At Boatbookings, our catamaran charters have become increasingly popular. It is more important than ever to be mindful of our environmental impact while enjoying a crewed catamaran charter.
Catamarans are an excellent choice for a more sustainable charter due to their energy-efficient design and stability. But there is more you can do than simply choosing a catamaran.
Here, we have put together additional steps to help reduce your impact when on a yacht charter vacation:
1. Choose Environmentally-Protected Destinations
When planning your charter route, favor areas with robust environmental protections and designated marine parks. These locations will have regulations to preserve coral reefs, marine life, and surrounding waters. Your charter crew can guide you on the best practices for these areas onboard. There are plenty of marine parks in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Southeast Asia working to protect our oceans.
2. Be Clear on your Preference Sheet
Before you step foot onboard, you will have a preference sheet. Use this as an opportunity to specify your interests in more sustainable options. Request locally sourced produce, sustainable suppliers, eco-friendly cleaning products, toiletries, and minimal packaging. You can also ask to avoid single-use plastic as much as possible onboard.
3. Reduce Energy Consumption
Thanks to their low-drag hulls, catamarans are exceptionally fuel-efficient, but there are many other ways to conserve energy onboard during your vacation. You can easily limit the electricity demands by using outdoor lighting sparingly, turning off lights, only running the air conditioning when necessary, and unplugging devices when not in use.
4. Respect Marine Life
Always ensure you adhere to responsible wildlife viewing practices when enjoying a crewed charter catamaran. These practices include keeping your distance and avoiding loud noises or sudden movements. Never feed, touch, or chase any wildlife you encounter on the water.
5. Eco-Friendly Playtime
Water toys are essential to any yacht charter but can also negatively impact our oceans. Be sure to use the more eco-friendly options. Hydrofoils and electric toys are a great alternative as they do not contribute to air pollution due to the battery-powered operation. There are also plenty of toys that are human-powered and just as fun to explore bays and islands, such as windsurfing, kayaking, and paddle boarding.
6. Offset your Carbon
While catamarans are already a lower-impact way to charter, you can take it further by offsetting your carbon emissions. With our carbon offset calculator, you can determine your footprint. We use information about the boat and itinerary to predict and measure emissions and then calculate the carbon credits needed to purchase to offset. We ensure it is done correctly through our work with Climate Care, funding UN-approved projects.
We offer various options for greener charter catamarans. Contact a member of the Boatbookings team today to discuss booking one of these charter catamarans ensuring you have less impact on your next yacht charter vacation.