Why Parallel / Electric Propulsion

Back in April, I made a Blog post about different hybrid propulsion systems, and how we chose a parallel system for the comfortable production catamaran we planned to purchase, used.  Times have changed.  Used cat prices went through the roof, so we decided to build a catamaran, ourselves!  We are in the process of constructing a new 50' performance catamaran.  With that change in the type of boat we will sail around the planet, we had to re-evaluate which propulsion system would best suit this new performance cat.

We talked to a lot of boat owners and found one captain who owned a 50' performance catamaran, who circumnavigated using a combination parallel and electric Motor system.  He swore that it was the way to go.  We found that to be intriguing since we also plan to circumnavigate on a 50' performance catamaran.  So, we ran all the numbers to find out if this might be a better choice than a pure Parallel propulsion system for a performance catamaran. 

Before we get to the results, let's discuss why we had to re-evaluate now that we are going to sail a performance cat.  The difference is load carrying capacity.  A performance cat is only fast if you keep them light enough.  Otherwise, you sink the narrow hulls lower in the water and lose all your performance.

So, before we compared other things, we looked at weight since this was a critical element for our new style of cat.  

For a parallel propulsion system, here is a simple weight calculation.  A 55hp Yanmar, with gear, weighs 573 pounds.  A 25 kw parallel motor weighs 150 pounds.  So, we have to double that weight since there is one set in each hull.  The total came out to 1446 pounds.

A combination system will require one larger 80hp diesel, which weighs 635 pounds with gear.  Then there is a 25 kw  parallel electric motor that weighs 150 pounds (with brackets).  In the opposite hull is a 25 kw electric motor, weighing 130 pounds.  All total, this system weighs 915 pounds.

That means, we shave off  531 pounds if we use a combination Parallel/Electric system.  That's a big weight savings!

But what about horsepower?  Well, the combination has 110hp, maximum (55hp from each diesel).  The parallel has 80hp from the diesel and 34hp (25 kw equivalent) from the electric.  That is a total of 114hp, virtually the same as the parallel system, so no advantage to either one.

Both systems have redundancy as the diesels or electric motors may be run separately.  And, though it is true the parallel system would have a redundant diesel engine, the combo still has a second propulsion system so that is enough backup for our needs.  And, remember, we are a sail boat, so there is a third propulsion system, wind and sails.

So what about price?  On the parallel options, two 55hp diesels from Nanni cost about $12,000 each.  The parallel system for each runs about $15,000.  Total, in round numbers, about $54,000

On the combination parallel/electric option, we have one Nanni 80 hp diesel that runs about $14,000, plus one parallel electric motor for $15,000.  Then, in the opposite hull we have a single electric motor that runs about $12,000.  All total, $41,000.

As you can see, we save about $13,000 dollars!

In fuel efficiency, our calculations show them to be very similar, though a boat weighing less will save us a bit of fuel with the combination system.

So, why not weigh 531 pounds less and save $13,000 while having similar horsepower and fuel efficiency, with redundant propulsion systems, while having less maintenance costs since we only have to service one diesel engine?  The answer for us was pretty clear, we went with the combination parallel/electric propulsion system for our performance catamaran.

We talked about the four propulsion types in a different post, but I wanted to go over more about why we switched from a strictly parallel system to a combination propulsion system.  

We have settled on a brand for the electric standalone and parallel motor now, we are going with Combi, a company located in the Netherlands.  They seem to offer the best price vs. features we can find in 48vdc motors, both parallel and stand alone.   For the diesel, we choose Nanni.

Making a dream into reality.

 

For many years, my brother, Phil, had a dream to sail around the world.  He had to wait for his wonderful wife, Marianne, to retire, as that had much to do with their funding of a life at sea.

While waiting, he focused on learning everything he could about sailing life.  Many people buy a boat and then learn to sail.  His journey had been different.  At ten years old, he built his first boat.  We went to school in a British forces school located in a former German naval base on the north sea of Germany.  He sailed from our school in Wilhelmshaven in northern Germany to Denmark.  Here is a picture of him at the helm after a storm ended.

Then we moved to Bonn, Germany the then capitol of West Germany.  Our house was right on the Rhein river as was the American Embassy school we attended.  We watched the huge amount of traffic on the river from our front window.  We saw many barges with families living aboard, sightseeing boats with tourists, large motorboats with day sailors enjoying the river, and my brother in his 11’ kit Mirror  sailboat he had built.  

