Sunsail and The Moorings have shared their sustainability achievements under their joint ‘Our OCEAN Promise’ initiative from the past 12 months.
Since the initiative launched in 2022, Sunsail and The Moorings have been dedicated to embedding sustainability across its operations, with a focus on both environmental and social impacts. At Sunsail and The Moorings, sustainability is not a separate initiative but a core part of their ethos. Every team contributes to the sustainability strategy, emphasising the importance of staff and customer engagement in achieving meaningful, lasting change.
Building on two years of dedicated efforts through Our OCEAN Promise, the two companies remain committed to making small yet impactful changes that collectively contribute to a more sustainable future.
Using electric outboards to reduce fuel consumption
To reduce fossil fuel consumption, Sunsail and The Moorings have expanded the use of electric outboards across the Mediterranean. Following a successful trial in 2022, Sunsail introduced ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus electric outboard motors to its top three locations in 2023. Due to positive customer feedback, these outboards are now available across five Mediterranean bases for Sunsail and The Moorings brands. With 110 electric outboards in the fleet, this reduces fuel consumption by approximately 1.3 gallons (6 litres) per week per outboard, totalling a reduction of 4,355 gallons (19,800 litres) of fossil fuels annually.
Sunsail is also trialling a larger electric outboard motor in Lefkas, which could support the introduction of electric outboards to catamaran yachts and accommodate more guests. The company remains committed to evaluating new technologies to balance environmental benefits with performance and customer satisfaction.
Cutting down on single-use plastic
In addition to their efforts with electric outboards, Sunsail and The Moorings are advancing their water purification initiatives in their sustainability efforts. All new catamarans in their fleet now feature water purification units using General Ecology’s “Structured Matrix” technology, which eliminates microbiological and chemical contamination without chemicals or electricity. This year, Sunsail retrofitted these units to new monohulls in their exclusive plus and premier plus categories, meaning a total of around 300 yachts within the Sunsail and The Moorings fleet now have a water purification system onboard. This results in an estimated reduction of 24 tons of single-use plastic annually.
To further reduce the use of single-use plastics at their bases, Sunsail and The Moorings have introduced water refill stations at all locations, encouraging customers to use reusable bottles. This initiative complements Sunsail’s broader sustainability communications, which offer tips on reducing environmental impact and provide opportunities for customers to support The Blue Marine Foundation through optional donations.
Creating sustainable partnerships
The recent Sunsail 50th anniversary celebrations highlighted the company’s commitment to sustainability with flotillas and sessions featuring partners such as Blue Marine and the Ionian Dolphin Project. This aligns with Sunsail’s new yacht usage policy, which supports staff and local communities by enabling base managers to organise team-building and conservation activities and provide local organisations and charities with charter days for educational or fundraising purposes. This policy has been successfully implemented at bases in the British Virgin Islands and Belize since June.
Furthermore, The Moorings has partnered with EC Soap in the BVI to provide ocean-friendly toiletries on crewed yachts, with plans to extend this partnership to Moorings bareboat charters.
Educating staff on sustainability
Sunsail and The Moorings have also launched the BVI Skipper Academy, a 16-week training programme designed to upskill local individuals into qualified skippers, fostering stable careers in the yacht charter industry.
The company encourages staff participation in beach and water clean-up activities during annual educational or work trips, as demonstrated by a recent successful clean-up by the senior sales and marketing team in the Bahamas. Sunsail and The Moorings’ commitment to sustainability has been further recognised through prestigious awards, including securing first place in the Exhibitor Environmental Innovation Awards at the Southampton International Boat Show in 2023. They were also named as being ‘One to Watch’ at WTM South Africa and were featured in Wanderlust’s Travel Green List for 2024, reflecting their significant strides in responsible travel practices.
Laura Bowtell, Head of Global Sales Operations and Sustainability for Sunsail and The Moorings said “We are proud to celebrate the success of Our OCEAN Promise, which reflects our unwavering commitment to sustainability. By integrating innovative sustainability initiatives and fostering meaningful partnerships, we are making a tangible difference to ensure our oceanic playgrounds remain vibrant and healthy for generations to come.”
