sail:sail_boats

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revision Previous revision
Next revision		 Previous revision
sail:sail_boats [2025/12/20 12:00] – Dave Darbysail:sail_boats [2026/08/19 00:24] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
Line 1: Line 1:
-# Sail boats+This topic is part of [[gt:transport|Transport & freight]]. 
 +====== Sail boats ======
  
  
Line 10: Line 11:
  
  
-## What are sail boats?+===== What are sail boats? =====
  
 They’re vessels for travelling (and/or living) on water using the wind for propulsion – a sustainable way of transporting people and goods that is undergoing a revival. They’re vessels for travelling (and/or living) on water using the wind for propulsion – a sustainable way of transporting people and goods that is undergoing a revival.
Line 25: Line 26:
 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### History+==== History ====
  
 The earliest representation that we have of a boat with a sail is from Mesopotamia and is over 7000 years old. One of the most significant developments in sailing was the invention of the [lateen rig](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateen), probably by the Arabs, around 2000 years ago, which allowed boats to sail against the wind for the first time. From that time, sailing vessels have arguably been the most important means for humans to explore and chart the earth. The earliest representation that we have of a boat with a sail is from Mesopotamia and is over 7000 years old. One of the most significant developments in sailing was the invention of the [lateen rig](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateen), probably by the Arabs, around 2000 years ago, which allowed boats to sail against the wind for the first time. From that time, sailing vessels have arguably been the most important means for humans to explore and chart the earth.
Line 55: Line 56:
  
  
-## What are the benefits of sail boats? +===== What are the benefits of sail boats? ===== 
-### Environmental+==== Environmental ====
  
 The main environmental benefit is that they don’t require fossil fuels, with their associated emissions of carbon and pollutants when burnt and after spills. Cruise and cargo ships use heavy marine oil that is [much more polluting](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/21/the-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-and-its-supersized-pollution-problem) than road fuels. Sailing vessels can also replace diesel lorries, buses and trains for cargo and passenger transport. The main environmental benefit is that they don’t require fossil fuels, with their associated emissions of carbon and pollutants when burnt and after spills. Cruise and cargo ships use heavy marine oil that is [much more polluting](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/21/the-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-and-its-supersized-pollution-problem) than road fuels. Sailing vessels can also replace diesel lorries, buses and trains for cargo and passenger transport.
Line 64: Line 65:
 <WRAP center centeralign> <WRAP center centeralign>
 <figure> <figure>
-{{url>https://www.youtube.com/embed/pA2f5pvPI1Q 560,315}}+{{url>https://www.youtube.com/embed/pA2f5pvPI1Q}}
 <caption> <caption>
 _A taster of what it’s like to be a trainee crew member on_ Tres Hombres_, a sail cargo vessel belonging to [Fairtransport](http://fairtransport.eu/)._</caption> _A taster of what it’s like to be a trainee crew member on_ Tres Hombres_, a sail cargo vessel belonging to [Fairtransport](http://fairtransport.eu/)._</caption>
Line 72: Line 73:
  
  
-### Personal+==== Personal ====
  
 You’ll see nature at its best from a boat – from sunsets and unspoilt coastlines to dolphins, whales, flying fish etc. If you get a boat, you can live on it, saving housing costs, but unlike a conventional home, you could use it to make a living by transporting passengers or cargo. Plus holidays are sorted forever. You’ll see nature at its best from a boat – from sunsets and unspoilt coastlines to dolphins, whales, flying fish etc. If you get a boat, you can live on it, saving housing costs, but unlike a conventional home, you could use it to make a living by transporting passengers or cargo. Plus holidays are sorted forever.
  