He sailed up and down the river at 13 years old by himself and with friends among the heavy and large traffic.  Here is a picture of him sailing in Germany.

When he returned to live in the U.S., he  focused his love of the sea by scuba diving.  He started with a basic open underwater class, eventually became an instructor, and opened his own dive shop.  He also created an underwater film class for PADI.

After selling the dive shop, he bought jet skis and an 18’ Hobie Cat to again get out on the water.  He did yearly trips to Lake Powell with his jet skis and rented houseboats.  He took his Hobie Cat on sailing trips to a nearby lake and the Pacific Ocean.

Then he got serious about his dream to sail around the world.  After much research, he decided he wanted a catamaran.  He knew his wife Marianne would be most comfortable on a cat plus wanted to share his journey with friends and family.

So, he started researching every catamaran and their manufacturer he could find.  He made spreadsheets of what he was looking for and weighted his choices.  In the end he decided on a Fountaine Pajot Salina 48.  While a production boat, not built for speed, it did sail well.  He looked into purchase prices and calculated what it would cost to update an older Salina and discovered that it would fit their budget.  He was getting within a couple years of purchase when covid hit.  Prices on catamarans skyrocketed, and
all his careful planning went out the window.  It was back to the beginning.

Phil was an avid watcher of sailing videos starting with Distant Shores.  He saw a video series, MJ Sailing, about a couple who were building their own catamaran from a kit.  He revisited an idea he had previously abandoned.  Again researching, he found a catamaran he was interested in, a Schionning Designs cat, the Solitaire 1490.

However, there were some things he wanted to change about that model.  He contacted Schionning and they were more than happy to help fulfill his dream. 

One of his many talents learned while waiting to live his dream was 3D computer modeling.  He set about modeling his dream boat based on the Schionning design.  The more he investigated the Solitaire the more excited he became.  Not only could have what he wanted in a catamaran, but the Solitaire was an amazingly fast boat.  Performance was the one thing he wished he could have but could not find in a comfortable reasonably priced cat. Then he found the Solitaire; a very safe, fast, comfortable, catamaran.  It was within his budget and comes from a 35-year-old company, Schionning Designs, known for offering safe and fast catamarans.

The only problem was the daunting task of building it himself.  Luckily, his original plan for sailing around the world included his friend Brian as XO and alternate captain.  Brian loved Phil's new plan to build a catamaran and agreed to quit his job to construct the boat with Phil.

In July, 2022, Phil and Marianne paid their first deposit on their semi-custom catamaran kit from Schionning. The goal is to build the catamaran in two years or less.  Schionning likes his design so much they are giving it a new number and they think it will be a very popular design.

Phil's 3D concept model (left) was sent to Schionning and soon, they came back with renders of the actual design model (below).  A meeting was held with the very knowledgeable and friendly Schionning Designs team on Zoom about some changes they recommended and some additional modifications Phil desired.  Currently Phil is waiting on the next set of renders.

Working with Schionning is the first step on the way to fulfilling the dream of a lifetime.  He couldn't be happier.

~ My name is Rhonda.  I will be joining my brother Phil, Marianne, and Brian for long periods as they sail around the world.

If you are interested in Phil's Schionning Solitaire Catamaran, please subscribe to our channel S/V Lynx to get notifications for our upcoming videos. Here is a link to the S/V Lynx Youtube channel, or you may find it on the home page of the website, www.svlynx.com.   You can watch some of his dive videos while waiting for the construction and voyage videos to start coming out.

 

Four different Propulsion systems for our catamaran

 

We are building S/V Lynx from a Schionning Designs kit.  Now, having made the decision to build our catamaran vs. buying new or used, that means we have a whole lot of decisions to make on what goes into the shell of the boat.  Foremost in those decisions is which type of propulsion system.  We considered four different setups which I will now go over, briefly.

#1: The most obvious and common choice is a pair of 55hp diesel engines on shaft drives.  These have a lot of advantages, but the biggest one is price.  These will cost something like $30,000, or more, less than the other three choices.  That is a lot of money!  Diesels also have the advantage of using a very energy dense fuel, diesel.  This means, pound for pound, diesel has more potential energy than what you can put into a battery (which the other three systems all use).  Now for the downsides. 

