Is Sailing Sustainable?

A question like this can only be answered if you consider what is realistically manageable. In today’s world, it isn’t possible for anything man-made to be completely sustainable because cost has become more important than making a product that is good for the environment. You must look at the alternatives, and decide which, in this case, type of boat is the most sustainable.

Let’s talk about sailing, in itself, first. The natural idea behind sails, the energy efficient features in a boat, and the way the boat is made are all things that attribute towards sustainable sailing. On the other hand, fuel, and the purpose one has for sailing are both negative factors.

Sailing is highly sustainable as the way the boat is made provides sails and other characteristics that make a boat produce minimal wasteful materials. Firstly, sails use the wind, a natural element, to move the boat. This means that no fuel, a wasteful product, is necessary. Many places have already banned the use of engines, for example Balaton. This has helped sustain both fauna and flora alike. “It is the most environmentally-friendly way to travel!” states a blog by www.LateSails.com. Furthermore, the structure of the boat is created in such a way that the hollow spaces in the boat are maximized. This is partly to ensure that the boat does not sink, and partly to create more storage space. This means that a lot less materials are needed to make a sailing boat, therefore ensuring the sustainability of said boat as much as possible.

Another reason why sailing is sustainable is because of the energy efficient elements in the boat. Many boats include solar panels, or other electricity making features. As sailing, as a hobby, has become increasingly popular, many boat manufacturers have started to include solar panels in their boats. This is for the comfort of the customers. With solar panels, the customer is free to stay clear of marinas (where electricity can be bought) for longer periods of time, as electricity is made using the sun. Even though this feature is most likely added to a boat for a person’s benefit, it is sustainable as it uses the sun instead of a man-made machine to generate electricity; of course, you can also create electricity when the boat’s engine is running, but that would contradict the use of sails. In addition to this, many boats simply do not have the option for customers to use up too much electricity, which reduces the amount of electricity that needs to be made and therefore, is highly sustainable.

On the other hand, sailing can also be unsustainable. We have already discussed the issues of fuel, which, though can be prevented or at least reduced, is still a major problem. This is because the comfort of people is frequently seen as more important than the environment. This leads to the problem created by fuel. Fuel can be faster and more reliable than sails resulting in the much-wanted comfort of the sailor. This increases the use of such a wasteful product and makes sailing unsustainable. To add to this, littering is also a huge problem, especially in the sea. Even if we only look at sailing, we can observe that large amounts of wasteful products are thrown into the water during sailing, whether intentionally or not is irrelevant. Although this is a problem on land, too, the aspect of water and distance increases the problem. Throwing rubbish into a body of water is more likely to be unnoticed, as it quickly becomes invisible to humans and there are less people around to see. One of the main problems with marine litter is that it causes about 50, 000 sea mammals to die yearly and the number is increasing. Therefore, this is extremely unsustainable. Lastly, many people sail as a hobby or sport. There may not be a problem with the act of sailing, but as sailing isn’t usually seen as a mode of transport, people travel to their boats. This may be by car, bus, train, airplane, etc. All these things are very unsustainable for the environment as they all use fuel to get from one place to the other. This, combined with the previously mentioned statements, make sailing unsustainable.

In conclusion, sailing is more sustainable than not as the positive attributes to it outweigh the negative ones. We have to answer the question, now. Is sailing sustainable? The short answer is that, yes, it is. Here is the long answer: The main feature that gives sailing a uniqueness that attributes to making it sustainable is the sail. This wind powered element of a sailing boat is not seen in any other boat and therefore, sailing is as sustainable as it gets when talking about boats.