5 Tips for Greener Living Aboard

By Jennifer Brett.

Life aboard a boat is already pretty green, which is one of its appeals. When you’re away from the dock, every resource is limited and must be somehow generated and/or stored on the boat, and everything going out, like trash and waste, needs to have a plan. Modern land-bound life rarely necessitates people having to think about any of these things. On a boat though? It’s all much more intimate and immediate.

In my years of living aboard Lyra, our Reliance 44 ketch, with my husband and kids, I always appreciated the “built-in” eco-friendliness of our life, and over the years, implemented more green habits where I could. Here are a few:

Make your own all-purpose cleaner

I’ll admit that for me this was born out of necessity, but then I started to prefer what I made to what I could buy in the store. When you’re cruising, it’s way easier to find space to stow a jug of vinegar than multiple bottles of cleaner (not to mention cheaper). Reusing a plastic spray bottle many times? Even better.

Most commercially available cleaning products are not made to be directly released into our waterways. Ingredients in certain cleaners can damage fish tissues or persist in the environment and enter the food chain. Some products also contain phosphorous and nitrogen, which can put excess nutrients into the water causing algal blooms which can be harmful to coral reefs and coastal ecosystems.

READ MORE at sailorsforthesea.org