They require a lot of maintenance since they have a complex system of moving parts.  They stink and make a racket while running.  They do not do well at an idle, so you either have to go somewhere to charge your batteries, or add a generator, which is a third diesel engine, requiring even more maintenance.  They also burn a lot of fuel, since any time you are motoring, you are burning diesel.  They also require warming up, so you cannot get instant power if they were not already running.  Finally, they require a certain amount of RPMs to function, so maneuvering in a marina or any small area is more difficult.

#2: A Hybrid Diesel / Electric system.  This consists of two electric motors (sail drives most likely) and two diesel generators.  Now, you could go with only one generator, but then you would be sorely underpowered for any lengthy motoring situation where you need all their thrust.  Let's start with the good stuff.  Anytime you are doing short passages, it is unlikely you will even need those generators, so you can make such a passage on zero diesel fuel.  The electric motors need no time to warm up, so they

are ready in an instant.  They will give you full torque at any RPM, so maneuvering in tight locations is easy.  While sailing, the props can be put into regeneration mode, which means the water moving past the props turn them backwards, which turns the electric motors backwards, which sends power to your batteries.  With solar on top of the boat, you have two ways of recharging your batteries without using those generators.  While running, they have no smell and are nearly noiseless.  Now, for the negatives.  There are two big ones, the high price to install the system (which includes Oceanvolt SD 15 servoprops) and the woefully reduced horsepower.  These are 15 kw electric motors, which equate to 20 hp.  That means, full out, they only give you 40 hp together... and electric motors should not run at full power for long periods, so for that, you may only have around 32 hp!  For a big cat, which normally requires about 100 hp, that is only 1/3 of the needed thrust!  Finally, the range is very limited on batteries, no more than about 3 hours at typical cruising speed.  That means, on a longer passage, you must turn on the generators.  These are less efficient than diesels due to the number of conversations of energy.  Each conversion takes energy away.  Therefore, while running on diesel fuel, you are burning more diesel per mile than a straight diesel boat.  This kills the efficiency on long passages and makes you carry a full load of diesel fuel.

#3: Parallel Diesel / Electric system.  Here, you have two 45 hp diesel engines with an electric motor attached between the diesel and the shaft drive that leads to the prop.  The system can run on just the diesel or switch to the electric motor.  Now you have the option to be a diesel boat, with all those advantages, or an electric boat, with all those advantages.  But there is more!  If you add a clutch to the

shaft, you may disconnect the diesel and electric motor from turning the prop and that lets the diesel engine turn the electric motor, becoming a generator.  Now you have two generators on board, without the added cost, weight, and maintenance of separate diesel generators.  Now let's talk about the negatives, price and weight.  This system is more expensive than the Diesel, though less than the Hybrid.  It weighs less than the Diesel boat simply because it does not need a separate generator, but weighs more than the Hybrid (because, at times, the Hybrid has to carry more fuel on board).  Still, all said and done, this was our top contender for the propulsion system for S/V Lynx... until we looked at the final option.

#4 Combo Parallel Engine and 20 kw Electric motor.  In this configuration, we have a parallel engine in one hull (see above) and an electric motor in the other hull.  Both use shaft drives. Because there is only one diesel, we increase the size of the engine to get 110 hp.  That makes it equal to the diesel boat and more than the parallel boat.  In the other hull, we put a single 20 kw electric motor that produces up to 28 hp, full out, or 22 hp for long periods.  if you add that to the diesel, your total horsepower is 138, more than any of the other options!  Better yet, you are getting rid of one diesel engine, meaning you

only have one diesel on the boat to service and maintain.  That also gets rid of a lot of weight!  This system is anywhere from  147 to 568 pounds less than the other three options!  Both electric motors can regenerator power.  The Parallel engine can act as a 10 kw generator.  Then there is the price, this Combo system is less expensive to add than either the Hybrid or Parallel.  As for the Diesel, over time on our double circumnavigation of planet Earth, the Combo system will save on fuel and maintenance to nearly match the Diesel boat price.  The Combo system also has greater range, weighs less, has more horsepower, has redundant propulsion systems (diesel or electric), requires less maintenance, and saves more fuel.  Sweet!

