generation​

On board Freeranger we are able to generate power in three ways. Our main way of generating power is through our array of solar panels, which generate electricity that is then stored in our main AGM battery bank. We can also use the main engine and a portable generator – both use fuels that generate emissions and so we try to use these at a minimum.

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We would like to do much more in this area especially because we need to be able to generate more power as we add science-related instruments and host partners on board.

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We are currently investigating more solar, and possibly hydro-generation, and we hope to partner with an innovative partner in this area to improve our power storage and efficiency by upgrading to lithium batteries. 

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Ocean Environment and Wildlife 

​On board Freeranger we interact with the ocean environment and its wildlife every day. It is an incredible privilege that comes with a great deal of responsibility.  

 

While the boat floats, the anchor and its chain doesn’t, and we carefully investigate each anchorage – both using charts and visually on arrival – to ensure that when we anchor we do not do so on sensitive marine habitats such as coral heads or seagrass beds.

 

Where possible or required we use locally established mooring buoys.  

 

We frequently interact with wildlife, whether from Freeranger, while we are exploring by dinghy or in the water diving, or when we go ashore. It is one of the joys of ocean life, and reporting on wildlife sightings and their characteristics is one of our main citizen science focus areas.

 

However it is crucial that we minimise our disturbance of this wildlife by maintaining distance, minimising our disturbance of their daily lives, not collecting live specimens, and giving priority and space to wildlife movements.

 

The distance is not always easy as we are frequently approached by curious individuals! It is also important for us to be aware of and act on local regulations on marine wildlife and their environment, such as the minimum distance that you are required to maintain, or how we behave in marine protected areas. 

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Fishing is a part of sailing life for many, and we do catch some fish for our own consumption. We ensure that we know and understand local fishing regulations, species limitations, and closed seasons and have the required fishing licenses where these are required.

 

We use oversize gear to minimise gear loss, and barbless hooks so that if we do lose a lure, it can easily be shaken by the fish. ​
 

Water Conservation 

​How much freshwater we can carry is finite on board. Water availability is also often limited in the countries we visit and therefore should be prioritised for local use.

 

We are very efficient with our daily use of water. We make most of our water on board using a watermaker, and can collect some for washing from rain.

 

We use biodegradable soaps and cleaners as much as possible (though in many places these are very hard to find).  

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Anti-fouling ​

Bottom paints are by their very nature designed to stop wildlife growing on them, and while many have improved in terms of their broader impact on the ocean environment, most are still not great.

 

We currently use an ablative bottom paint, designed to sluff off with anything growing on it rather than poison it, but it’s still far from an ideal solution.

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This is an area that we plan to do more investigation and hopefully identify a better solution in the future, again with an innovative partner in this field. 

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Waste ​

It sometimes feels that no matter how hard we try, we can’t escape a world of over-packaging and unnecessary waste.

 

This feeling is amplified by the reality that reliable and available recycling systems are a luxury for many countries, and recycling is simply not an option in many places we visit. Plastic bags are still ubiquitous in so much of the world.

 

We are constantly seeking to reduce the waste that we produce through: choice of products; bringing our own bags; taking food out of packing in locations where there is good waste disposal, rather than at sea or in an area that can’t (and shouldn’t have to) handle our waste; and learning about what is recyclable and separating this out (this can vary hugely even within one country).

 

We reuse products and reduce food waste by focusing on small (and healthy!) meals.

 

We put organics over the side, cut into small pieces and only when there is no chance of them washing ashore.

 

We also have holding tanks on board for human waste. 

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Going forward we’ll continue to  explore ways to minimise the impact of Freeranger’s voyages, and the project activities we conduct along the way.

 

We are very open to ideas and collaborations in this area, so please do get in contact if you have suggestions or opportunities in mind!