How Green Is Your Sailing Boat?

CYCA reciprocal club, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, are committed to sustainability and recently asked their members to consider ‘How green is your sailing boat?’. It inspired us at Offshore Online to ask if we could share their story and questionnaire on our website and so here it is. Many thanks to author Eddie Lam and all at the RHKYC.

WORDS: EDDIE LAM, SUSTAINABILITY SUB-COMMITTEE, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club

How green is your sailing boat? At the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, most members already sail with a strong environmental mindset, showing a deep commitment to protecting the environment and actively promoting sustainability as an integral part of our boating culture. Sailing, by its very nature, is a low impact and eco-friendly activity; reducing fuel use on water and minimising engine use significantly reduces our boats’ very real impact and emissions. This aligns seamlessly with low carbon principles and supports modern climate goals.

There are four key pillars that can help you assess how green your sailing boat is — (i) how often you use the engine versus sails, and whether you incorporate renewable energy sources such as solar; (ii) materials and lifespan — how long you keep your hull, rig and gear in service, and whether you repair rather than replace; (iii) waste, water and chemicals — your use of plastics, antifouling, cleaners and sewage, and how responsibly you manage them; and (iv) behaviour and culture — anchoring practices, respect for marine life, and support for club sustainability initiatives. Together, these pillars provide a practical, everyday framework for greener sailing. To help you evaluate “How green is your sailing boat”, below is a simple questionnaire based on these four pillars, with each question scored from 0 to 2.

Pillar 1 – Energy and Propulsion

Question	0	1	2
1. How is your boat’s engine primarily powered?	Petroleum	Electric propulsion	Electric / Electric propulsion mainly charged by renewable energy sources such as solar
2. Over the past 12 months, approximately what percentage of your time on the water have you spent using the engine rather than sailing with wind power?	More than 30% under engine	10–30% under engine	<10% under engine

Pillar 2 – Materials and Lifespan

Question	0	1	2
3. Do you give proper consideration to safely extend the overall lifespan of your boat?	Rarely think about proactive maintenance and typically address issues only when they arise	Sometimes, but not always a top priority	Always
4. When you replace an old sail with a new one, do you dispose of the old sail as waste or have it reused/recycled (for example, into bags, covers or other products)?	Throw it away as general waste	Sometimes, but do not always fully recycle it	Always

Pillar 3 – Waste, Water and Chemicals

Question	0	1	2
5. Do you avoid single-use plastic bottles by using refillable bottles and a water tank or filter?	Rarely	Sometimes	Always
6. Do you ensure that no rubbish is thrown overboard, even from food waste, in local waters?	Rarely	Sometimes	Always
7. Do you separate recyclable waste onboard and ashore whenever facilities exist?	Rarely	Sometimes	Always

Pillar 4 – Behaviour and Culture

Question	0	1	2
8. Do you avoid anchoring on or near sensitive seabeds and respect no-anchoring zones?	Never	Rarely (generally anchor wherever is convenient)	Always
9. Do you participate in or encourage lower-impact travel to events (car-sharing, public transport, fewer unnecessary deliveries)?	Rarely	Sometimes	Regularly
10. Do you support or volunteer for your club’s environmental initiatives (e.g. beach cleans, green regattas)?	Never	Occasionally	Often

Scoring Your Boat

Score	What It Means
0–5: Time for a Refit	Your current setup places a heavy load on the environment: treat this as a call to rethink daily routines and upgrade systems gradually toward a cleaner and greener boat.
6–10: Getting Under Way	You have started to think about sustainability, but there is substantial scope to reduce energy use, cut waste, and improve maintenance in a more climate-conscious way.
11–15: Green and Improving	You demonstrate clear awareness and many positive habits, with a few well-chosen changes that could move your boat into the top tier of environmentally responsible sailing.
16–20: Green Boat Leader	Your boat is a strong example! Celebrate what you are doing, share your approach with others, and advocate for club and class standards that reflect your sustainable practices.

Offshore Online and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia are dedicated to sustainability and reducing our environmental impact. Do you have environmentally friendly yachting tips to share? Comment below or contact us via Share Your Story.

Offshore Online Contributor