-### Social+==== Social ====
  
 Sailing can be and has been a life-changing experience for people in difficulty. The [S](http://sailboatproject.org/)[ail](http://sailboatproject.org/) [B](http://sailboatproject.org/)[oat](http://sailboatproject.org/) [P](http://sailboatproject.org/)[roject](http://sailboatproject.org/), for example, is a [co-operative](/coop/co-operatives) that has crewed boats with people who are homeless, unemployed or recovering from addiction. They also help struggling olive farmers in Portugal, by paying them for their olive oil up front. [WWOOF](/wwoo/wwoofing)[ers](/wwoo/wwoofing) could also be transported to various countries to help olive farmers, and brought them back with the olive oil at the end of the season – and the same applies to other products. Sailing can be and has been a life-changing experience for people in difficulty. The [S](http://sailboatproject.org/)[ail](http://sailboatproject.org/) [B](http://sailboatproject.org/)[oat](http://sailboatproject.org/) [P](http://sailboatproject.org/)[roject](http://sailboatproject.org/), for example, is a [co-operative](/coop/co-operatives) that has crewed boats with people who are homeless, unemployed or recovering from addiction. They also help struggling olive farmers in Portugal, by paying them for their olive oil up front. [WWOOF](/wwoo/wwoofing)[ers](/wwoo/wwoofing) could also be transported to various countries to help olive farmers, and brought them back with the olive oil at the end of the season – and the same applies to other products.
Line 91: Line 92:
  
  
-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 In order of difficulty (and this topic can get pretty difficult): In order of difficulty (and this topic can get pretty difficult):
  
-### Buy goods transported by sail boat+==== Buy goods transported by sail boat ====
  
 What if you went to your local [farmers’ market](/farm/farmers_markets) and saw chocolate, coffee, olive oil or other things that couldn’t possibly be produced locally? Would you think that that was against the local / independent ethos of farmers’ markets, and dependent on unsustainable, corporate plantations and ships? But what if it were from independent growers and delivered by independent sail boats? What if you went to your local [farmers’ market](/farm/farmers_markets) and saw chocolate, coffee, olive oil or other things that couldn’t possibly be produced locally? Would you think that that was against the local / independent ethos of farmers’ markets, and dependent on unsustainable, corporate plantations and ships? But what if it were from independent growers and delivered by independent sail boats?
Line 110: Line 111:
 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### Travel by sail boat+==== Travel by sail boat ====
  
 You can often find sail boat skippers (via word-of-mouth, an online search or by negotiation with cargo vessels) willing to take you along for a fee. One cargo vessel we talked to takes passengers from Chichester to Cherbourg for £110, for example (and it takes 8-10 hours, depending on the weather). Well worth it for a sustainable adventure rather than a polluting, corporate ferry. [FairTransport](http://fairtransport.eu/) are looking at setting up routes with large passenger sailing ships. You can reduce the price on cargo boats by negotiation / offering help. It’s a good idea to get some skills first to increase your usefulness, but not essential (you could help load and unload, keep watch, scrub decks, cook or look after children). You can often find sail boat skippers (via word-of-mouth, an online search or by negotiation with cargo vessels) willing to take you along for a fee. One cargo vessel we talked to takes passengers from Chichester to Cherbourg for £110, for example (and it takes 8-10 hours, depending on the weather). Well worth it for a sustainable adventure rather than a polluting, corporate ferry. [FairTransport](http://fairtransport.eu/) are looking at setting up routes with large passenger sailing ships. You can reduce the price on cargo boats by negotiation / offering help. It’s a good idea to get some skills first to increase your usefulness, but not essential (you could help load and unload, keep watch, scrub decks, cook or look after children).
Line 125: Line 126:
 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### Learn to sail+==== Learn to sail ====
  
 First, get the feel of the wind – get a kite, for example, and maybe graduate to a bit of wind surfing. extrapolate to try to understand the huge pull that an 8m sail can have in a strong wind. There’s a lot to learn – sailing is extremely unpredictable, and you’ll have to deal with wind, weather, currents and tides all at the same time. Search online for course providers. First, get the feel of the wind – get a kite, for example, and maybe graduate to a bit of wind surfing. extrapolate to try to understand the huge pull that an 8m sail can have in a strong wind. There’s a lot to learn – sailing is extremely unpredictable, and you’ll have to deal with wind, weather, currents and tides all at the same time. Search online for course providers.
-### Get a boat+==== Get a boat ====
  
