Celebrating Our Blue Planet: A Green Charter Guide for World Earth Day 

April 17, 2024 3 min

April 22, 2024 – Earth Day! It’s a special day for us to enjoy the amazing places we sail to and to make sure we keep them beautiful. Whether it’s the quiet beaches or lively islands full of different animals and plants, our trips are all about creating memories that last forever. Read more on Our Ocean Promise.

This Earth Day, we invite you to join us in sailing in a way that shows love and respect for nature. Here’s how we can all make a significant difference: 

Enjoy the Wind 

Choose sailing over motoring as much as you can. When you let the wind guide your journey, you help keep the air and water clean. It’s a quiet, peaceful way to travel that can also lead to exciting wildlife sightings. Swap the loud engines for the calm of rowing a kayak or balancing on a paddleboard. It’s fun and gentle on the ocean. Read more on our Top Tips for eco-friendly sailing.

Anchor with intention 

When it’s time to anchor, think of it as parking in someone else’s home. You’d want to be careful, right? The same goes for the sea. Avoid dropping anchor on corals, reefs, or in seagrass areas, because these marine habitats are where fish, and other organisms, have their homes and food. Instead, find sandy or muddy spots that are not only safer for your boat but also won’t hurt the sea life. 

Photographs and Footprints 

Imagine if every visitor took something from the beach – there’d be nothing left! So, we encourage you to fill your camera with pictures and your heart with memories but leave the shells and sand where they are. Watch the wonderful sea creatures from a distance, and always remember: our fun should never scare or harm them. 

Leave Beaches Better Than You Found Them 

We all love a clean beach, don’t we? Make it a game to leave the beach even cleaner than when you arrived. Pick up not just your trash but any litter you find. This way, we make sure beaches stay nice for everyone – people and animals alike. 

Smart Use of Resources 

Think of the boat as a small world where every bit of power and every drop of water is precious. Turn off lights when you don’t need them. Enjoy the breeze instead of using air conditioning. Use water sparingly by taking small actions such as showering on land where possible or closing the tap while brushing your teeth. These small steps are part of a bigger journey towards taking better care of our planet. 

Local Tastes, Global Benefits 

Here’s a fun challenge: try only eating foods bought from the area you’re sailing in. This helps local farmers and fishers and cuts down on pollution from shipping food from far away. Plus, local foods are fresher – they taste better and are better for you. 

Eco-friendly Choices 

From the soap you use to wash your hands to the lotion you put on your skin; every product has a story. Choose items that are friendly to the environment so that story is a good one. This way, you help keep the water clean for all the beautiful corals and fish. 

Conserve Onboard 

Being on a boat is a wonderful time to remember how we can live well without using a lot of energy. Let the sun dry your hair, and at night, watch the stars instead of turning on the TV. When you use less, you get to enjoy the natural world more – and help it stay beautiful. 

Respectful Fishing 

If you’re fishing, go for fish that are common and not at risk of being overfished. Be gentle and quick to release fish that aren’t meant to be caught, so they can keep living in the ocean and keep the ecosystem healthy. 

On this Earth Day, let’s make a promise to take care of the wonderful places we visit on our sails. If we all do our part, these places will stay beautiful and healthy for many more people to enjoy in the future. 

Join us in making a promise: for each trip, a commitment to protect; for each new spot we visit, a chance to leave it better than we found it. Let’s treat every day like it’s Earth Day, whether we’re out on the waves or back on land. 

Find out more about the partners we work with and support.