7 minute read
carbon footprint
Long before 'go green', 'global warming' and 'carbon footprint' became catchphrases for the environmental movement, cruising sailors had harnessed Mother Nature's gifts to cross oceans, charge batteries and stretch budgets. As Mr. and Mrs. American work to reduce their carbon footprint — the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere annually by an individual's actions (mainly energy consumption) — cruising sailors and liveaboards can be proud of the fact that our footprints are exceedingly smaller than those of our landbound friends. The average American produces 20 metric tons (tonnes) of CO2 every year while the worldwide average is just 4 tonnes. Using one of the many online carbon footprint 'calculators' (www. carbonfootprint.com), we calculated our own personal footprint as liveaboards: 4.203 tonnes. Not too shabby for being plugged into shorepower and driving to work every day. Then we calculated the footprint of an imaginary cruising couple who never ran their engine, used solar and wind power to charge their batteries, anchored out all year (thus not using shorepower) and didn't fly home to visit family: 2.310 tonnes. Of course, those types of cruisers are few and far between, so we recalculated with the same solar and wind charging systems but added in about 300 annual engine hours, six months of shorepower use and two roundtrip flights
from La Paz to SFO: 3.556 tonnes. Still lower than the worldwide average. Of course, there are many variables in figuring one's carbon footprint — are you vegetarian? How much do you recycle? Do you buy locally grown/organic foods? and so on — but it's clear that cruising sailors, whether they are aware of it or not, are 'greener' than many of those who preach conservation. On top of that, in this age of $5/gallon diesel, they're saving boatloads of cash.
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If you're planning your own cruising adventure in the near future — or even if you're out cruising right now — check out this list of 10 ways you can reduce your footprint: 1) Sail more than you motor. Though folks like Lin and Larry Pardey don't feel this way, many cruisers believe engines are a necessity. If you're one of them, challenge yourself to only fire up the 'iron genny' when you absolutely, positively have to get someplace in a hurry. Part of the fun of cruising is kicking back and letting the wind take you where it will — it may take you a little longer, but you'll be impressed with your fuel savings at the end of the season. 2) Row, sail or kayak ashore instead of using an outboard. Not only will your ride be quieter, but you'll get a little excercise and save on
JIMMIE ZINN
"I use my kayak, which I've had since my first 'Wanderlust', more than the outboard and dinghy," said Mike Harker, seen here on his shoreside mode of transportaion. "These adjustable panels gave us 100 amps a day while we cruised the Sea of Cortez," said Jimmie Zinn of the Pt. Richmond-based Morgan 38 'Dry Martini'. "The shadow of one thin shroud can reduce output by as much as 60%."
LATITUDE / ANDY
fossil fuels. 3) Instead of hiring a cab or riding a bus, bring along a couple of folding bikes for getting around while in port. They're not terribly pricey and they break down into relatively small 'footprints' on your budget and boat. 4) Install a windvane. While electronic autopilots are great, they drain batteries. Plus they have the annoying habit of dying in the middle of an ocean crossing. Windvanes can easily steer a boat in most conditions, leaving the autopilot in good shape to handle the rest. 5) Consider more eco-friendly products when buying everything from bottom paint to boat cleaners.
Treading lightly — 'Destarté', shown above at the start of the '06 Ha-Ha, is all set up to use the gifts of nature. Right, small solar chargers are great for PDAs and iPods.
6) Change out all the lights in your boat — cabin, running, anchor — to LEDs. LED lights draw nearly 90% less electricity than incandescent bulbs, give off less heat and last 30 times longer. As replacement LED bulbs are readily available for the more common types of light fixtures, this is one of the cheaper and easier ways to conserve energy. 7) Invest in a wind generator. Humans have used the wind to help them with their chores for centuries, dating back to as early as 200 B.C. Cruisers use wind generators to charge their batteries but they often don't put out enough juice to keep an average system topped off unless the wind is really howling. 8) Use solar energy. French physicist Antoine César Becquerel first discovered the photovoltaic effect in 1839, but it took another 100 years before modern solar panels were finally developed. They've been a boon to cruisers, allowing large battery banks to charge up without having to run the engine or generator. The substantial investment in the newer, super-efficient panels is quickly recouped these days by a huge savings in fuel. But that's not the only way cruisers can use solar energy. Solar chargers for your portable electronic gadgets, for ex-
ample, aren't particularly expensive, and mean even less drain on your battery bank. And, unknown to most Americans but not at all uncommon in developing nations where cooking fuel is scarce, solar ovens are efficient, insulated boxes that use the sun's rays to cook food and sterilize water. Ideal for cruising in sunny locales, they keep the heat out of the galley and can turn out perfect 'slow cooked' foods — from stew to cake to fish. Check out www.solarovens.org to see if one would work on your boat. 9) Speaking of cooking, break out that pressure cooker and learn to use it. Pressure cookers typically take a third of the time of standard stovetop cooking, and manufacturers claim a 70% energy savings. The new-style pressure cookers (not Grandma's old Presto jiggler cooker) are quite safe — Kuhn Rikon cookers, for example, have five safety release valves that prevent explosions — and take the
Kayaking to shore allows you to explore nature in peace while conserving fuel.
work out of cooking. 10) While we're on the topic of food, shop wisely. Choose foods with as little packaging as possible and recycle what you can. Buying locally grown foods not only helps the economy of the community you're visiting, but helps reduce your footprint a little more because less fuel is needed to bring the food to your table. And though most of us don't change our eating habits significantly when we go cruising, consider adding more raw foods to your diet — vegetables, fruit and the like. Not only are they healthier, but you also conserve cooking fuel.
'G oing green' doesn't have to mean switching out your Sperrys for Birkenstocks or eating granola instead of Cap'n Crunch. And you don't have to rip out your freezer, or switch to soy diesel, or rely on kerosene lamps either. With all due respect to Kermit the Frog, when it comes to sailing, it is very easy to be green. Reducing your carbon footprint helps the environment, it helps the cruising kitty (and possibly the cruise) last longer — and it helps everyone on the way to a brighter, cleaner future.
TIM SELL
— latitude/ladonna
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