 By the time you’re thinking about getting a boat, you really have to be a proficient sailor, and know everything there is to know about registration, health & safety, insurance, navigation, legislation, mooring, wind speeds, rigging, tides, maintenance etc. There’s a lot of mandatory training, kit and insurance required, such as life jackets, flares, air horn and VHF radio plus training – you’ll learn all about this from your sailing courses. By the time you’re thinking about getting a boat, you really have to be a proficient sailor, and know everything there is to know about registration, health & safety, insurance, navigation, legislation, mooring, wind speeds, rigging, tides, maintenance etc. There’s a lot of mandatory training, kit and insurance required, such as life jackets, flares, air horn and VHF radio plus training – you’ll learn all about this from your sailing courses.
Line 134: Line 135:
 <WRAP center centeralign> <WRAP center centeralign>
 <figure> <figure>
-{{url>https://www.youtube.com/embed/fFeaPLopr5I 560,315}}+{{url>https://www.youtube.com/embed/fFeaPLopr5I}}
 <caption> <caption>
 _Resurrecting the Nordlys (1873), now the world’s oldest englneless cargo ship, currently being used to bring olive oil from Portugal to the south of England._ _Resurrecting the Nordlys (1873), now the world’s oldest englneless cargo ship, currently being used to bring olive oil from Portugal to the south of England._
Line 166: Line 167:
 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### Build a boat / become a boat-builder+==== Build a boat / become a boat-builder ====
  
 Building a boat is like building a house – it needs an awful lot of training. You can build from scratch or you can renovate a classic old boat; and you can employ a naval architect, and/or put in a lot of your own labour. There are more boat-building apprenticeships in France than there are in the UK, but there are boat-building schools in [Lowestoft](http://www.ibtc.co.uk/), [Falmouth](https://www.falmouthmarineschool.ac.uk/career-pages/boatbuilding/), [Portsmouth](http://ibtcportsmouth.co.uk/) and [Lyme Regis](http://www.boatbuildingacademy.com/). Building a boat is like building a house – it needs an awful lot of training. You can build from scratch or you can renovate a classic old boat; and you can employ a naval architect, and/or put in a lot of your own labour. There are more boat-building apprenticeships in France than there are in the UK, but there are boat-building schools in [Lowestoft](http://www.ibtc.co.uk/), [Falmouth](https://www.falmouthmarineschool.ac.uk/career-pages/boatbuilding/), [Portsmouth](http://ibtcportsmouth.co.uk/) and [Lyme Regis](http://www.boatbuildingacademy.com/).
Line 184: Line 185:
  
  
-## Further resources+===== Forum ===== 
 + 
 +This topic belongs to the section [[gt:transport|Transport & freight]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/transport). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources =====
  
 - [Sail Cargo Alliance](http://sailcargoalliance.org/) - alliance of organisations who share a passion for sail-shipped cargo - [Sail Cargo Alliance](http://sailcargoalliance.org/) - alliance of organisations who share a passion for sail-shipped cargo
Line 199: Line 204:
 - [Alternative World Sailing Community](https://alternativesailing.org/) - creating a world wide network of sailing vessels, harnessing the wind to move goods and people around the planet - [Alternative World Sailing Community](https://alternativesailing.org/) - creating a world wide network of sailing vessels, harnessing the wind to move goods and people around the planet
  
 +
 +===== Related topics =====
 +
 +- [[wind:Wind generators]]
 +- [[soel:Solar electricity]]
 +- [[hitc:Hitchhiking]]
 +- [[nrbo:Narrowboats]]
 +- [[star:Stargazing]]
 +- [[batt:Batteries]]
 +- [[ntaw:Nature awareness]]
 +- [[cano:canoes|Canoes & kayaks]]
 +- [[navi:Navigation]]
 +- [[lito:tourism|Low-impact tourism]]
 +- [[litr:transport|Low-impact transport]]
 +- [[fish:Fishing]]
  
  
-## Specialist curators of this topic+===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
  • sail/sail_boats.1766232032.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2026/07/23 08:54
  • (external edit)