10 Easy Sustainable Travel Tips to Help Keep Our Oceans Clean

Summer is almost here! Thoughts of sunny days relaxing on a yacht, sailing around stunning Mediterranean islands, and swim stops in sapphire-coloured waters are bound to be flowing through your mind leading up to your Yacht Getaways sailing holiday.

As you prepare for your exciting Yacht Getaways holiday, we have compiled a guide featuring ways you can greatly reduce your environmental impact and travel more eco-friendly while sailing with us this summer!

Use your refillable water bottle

Don’t fuss with buying crates of plastic water bottles for your week, your Yacht Getaways catamaran or monohull will have plenty of drinking water on board.

Whenever you are out exploring some of the amazing towns along your route or off on an excursion, make sure to top up your water bottles and bring them along so you can avoid having to buy water while out.

Insider tip: Have one person bring a day-pack to keep the reusable bottles in and share the carrying duties.

Use your Yacht Getaways tote bag

When you check in for your sailing holiday, you’ll receive your own Yacht Getaways tote bag to use for the week and take home with you. This is perfect to bring along whenever you’re shopping so you can avoid single-use plastic bags — one of the biggest polluters of the sea.

On top of that, these canvas totes are ethically sourced and made with only environmentally friendly processes and recycled materials.

It is compact enough to roll up to put in your pocket just in case, and they are the ideal bag to stash all of your snacks, drinks, and sunscreen in for a day exploring. It’s a super easy way to drastically reduce your environmental impact from the moment your sailing holiday begins!

Nothing goes in the sea

One motto we like to follow is nothing goes in the sea, except for you. This is a good practice to follow and we encourage you to throw nothing overboard like cigarette butts, fruit and vegetable scraps, and anything else.

Keep a keen eye out for loose objects and rubbish that can fly away in case the wind kicks up or the boat leans while sailing. It’s easy to lose drink bottles, bags of snacks, and electronics overboard this way.

And make sure before sailing to remove all articles of clothing and towels that might be hanging up as they risk falling overboard. You don’t want to lose your favourite swim outfit, do you?

Startup a beach clean

The places you will be sailing to around the Mediterranean are some of the most breathtaking sailing destinations in the world. Unfortunately, like the rest of the world, there are plenty of places that have plastic pollution washing up on the beaches. And many of these places are secluded and inaccessible by land.

If you spot a beach that could use a little love, we encourage you to let your Skipper or Host know, grab some bags and gloves, and do a quick beach clean if there is time. These small cleanups can add up to a big impact over the summer!

Point out any rubbish in the sea

Is that a bottle floating in the water? If you spot any objects or rubbish floating in the sea while sailing to your next destination, let the Skipper know. If they can safely, they will attempt to retrieve it out of the sea. Every bit helps, and it makes for a pretty fun challenge!

Swap out that latte for cappuccino

This one is a Yacht Getaways insider tip. Many of the Mediterranean countries we sail to serve cafe lattes in a tall glass with a straw, and even if you ask for no straw, it’s usually lost in translation.

One way to avoid this is to switch to cappuccinos or espressos for that caffeine fix during your week sailing.

Insider tip: If you’re a bit of a coffeeholic (we are too) pack a reusable travel mug for your holiday to avoid the plastic-lined takeaway cups and lids.

Choose cone over a cup

How amazing is a scoop of gelato (or three) on a hot day? Whenever you are out and about wandering the towns and looking for that tasty treat to cool you down, we recommend choosing cone over a cup to avoid small single-use plastic spoons and non-recyclable cups they give out otherwise.

Ask for no straws

Plastic straws are one of the biggest polluters at sea and something we see washing up on the beaches most often. One of the best ways to reduce your plastic consumption while sailing with us is to ask for no straws with soft drinks or cocktails.

If you do prefer to sip that refreshing cocktail with a straw, bring along reusable ones and stash them in your Yacht Getaways tote to use while out!

Choose cans and glass bottles over plastic

You sitting on the bow of the yacht with friends and family sipping a cold beer or a refreshing gin and tonic on the rocks under the sun — what sounds better than that? Pretty much paradise.

But when stocking up on beverages for the week, opt for canned soft drinks or beers in cans and glass bottles which will help reduce a ton of plastic usage from your week of sailing. Also, glass bottles are highly recycled by locals and often you can get a bit of money back by returning your glass bottles when you’re done!

It’s a win for you and the sea.

Don’t bring a floatie

We know, there aren’t many things better than relaxing on a floatie in that amazing Mediterranean water on a hot day. Instead of bringing a floatie, choose to purchase one when you arrive in-country so more plastic waste isn’t being brought in.

Another tip, talk to your Skipper at check-in to see if any floaties have been left behind from the previous week so you can skip having to buy another altogether.

We are big fans of reusing and recycling, so if you do bring a floatie or buy one during the week, we’d love if you choose to leave it us so we can reuse it and continue to encourage others not to purchase more. Reduce, reuse, recycle and it will greatly reduce plastic at sea this summer.

Let’s do our part and keep the seas cleaner together during your Yacht Getaways sailing holiday this summer!