In the end, we will burn 2,600 gallons less fuel, smell and hear a diesel engine running 6,000 hours less, do shorter passages without burning a single gallon of fuel, have extended range on long passages, including endless electric power from solar and regeneration.  And all that, while shedding well over 500 pounds of weight compared to a Diesel boat!

That is why we are going with a Combo propulsion system on S/V Lynx.  Right now, we are considering which parallel engine and which electric motor to purchase, though we have some front runners.  We want both to have 20 kw electric motors that run at 48v.  That limits our choices as many  20 kw motors run at a higher voltages.  However, there are some choices available, we just have to decide on which one!

If you would like to see a more detailed comparison of these systems, including a bunch of example passages comparing fuel usage, consider becoming a patron crewmember where you will get access to all of our data on the S/V Lynx website

The Perfect Catamaran for S/V Lynx

For years I have been looking for the perfect catamaran... she did not exist.  People will tell you that every boat is a compromise.  However, for years I dreamed of a catamaran with good performance, at a decent price, that was also a comfortable boat, something of a hybrid between a spartan fast performance boat with poor LCC and a fat slow condomaran with all the comforts and no performance.  As you can imagine, it was like looking for a unicorn.

Gunboat

The issue is simple, catamaran builders cater to two different groups.  The first is the charter industry, where comfort and a cheap entry price are all that matters since these boats are cruising around a limited location, like the BVIs or the Society Islands.  The second are boats for the performance blue water sailors.  These are for sailors who want speed at any price, so the boat companies build hulls out of carbon fiber and nix any un-needed comforts to keep the hulls thin and the boat light, and the price to buy them is very high.

Now, I could get both comfort and speed if I were willing to spend 2-6 million dollars to get a large
enough performance boat (see pic above).  The sheer length lets the thin hulls achieve enough LCC (Load Carrying Capacity) to allow for some comforts, but at the cost of too much money to afford for the average Joe.

Salina 48 from Fountaine Pajot

For what I have to spend, somewhere in the realm of a half-million dollars, the best compromise seemed to be a comfort oriented, production cat (see pic right).  I decided to sacrificed performance to gain comfort at an acceptable price.  

Yet, I dreamed of a few small things that I could not have.  For one, comfort deigned cats use mini keels, and though they have their advantages, the loss of pointing ability and shallower draft were things I knew I would sorely miss.  They also come with sail drives as these are easier for the builders to plunk into a hull for swift build schedules.  Now, both of these things do work, and even have some advantages, yet for a blue water circumnavigator, I would prefer the pointing ability of daggerboards and the shallow draft they give you when up, as well as shaft drives (for when I run over a log, container, or bommie so that I don't tear out a massive hole in my boat when that destructive object hits the sail drive.

Sports Top helm

On another note, there is the helm position.  This is a personal choice, as different locations offer different advantages.  It just so happens, I like a sports top helm position (higher than bulkhead, lower than flybridge).  Performance cats rarely offered this configuration, and when they do, they cost too much money for my wallet (like the HH55).

And there were other things on my wish list, like the performance to sail in light winds.

I kept asking, "Why doesn't some company make a comfortable cruising catamaran with daggerboards, a sports top helm, a large salon and cockpit, and shaft drives?"  But there just wasn't one available at a price point I could afford.

So, I gave up my dream and settled on buying a used, comfort oriented, production catamaran. I planned to do a major refit to put her in shape for a circumnavigation of the planet.  Basically, I compromised.  Next, I spent a decade saving up the money to make that half-million dollar purchase.  During that period I watched the used boat market and there was a consistent trend.  New boats dropped in price and then slowed their depreciation after about eight years.  I could predict what a boat would cost based on its original selling price and the number of years since it sold.

For unfathomable reasons, Covid changed all that.  In the last year or so, the prices of used boats have
skyrocketed.  Not only that, but even at these new exorbitant prices, boats sold like hotcakes.  For ten years, there were always boats I could have purchased, had I the money, but now, right when I have just about saved the amount I need, used boats that I was interested in buying have jumped in price by $100,000 or more over what they should cost for their age.  Even at those ridiculous prices, there are none available of the models I used to want, even if I could afford one.  Sadly, if I could find one, I have enough to buy the boat, but then I would not have the money I need to refit it for a circumnavigation.  I could keep working and save more money, but that would delay my trip for several more years and I am not getting any younger.

