Keeping the sailing in Thailand beautiful!

Sailing is often associated with nature and the environment, and if you are sailing in Thailand or anywhere in the world, then we want to keep the beautiful beaches, stunning limestone cliffs and crystal clear waters in as best a condition for future generations as we can, so we like all sailors to keep in mind the ISAF (International Sailing Federation) Code of Environmental Friendly Behaviour when doing a yacht charter in this stunning location. Our individual actions when we take a sailing holiday can go a long way to minimise any impact.

The ISAF Code of Environmental Friendly Behaviour looks at three main areas that we can all focus on, to make our impact on our sailing environment as little small as possible.

WASTE

Ideally you want to reduce the amount of rubbish that you make during your yacht charter, so before you set off, then remove the packaging of items that you take on board and dispose of responsibly. Recycle and reuse wherever possible – so for example refill plastic drink bottles if you can.

Never throw waste over the side of your yacht, including food as it is estimated that more than a million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles die every year around the world from becoming tangled up with rubbish or ingesting plastics.

SEWAGE

If you can, use toilets on-shore wherever you can, and use the holding tank on your yacht if you need to go on board. The best way to dispose of your sewage is onshore using a pump out stations, or empty the holding tanks, but only if you are at least 3 miles from shore.

If untreated sewage is dumped from your yacht, then it can spread diseases amongst humans, and contaminate shellfish beds and other marine life.

Human waste also contains phosphorous and nitrogen which are nutrients that increase algae growth. This growth of algae on the surface blocks out sunlight preventing other aquatic plants from receiving sunlight.

POLLUTION

Keep oil and fuel leaks at bay, by keeping the engine well maintained. If you are sailing in Thailand with a yacht charter company, like us, then check your chosen charter company has a responsible policy of keeping all engines and outboards well maintained.

Only a litre of oil can contaminate and impact the water, not only by leaving an unsightly film of oil on the water, it can be ingested by wildlife, and get into birds feathers which restricts their flight, as well as badly damage fish who can not get oxygen through gills clogged with oil.

Sometimes an absorbent pad can be put into the bilge to collect any leaking oil, which can then be disposed of responsibly onshore.

If you need to refuel your yacht at any point during your yacht charter, then take great care not to allow fuel or oil to escape into the water.

Try to only use environmentally friendly cleaning products onboard during your sailing holiday, like eco-friendly washing-up liquid.

If your yacht charter company that you have chosen for your holiday sailing in Thailand, then if they have a good environmentally friendly maintenance policy, then they will following procedures such as capturing any antifouling scrapings and disposing of them on-shore, plus using environmentally friendly maintenance products.

RESPECT THE LOCAL HABITAT AND WILDLIFE

Be careful to navigate carefully around wildlife on the water, so keep your distance where possible.

Always respect the local rules and regulations regarding snorkelling or anchoring around many of the precious reefs and dive sites that can be found in our sailing area around Thailand. When going ashore take care where you are anchoring in order to avoid damaging the seabed, and always use the recommended sites for taking your dinghy ashore to protect local sensitive habitats. It is also a good idea to wash off your anchor and chain when leaving an anchoring site.

So if you follow the code of conduct set down by the ISAF, then we can do our very best to have as little as possible impact on this stunning sailing area, therefore leaving everyone else to enjoy the stunning beauty of these surroundings.