{"id":42666,"date":"2016-08-29T19:06:45","date_gmt":"2016-08-29T23:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=42666"},"modified":"2023-05-06T17:29:10","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T21:29:10","slug":"10-quick-tips-for-green-cruising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/10-quick-tips-for-green-cruising\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Quick Tips for Green Cruising"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"beach <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n With plastic pollution on the rise and more debris littering shore, consider giving back by organizing a beach cleanup.<\/span>\n Matt Rutherford<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

Sailing is a great way to \u00adreduce your carbon footprint; however, that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that \u00adbeing a cruiser is living green. It\u2019s important to consider our impact on the environment and how to make smart choices to help preserve the very places we love to sail. Here are 10 easy ways to be a greener cruiser:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

1. Clean a Beach:<\/strong>\nThere is nothing more beautiful than a pristine beach and \u00adnothing more depressing than a shoreline littered with garbage. Next time you dinghy ashore, take a few minutes to pick up and properly \u00addispose of refuse that has washed up where you land. Another great way to give back to the beautiful places you get to visit is to organize a beach cleanup day in your favorite anchorage. After all, when the ocean is our playground, it’s up to us to keep it clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

2. BYO Bags:<\/strong>\nSadly, these days it’s not \u00aduncommon to find plastic bags floating in the ocean. When provisioning, refuse plastic \u00adshopping bags and bring your own reusable cloth bags instead. There are several on the market that fold small and flat and are easy to keep tucked in the pocket of a backpack or purse for unexpected purchases. If you do bring plastic bags home, \u00adreuse them as trash bags or recycle them instead of just tossing them in the garbage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

3. Choose Cloth Napkins and Cleaning Cloths:<\/strong>\nTo cut down on garbage and save storage space, use cloth napkins and microfiber cleaning cloths \u00adinstead of disposable napkins and paper towels. To keep things \u00adhygienic, sew a small piece of colored thread to each napkin and assign everyone on board a color. To sanitize and to remove stubborn grease stains, boil napkins in clean water with a squirt of dish soap periodically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

4. Say No to Paper Plates:<\/strong>\nPaper plates might seem like a quick and easy way to save on water \u2014 and dishes \u2014 but few brands are actually biodegradable. Never toss paper plates \u00addirectly overboard. Instead buy stainless-steel, durable plastic or melamine bowls and plates; a small investment will last years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

5. Eat Local:<\/strong>\nMost cruisers shop at local markets for fresh produce but might not stop to think where canned or dried goods and meat come from. Buying locally sourced and produced foodstuffs not only supports the area economy, but also cuts down on emissions produced when items are shipped internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"wind <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Harness nature’s energy by installing a wind or solar generator on your boat \u2013 or add both!<\/span>\n Heather Francis<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

6. Unplug and Unwind:<\/strong>\nWe all rely on electronic \u00addevices on board, but how much is too much? Nothing sparks a conversation among cruisers like \u00adpower consumption and production, and today’s electronics are power-hungry. Try making a resolution to unplug for a \u00adperiod of time each day. Not only will you be doing your house bank a favor, but you might find it recharges your batteries too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

7. Harness Nature’s Super\u00adpowers:<\/strong>\nPassive power production has never been easier or more \u00adefficient. Over the last decade, solar panel manufacturers have found ways to boost power output while reducing size and cost. Installing solar panels is an easy and effective way to cut down on diesel consumption. In addition, fitting a wind or hydro generator will allow you to make power day and night, rain or shine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

8. Properly Dispose of Used Oil and Old Engine Filters:<\/strong>\nNever dump old oil or \u00adfilters overboard, no matter how far out at sea you are. \u00adAfter routine engine maintenance, take your used oil and filters ashore for proper \u00addisposal. If you’re in an area that doesn’t have dedicated waste-oil collection, try asking at a \u00adlocal gas station or car \u00addealer for tips on where to dump it, or be prepared to carry it on board until you reach a \u00adfacility in a larger port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

9. Try a Little R&R:<\/strong>\nReduce and recycle, that is. Making small changes on board can make a big \u00adimpact, so try simple things like \u00adinstalling LED bulbs and foot- or hand-operated water pumps to cut power and water consumption. In the galley, switch out electric mixers and coffee makers for manual appliances. Sailing is hardly life in the fast lane, so instead of automatically turning on the engine and burning diesel when the wind dies, try drifting for a while, if conditions permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

10.Use Environmentally Sensitive Cleaning Products:<\/strong>\nSometimes we forget that everything that goes down the drain goes overboard. To minimize pollution, use biodegradable body wash and shampoo, dish soap, laundry detergent, and cleaning products when possible. Or reach in your galley and clean with vinegar and baking \u00adsoda; it gets rid of salt and stains without damaging surfaces or the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Heather Francis<\/em><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These ten easy tips will help you reduce your footprint as a greener cruiser.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Heather Francis","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"20160829","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"164","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"These ten easy tips will help you reduce your footprint as a greener cruiser.","_yoast_wpseo_title":"10 Quick Tips for Green Cruising %%sep%% %%sitename%%","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"5MISAM3TUSMSXER7DMTLQRJZTQ","arc_website_url":"10-quick-tips-for-green-cruising\/","custom_permalink":"10-quick-tips-for-green-cruising\/","arc_subtype":"right-sidebar","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":0,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[164],"tags":[357,183,669,290],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42666"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42666"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42666\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}