I went seeking a way to save my dream. I took a second look at an option that I had researched years ago,  building a kit boat myself.  I knew that it used to be less expensive than buying a new boat if you don't count all the labor you will spend building the kit.  However, I never found a design I liked.  They tended to be performance cats without much in the way of comfort.

Then, wonder of wonders, I found a fairly new catamaran kit boat from Schionning Designs.  The first one is nearing completion in Thailand.  This is a performance catamaran, yet she is built in the style of a comfort catamaran. 

Solitaire 1490 render

 This boat is 50' 4" long, 25' 10" wide, which means she is long enough to have some LCC.  She has daggerboards and shaft drives, and kick-up rudders, so she will point well and have a better chance of surviving a collision with a destructive object.  She has a shallow draft, with good bridge deck clearance.  She has a sports top style helm, a large cockpit, and salon.  She is built strong and light, and designed to be beached.  

(My customized layout of the helm, cockpit, and salon.)

This means this boat hits nearly every option I have been looking for in a boat all these years, a melding of performance and comfort in a catamaran.  Not only that, but since I will be building her myself, I can modify the layout and get almost exactly what I want!  Not only that, but in talking to the wonderful people at Schionning Designs, I have found that they are willing to modify the kit to fit my goals!  How great is that!  Even all my changes will be precut for me and arrive in the kit, ready to assemble! 

But what about the price?

We can build this Solitaire 1500, which means we get a new boat.  Even fully kitted out and ready to sail around the world she can be built for about half a million US dollars.  That is right in my budget!  Still, as everyone will tell you, every boat is a compromise.  However, in this case, it is not the boat or what she offers that is the compromise.  The compromise we have to make is doing all the labor it takes to build this catamaran.

'Escapade' currently under construction

It will take a minimum of 6,000 hours of labor to build this performance cat, so not everything is rosy.  Still, I will end up with a new boat that is everything I have been seeking rather than a 10 to 15-year-old boat that is smaller, without the features I want, and costs more.  I can speed up the build time by adding more people to help.  With three, full time workers, the construction of the shell can be done in one year.  Adding all the systems can be done in a another nine months. However, even though I plan to work with two other people on the construction, we are figuring two full years because we know there will be various delays along the way since we are amateur first time catamaran builders.

Solitaire 1490

The boat is from Schionning Designs and this hybrid performance/cruiser is called the Solitare 1490.  I was planning on starting my search for a used boat later this year and, after, finding, buying, and refitting, have her ready to sail in about a year after purchase.  At this point, I am looking into starting the build of our customized Solitaire 1500 at the end of 2022, so that may put me about one year longer than a used, refitted boat (it depends on how long it took me to find the used boat).  I hate the idea of all the construction work and, possibly, one additional year delay but love what I will achieve in the end, the boat I have always dreamed of owning at a price I can stomach.

'Escapade' nearing completion of the shell

So I have a possible plan, one that I will have to decide on soon.  If I go with the kit boat, S/V Lynx will be a Solitaire 1490, extended to just over 50', so now a Solitaire 1500.  She will have daggerboards, kick-up rudders, and a hybrid diesel/electric propulsion system.  She will have decent LCC yet sail close to wind speed.  

If I choose to build this catamaran, I will video document the entire construction process on Youtube, so you may follow along and see how we built her and all the cool systems we add.  And, you may see if this is something you might wish to do in the future!  I will be asking Schionning to make my design available to anyone as the Solitaire 1500.   I'll keep you informed if they agree.

Stay tuned and subscribe to my SVLynx channel on Youtube so that you do not miss the start of the weekly videos.  That way, you may follow along from the beginning of this adventure (See link below).

                                                               Youtube Sailing S/V Lynx

Mini Keels are not all the same!

There has been lots of debate about the choice of Mini-Keels or Daggerboards.  To boil it all down, Daggerboards allow you to point higher and can be raised to allow shallower draft.  On the negative side, the Daggerboard casings have to be cleaned and if you hit something, can hole your boat if they are broken.  Then there is the space taken up in the hulls for those casings.  Mini-Keels are simpler to use (there is nothing to do), simpler to clean (no casing), don't take up space in the hulls, and should allow you to beach your boat and have access to most of the hull for cleaning, etc.  They can also be sacrificial, so if you do hit something they just break away.

Generally, Daggerboards are associated with performance cats and Mini-Keels to comfort oriented production models.

