We pollute

We love sailing and we love sharing it with others —which is why we started the Enola Sailing Project in the first place. But we also love our planet and its oceans, so much so that we are naturally very concerned about their health. This concern, and our willingness to do something about climate change, pollution, microplastics or dying ecosystems, has been at the heart of the project since we first imagined it on the deck of a sailing yacht in the middle of the Atlantic in 2021. And it is what the culmination of our project —the upcoming Enola Grand 8 Expedition— is all about.

So this journey begins with a real commitment from our small organisation to adopt sustainable practices and share with our members and the public the best ways to sail in a way that is cleaner and more respectful of the environment.

Diesel:

At the moment we can’t sail without a diesel engine and generator. Although we’ll always keep their use to a minimum, we need them to sail safely for our crews and members. From manoeuvring in port, to sailing away from a hazard, to recharging batteries when needed. However, as part of a second refit in 2027, we are looking to replace our diesel engine with a new and more efficient one, while also monitoring new technologies. And, as now, SV Enola is being fitted with more solar panels and a Watt&Sea hydrogenerator.

Painting and antifoul:

As part of the 2027 refit, SV Enola will be stripped of her white chemical hull paint to reveal her raw aluminium hull. Antifouling will still be required, but we’re carefully choosing the most environmentally friendly solution.

Petroleum based materials and equipment:

Sails, lines, gear, the list of materials and equipment based on crude oil can be endless and often difficult to avoid for the time being. Here too, we’re focusing on choosing more environmentally friendly solutions, from natural fabrics to recycled materials.

Lithium batteries / on-board electronics:

As part of her refit, SV Enola receives a redesigned electrical installation and new electronic equipment to minimise power consumption. New high-efficiency lithium batteries will also be installed: we recognise that lithium is not the most environmentally friendly material, but on the other hand it allows us to rely almost entirely on renewable energy (solar panels and hydrogenerator) thanks to its storage capacity. To further minimise power consumption, we’ve also kept manual winches on board and avoided recreational equipment such as TV screens or the high-consumption Starlink option for watching TV shows: conversations or board games are way more friendly in every aspect, isn’t it?

Wastewater:

Previously equipped with large black and grey water holding tanks, SV Enola’s refit brought her the fully biological enteron® mini wastewater treatment plant, which completely purifies all our wastewater. This also eliminates the need to pump out the tanks in port, further reducing carbon footprint.

Waste thrown overboard:

We have a “nothing overboard” policy: no cigarette butts, no litter of any kind (including food waste), no cans, no sail ties, no you-name-it, are thrown overboard. We store our rubbish and dispose of it properly when we return to shore.

Household cleaners:

Detergents and cleaning products should be avoided. They come in plastic containers and are full of chemicals. Even many so-called ecofriendly products aren’t what they pretend to be. At sea — as at home — we rely heavily on two natural solutions: white vinegar and sodium bicarbonate (also known as baking soda). This also helps to keep the living bacterial system of our biological sewage treatment plant alive and kicking.

Toiletries & sunscreen:

We ask our crew and members to bring and use natural, ocean friendly soap and shampoo bars for all the reasons above. Baking soda also makes an excellent deodorant. Menstrual cups may also be worth considering. As for sun protection, we encourage everyone to use reef safe sunscreen. It protects both your skin and your bloodstream and doesn’t harm the marine ecosystem. Brands like Himaya, which makes its packaging completely reusable, are the way to go.

Anchoring:

Dropping an anchor indiscriminately can be very damaging to what lies beneath the surface, i.e. reefs, shellfish, seagrass or other important marine life beds. Where possible, we give preference to existing mooring buoys. Otherwise, we always try to anchor on ‘safe’ bottoms such as smooth sand. And, of course, never in protected or conservation areas. We also set the right length of chain to avoid dragging.

Air travels:

Try as you might, for many destinations it is very difficult to avoid air travel in order to reach a port of embarkation and return home. For us and our members who come from all over the world, it’s often an impossible task. We can only prioritize direct flights and offset our carbon footprint in other ways, through the airline or by calculating and donating through carbon offset organisations such as myclimate.

Do you have any ideas, suggestions or contributions to make regarding this specific page? If so, please share them with us — we’d love to hear about them!