Sail Ionian's Pledge to Sustainable Sailing in 2023 and Beyond!

Text reading "earth week 2023" with each letter filled with satellite imagery of earth, featuring sustainable sailing themes, set against a white background.

 

Sail Ionian are committed to encouraging sustainable sailing holidays, so as usual our commitments to decrease our impact, and our guests' impact, on climate change, is at the front of our mind for the 2023 season!  

Our major push this year goes to introducing Lithium Batteries into the charter fleet. Seven yachts will be testing this new, greener, power source in 2023. In addition to being a good ecological development, they offer a raft of power advantages:

    • Traditional AGM batteries can only be discharged to 50% without damaging the battery. For Lithium that figure is closer to 90% giving far more power in a single charge.
    • Lithium also has a cycle life 10 times greater than AGM and will perform optimally for 2 to 3 times as long as an AGM battery.
    • Lithium batteries weigh around 20% of AGMs for an equivalent usable capacity, they also take up around half the physical space.
    • A completely flat Lithium battery only takes around 3 hours to recharge to 100% vs. 12-24 hours for the equivalent AGM - a huge advantage for sailors.

A luxury yacht charter description: black text on a white background.

Electric Outboards were a new initiative in 2020 and have proven to be hugely successful. Popular due to their ease of handling, reliability and solid green credentials, we have been very impressed with their performance. This year we have taken the decision to replace all the outboards across the standard charter fleet with electric models. Unfortunately the technology is not quite there yet for high powered 20hp+ outboards yet, so the catamarans and our C57 will keep petrol for the moment, but the vast majority of the fleet will now have them.

Electric outboard batteries last around 1hr to 1.5hrs at full power with 4 people, recharge takes 8 hours, and they are easily equivalent to a 3hp petrol outboard.

Solar Panels are now installed on 90% of the fleet, and combined with the lithium batteries, should mean that power issues and flat batteries become a thing of the past!

Other things we are doing:

Other things you can do while out sailing:

  • Pick up any trash you find floating out at sea, or on the beach and dispose of it ashore.
  • Seen dolphins? Don't crowd them! Stay a good 100m away and certainly don't chase them. Put your engine into neutral.
  • Choose eco-friendly suncreams - look for ones that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide rather than oxybenzone.
  • Decrease fuel consumption - slower speed = less fuel.
  • Even better - sail when possible and be at one with nature!
  • Consider rowing rather than using your outboard
  • Choose products sold in recycled or recyclable containers in the supermarket.
  • Re-use bags multiple times or bring reusable shopping bags with you.
  • Don't let any rubbish go overboard.
  • Purchase local products where possible

Yachts now featuring Lithium Batteries:

Rear view of a yacht named "Calm Souch" with dual steering wheels, a wooden deck, and a covered seating area, docked in a marina practicing green yachting in
Calm Souch - 2017 Bavaria 41 Equipped with solar panels, electric outboard and new lithium batteries her green credentials are clear! Thee cabins and two heads make this an ever popular charter cruiser, with an in mast furling main and bow thrusters.
Frank - 2020 Bavaria C50 Our largest bareboat option with three luxurious cabins and a dedicated skipper cabin in the bow. Frank is a high specification yacht, designed to run green, with solar panels, electric outboard and new lithium batteries!
A sailboat with a French flag sails on calm blue waters near a green coastline under a clear sky.
Close-up view of the stern of a modern white sailing yacht named "Karin," showcasing dual steering wheels, a wooden deck, and seating, moored in a sunny marina promoting green yach
Karin - 2017 Bavaria 46 Style Karin's three en-suite double cabins mean she is very popular with larger groups or families. The 'Style' model has a raft of extras and details that make her stand out. As an eco-cruiser she has solar panels, and electric outboard and lithium batteries.
Katja - 2016 Nautitech Open 40 So much space on this 4 cabin cat. Katja is one of our most popular yachts and is fully equipped for environmentally friendly yachting with solar panels and lithium batteries.
A catamaran docked at a marina with mountains in the background. Two people are visible on the boat, which has a green dinghy hoisted at the rear.
Rear view of a luxurious green yachting vessel named "off piste" docked at a marina, surrounded by other boats, with mountains in the background.
Off Piste - 2015 Bavaria 41 Off Piste is our most popular RYA Sea School yacht, she's a great sailor with a fully battened main sail, and extra safety equipment. Solar panels, an electric outboard, and lithium batteries, encourage the next generation of sailors to go green!
Scugnizzo - 2020 Bavaria C45 The C-series is an ultra-modern yacht with it's distinctive styling, and Scugnizzo proves she's not all looks with her solid green credentials! Her lithium batteries are complimented by solar panels and an electric outboard.
A yacht with a green and white hull moored in a calm harbor filled with several boats, set against a background of small colorful houses and lush greenery on a sunny day.
A view from the stern of a sailboat showing dual steering wheels, a binnacle with a chart plotter, and teak decking. The harbor and green hills are visible in the background. This
Sea Spray - 2016 Bavaria 37 Cramming more green tech into her 37 feet than most boats twice her size, Sea Spray is an ever popular 2 cabins cruiser ideal for couples or smaller groups. Solar panels and lithium batteries make her an ideal charter choice!
Wyvern - 2018 Bavaria C57 Our flagship leads from the front as an eco-cruiser! Available for skippered charters, she combines luxury and environmental awareness, for the perfect cruise in the pristine Ionian! Solar power and lithium batteries put her in harmony with the environment!
A group of people on a green yachting adventure enjoying a sunny day on the sea, with mountains in the background and waves splashing around the boat.
See our availability and cost by week here...
 

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