However, this is not a discussion about the benefits of Daggerboards or Mini-Keels.  Let's assume you want a production catamaran (for whatever reason).  Therefore, it is extremely likely that you are going to have Mini-Keels.  The question is, are all Mini-Keels the same and the answer is, absolutely not.  You will notice that in the above list of features, I said, 'should allow you to beach' and 'can be sacrificial'.  That is because not all Mini-Keels feature these two advantages.

There are catamaran brands that make Mini-Keels part of the hull, like some Lagoons and others.  This means that they are not sacrificial.  If you hit something with your Mini-Keel on one of these boats and tear it off, that puts a hole in your boat and you will take on serious water!  (See Lagoon pic. right)

However, there are brands that make their keels sacrificial, like Leopard and Fontaine Pajot (as well as others).

In the case of current Leopard boats (see pic. left), they add stub keels, which project down from the hull a few inches.  Their Mini-Keels are hollowed at the top and the stub keel inserts into that Mini-Keel cavity.  They are glued in place with bolts put through the Mini-Keels and stub keels to hold them firmly in place.  This works well enough for the sacrificial element of these keels.  However, due to the hollow portion of the Mini-Keel design, there are thin walls on either side.  This means that the full weight of the boat cannot rest on these Mini-Keels, and Leopards manual states that the hulls must be supported at two bulkhead locations with some kind of jacks or other supports when one of their boats is out of the water for any reason.  What this means is that you cannot simply pull up to a shallow beach or boat ramp and let the tide go out so that you now rest on your Mini-Keels.  That is a real issue in some parts of the world.

For example, if you were to head up the Wadden Sea along the northern part of the Netherlands and

Germany, at each low tide the ocean retreats out past the Frisian Islands leaving you and your boat high and dry on the exposed bottom.  Each time that would happen, you would have to get out there before the water was completely gone and try to prop up your boat with some kind of supports.  As the sea begins to return a few hours later, you would again need to be in the water trying to remove those supports.  This would make the entire process nearly impossible and if you don't do it, or fail to get it right, you could seriously damage your hulls.

Fontaine Pajot makes their Mini-Keels a different way.  They have a socket in the hull that the solid Mini-Keel inserts into and this allows them to make the keels strong enough to support the weight of the boat.  Now, you can just let the tide go out and land on your keels.  If you are going to do this often, you might want to consider keel protectors (just to
avoid any small rock damage to the fiberglass).

Does this mean that Leopard or other brands that are not weight supporting are no good?  Of course, not.  However, it does limit you to certain choices and, sometimes, areas of sailing where this is not necessary.

For us, we have too many locations we are visiting where the tide changes are large and many of the ports we might stop in do not have enough depth, lock system or, other mechanism for keeping your boat afloat and we must land on our hulls.  Then there are places we plan to go, like the Wadden Sea, where we will land on the ocean bottom several times while crossing.  Finally, being a somewhat large catamaran, in parts of the world we are limited in where we can haul out.  If we can beach our boat we can do certain types of maintenance, like cleaning the bottom, etc. without the need of an expensive haul out which might not even be available.

So, in the end, we plan to find a boat that can be beached, if she has Mini-Keels, they must be both sacrificial and able to support the weight of our catamaran.

Addendum: We have settled on our catamaran and decided to go with a performance cat, with dagger boards and kick-up rudders.  The boat is the Solitaire 1490, extended to 50' 4".  She is designed to be beached from the get go, but we are adding some impact strength to the hull skin by changing from fiberglass to basalt fiber.  This will keep any small stones from 'denting' the surface skin while we are beached.  The kick-up rudders get them up and out of the way while beaching and we have shaft drive engines, so no sail drive poking down while we are on the hulls.  This will not be as convenient for cleaning the hulls while beached, but the boat will be 1 to 2 knots faster while sailing because of the dagger boards instead of mini-keels.  The boat also has a shallower draft of only 2' 2" with boards up, which is nice.

How to keep Trash off your boat and out of the ocean!

 

Trash.  It is a big problem, for a sailboat… and the world.

Planet Earth is turning into a giant trash bin.  Everywhere you go, even the remotest island in the world, there is trash.  Even if people are not there tossing it on the ground, our trash washes up on shore.  It is a disgrace to the human race.  So, as sailors, how do we become part of the solution instead of adding to the problem?

