Sustainable Sailing: How to Eco-Cruise in Greece

Sustainability and environmental responsibility at sea might slip when cruising along dreamy mediterranean coasts, but here’s a welcome guide by the Ionian Environment Foundation to sustainable sailing in Greece.

The Sustainable Sailing Greece Initiative

Greece has long been associated with sailing, and thousands flock every year to sail in the crystal clear waters, chartering boats or joining flotillas across the different island regions. The Ionian in particular has seen a huge increase in the number of boats available for charter over the past years, many drawn by the region’s lighter winds and the diversity of islands to explore.  

What few people realise is that this sailing hotspot also overlaps with ecologically significant areas, including the Zakynthos Marine Protected Area, and several marine Natura 2000 sites covering over 430,000 hectares.  And what is becoming apparent is that the huge growth in boat traffic is adding pressure on these fragile marine ecosystems and the coastal communities. 

Casual sailors, chartering a boat for a week or two are usually unaware of the specific environmental issues in the Ionian region they are sailing through, and until now there was limited information available on best practices to help them to avoid negative impacts they may inadvertently cause for example through poor anchoring, which destroys sea grass Posidonia meadows, or how to interact with marine fauna that they may encounter on their journey. 

To address this, a landmark project was launched on World Ocean Day last June with a start up grant from the Ionian Environment Foundation: Sustainable Sailing Greece, aiming to work with charter companies and local organisations to provide information for visiting sailors, helping them take positive action for protecting the beautiful and unique coastline and sea of Greece. The launch focused on the production of a new Sustainable Sailing Guide, in partnership with over twenty charter companies operating out of Lefkada and Corfu. 

The Guide’s success

Over a year in the making, the Guide worked with charter companies and had input from dozens of sailors who helped shape the content to be relevant for skippers and their crew chartering boats in Greece. It drew inspiration from the RYA’s GreenBlue and Sailors for the Sea resources for sustainable boating, and includes a wide range of resources produced by Greek organisations working on marine conservation. The Guide is now on over 400 boats and available online, providing practical and simple tips for sailors on how to avoid harming the beautiful marine environment when boating and how to ‘do your bit’ with responsible practices on board and on shore, such as how to avoid pollution, leave no trace, lowering speed, choosing sustainable fish at tavernas, and advice on mooring. It also contains easily accessible information on the Ionian marine fauna and flora, and for visitors who want to play a more active role with the protection of marine wildlife, there is also detailed guidance on where to report sightings of mammals such as sea turtles, monk seals and dolphins, and how to observe them without causing undue stress and disturbance. 

The main environmental issues the Guide is aiming to address is the degradation of marine biodiversity and habitat, especially Posidonia seagrass meadows. These are critical for mitigating the effects of climate change as they bind 35 times more CO² than forests on land – they really are the lungs of the Mediterranean. We float above these amazing worlds but then drop anchor, in many cases causing damage to the seagrass and coral areas that take decades to restore. The Guide offers some practical tips on how to look out for these areas and anchor (or long line) safely without causing damage – second nature for experienced Med sailors, but good reminders for those who are new to these waters.

The Sustainable Sailing Greece initiative also aligns with Greece’s commitment to promoting sustainable tourism, which was highlighted at an event hosted by the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) to promote the initiative last December in London.  As GNTO UK Director Eleni Skarveli noted:
It is very important for Greece and the sustainable growth of Greek tourism to support initiatives like the Sustainable Sailing Greece guide, included also within the SustainableGreece platform. VisitGreece is focusing on synergies that safeguard our seas and marine ecosystem so that we can all enjoy and proudly inherit them to the next generation. 

Interaction with companies and their clients over the course of last summer’s sailing season confirmed that there is great interest from all sides to do more to protect the seas. As readers of Sailing Today will have seen in previous editions, there are a large number of exciting initiatives in Greece that are showing what the future of sustainable sailing could look like. Some examples include Sail Ionian’s increased use of solar and electric power, and Sunsail’s installation of water purifiers on board, and the transition to completely electric outboard motors. In addition to their solar panels and water filter installation, Seafarer also organise voluntary beach clean-ups with their clients across the Ionian and other areas of Greece.

The ecological voyage continues

Plans for building on this momentum for the 2024 season are well underway, with increased focus on sharing practical information on how to minimise destruction of the seagrass meadows. Adding to the reading materials available, a short video on good anchoring and long line practice in Greece will be developed in Spring, sponsored by Sunsail and Seafarer. The Ionian Environment Foundation is also ‘on board’ for phase two, and Exec Director Simon Karythis notes:

At the Ionian Environment Foundation (IEF), we have always supported effective and impactful grassroots projects which provide practical solutions to the region’s most pressing environmental issues. As the recreational sailing sector has grown over the last two decades throughout the Ionian, it has undoubtedly put increasing pressure on the marine environment and coastal communities. The Sustainable Sailing Guide  provides essential information to help recreational sailors reduce their environmental impact, and its widespread adoption in the industry really emphasises the project’s success, which is why we are committed to continuing our support in 2024. 

So before you set sail across the Greek seas this summer, do have a look at the Guide and look out for more resources coming out in the coming months to help us all make sailing more sustainable!

Want to learn more?

For more information and to get stuck into sustainable sailing, download a copy of the Guide or learn about other local projects.

Read More:

• Maiden & Tabarly Put Women at Top: Ocean Globe Race Results
• Boat Test: C-Cat 48
• Peloponnese: Sailing In Peaceful Greece

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