On S/V Lynx, we plan to attack this from two directions.  First off, we will not become part of the problem and, secondly, we plan to work to reduce the amount of trash left by others.  Below you can read about how we plan to attach these two things, starting with picking up trash. 

Picking up Trash:

Every time we go to a new beach, or if we see trash floating, we plan to pick up trash and then dispose of it properly.  The sad fact is, doing so will not put a dent, not even a tiny scratch, in the epic mass of trash infesting our waters and shores.  If what we do will not make a difference, then why try to clean up trash at all?  The answer is simple.  If everyone picked up more trash than they put down, there would be no trash around the world.  Of course, we cannot make others pick up trash, but we can do our little part, and will.

 

How do we handle our own trash?

OK, now let’s talk about how we can help by not adding our own trash.  

The issue is non-degradable waste.  When you buy groceries, unless it is a fruit or vegetable, the purchase likely comes in a container.  Some stores even wrap fruits and vegetables in plastic or put them in a plastic box.  The same thing goes for buying meats.

Wrappings and boxes can be made of metal, glass, paper, cardboard, or plastic.  It is obvious, or should be, that any form of plastic is non-biodegradable and should never be tossed in the ocean.  Paper wrappings may have a plastic coating, also making them non-degradable. 

As for glass, it takes a long time to break down glass.  And even though it does not have the same issues as plastic, it can end up on a beach and become a health issue (broken glass).  Some say that it is all right to fill a glass bottle so that it sinks to the bottom of the ocean, yet we disagree.  Glass should be properly disposed of, hopefully, recycled. 

 

And what about aluminum or tin cans? 

Aluminum cans will take something like 200 years to break down, and they are most often coated on the inside in plastic.  Therefore, they should be recycled and never tossed in the ocean.

Tin cans also often have a plastic inner coating, so they should also be recycled.

 

So, what can you toss in the ocean without guilt or adding to pollution?

Fruit and vegetable parts, like rinds, and paper (without plastic linings).  Both of these break down in various ways.

 

 

 

What about cardboard?

Yes, this is paper and can be put in the ocean to break down... but, the truth is, you should not bring cardboard on board in the first place!  The issue here is cockroaches.  They lay eggs
on the sides of cardboard, so if you do not want your boat infested with cucaracha, then you should not bring cardboard on board, so to speak.

So how do you bring some foods if you cannot bring it in their original container?  The answer is simple, you need to remove all foods from their cardboard, plastic, or other container and move them into a new one.  Or just choose not to bring those types of food or drink at all.

An example of this would be canned or plastic bottle soft drinks or beer.  Instead of having to store empty cans and bottles, or toss them overboard (shame on you) choose to buy a soft drink machine that fills a reusable cup or glass when you want your fizzy, sweet, sugar drink.  As for beer, you're on your own, we don't plan to have any on S/V Lynx.  We plan to give up both soft drinks and beer and switch to another healthier beverage to drink.

 

Reusable Containers

Let’s get back to disposing of the original box or plastic bag and switching to your own storage device.  What you want to have are reusable containers.  These can be glass or plastic because you are not going to dispose of them when they are empty, you are going to clean them out and reuse them again the next time you are in port provisioning.

You can use zip lock bags, though we recommend getting a thicker and longer lasting variety if you go that route.  We prefer hard sided storage that lasts much longer.  These can be sealable soft plastic containers, or hard plastic models.  Find ones that fit together and stack on each other and are sized to fit in your storage areas.  Stay away from round models, if possible, they just create more gaps.  Use labels you can change on the tops or sides (depending on the storage compartment).  When you do change a label, make sure to dispose of the old one properly!

Instead of some kind of plastic wrap, you can get shower cap style plastic tops that snap over bowls and are completely reusable.  Or just move the food out of the bowl or plate into a sealable, reusable container.

Bringing provisions on board

To cut down on trash (and bugs) we suggest a routine where you arrive on the dock with your newly purchase provisions, but don't take them onto your boat yet.  Take a bucket of fresh water and add in a small cap-full of bleach.  Then wash your fruits and vegetables before bringing them (and any cockroach eggs) on board.  Put any foods previously contained in cardboard into a sealable reusable container.  Pile the discarded cardboard together for recycling on shore.  Remove any foods, like cereal, that are in a plastic bag and put them into another sealable reusable container. 

Now we come to a problem; we're talking about foods stored under pressure or sealed to make them last longer.  Some of these foods can be transferred into a food sealing container where you use a food sealer machine to suck the air back out.  However, there are just some things that have to stay in their container to keep them fresh for a long time. 

While still on the dock take each jar or can, one at a time, and remove any paper labels.  Set these aside for the moment to be disposed of properly, on shore, later.  This is to avoid cockroach eggs again.  Now wash that can or glass item in your bucket.  Once you dry it off, mark the item with a permanent ink pen, showing what it contains (if you forget, look at that label you just set aside).  Do this one can or jar at a time so you do not forget what is in each one!  Once used, these containers must be kept in a trash bag and disposed of or recycled at your next port of call.

Unless the container is a can or glass jar under pressure or sealed, no plastic, paper, glass, or cardboard should be brought on board.  For example, if bread comes in plastic bag, remove the bag and put the bread I a long reusable and sealable container (they make specific ones for loaves of bread). 

When you are far out to sea, meaning not in a marina, port, or near a beach.  In that case, it is OK to toss the rinds or other scraps of fruits or vegetables overboard.  The reason you do not want to do this near shore is that no one wants to see your stuff floating around or washed up on the beach before it degrades.

If you do not use all of something, reseal the container (food sealing what is appropriate, since that will make it will last longer without air inside).  If you need to temporarily store something on a plate or bowl, just put on the shower cap style reusable wrap.  As your containers empty, just put them back in the place you keep them and mark your list to refill them later at the next provisioning.

If you follow these practices, you will bring on a minimum of containers needing to be disposed of or recycled later, with most of your foods being kept in reusable containers.  You will also benefit from avoiding cockroaches on board, which is no small thing. This is not a cure all for cockroaches, but why give them any added chance to get on board?

While on the subject, what about things like shampoo, or other items that come in plastic?  Buy reusable dispensers and pour the products into those, then recycle the original plastic on shore before you set sail.  We suggest you try to buy the kind that have the flat lids that allow you to stand them upside down.  Then, you can pour out the contents, stand it upside down for a few hours, and pour the remaining product into your reusable container.

Other items, like spare parts, new gadgets, or any other purchases that come in any kind of container, should be handled the same way as your food items.  Simply put, do not bring any cardboard or plastic on board.  Take the items out of their containers or packaging, label them in the new reusable container and store them that way. 

When you look at any item you are bringing on your boat, just ask, yourself, when I go to use this item, will I have trash left over?  If so, get rid of that trash, properly, before bringing it on board.  If you try to cut down on things that become trash you will have far less bags of trash stored on board that you must. eventually, ferry to store in your dinghy.

Be proactive, do not drown your boat (or worse, the ocean) in trash.

 

Food Sealers

What about food sealer systems?  Well, we are a fan of these.  They help keep food fresh for
much longer.  However, you should avoid using the plastic food sealing bags that are not reusable.  When possible, go with hard containers that can be reused over and over again, without creating plastic waste.  Even if you must use the plastic sealing bags, plan to wash and reuse these items.  To make them somewhat more reusable, cut the original bag a little longer than you need.  When you go to use the item stored in the bag, cut off a thin strip of the plastic at the top, just below the melted seal. 

That way, you may wash and reseal the same plastic sealing bag with your food sealing device.  The small strip you cut off becomes trash that you must store until you reach shore for proper disposal, which is why we prefer the hard sided food sealing containers… where there is no waste.  However, there are items that work better in the bags.  Just be aware that these bags must be disposed of properly, later. 

Some things can be put into reusable zip lock bags instead of being food sealed.  Things like liquid items that you can remove the air without a food sealer.   Just reuse those zip lock bags as many times as possible and then properly dispose of them later.

The moral of the story?  

Do not bring trash on board in the first place, when possible.  Dispose of that trash on shore, properly.  Any small amounts of trash that is unavoidable, store and dispose of properly later.  This should be easy if you have cut down most of the other trash that does not need to be on board in the first place.

Yeah, some of these suggestions are a minor hassle, but if we all do not start going the extra mile, then our planet will continue to be buried in trash.  We think it is worth our time… and everyone’s.

Oh, and the next time you see someone else’s trash, pick it up and dispose of it properly.  We all have to start making a difference.