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Slow boat to Amsterdam ships cargo using sail power
🇮🇳 India /Environment & Climate

Slow boat to Amsterdam ships cargo using sail power

From Times of India · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • A 32-meter Dutch sailing ship, the Tres Hombres, is reviving wind-powered cargo transport across the Atlantic.
  • The ship carries goods like rum, coffee, and cocoa from the Caribbean to Amsterdam, aiming to raise awareness about shipping emissions.
  • Fairtransport, the operating firm, uses the ship to transport sustainable products and offers voyages to cover operational costs.

The Tres Hombres, a 32-meter Dutch sailing ship, is making waves by reviving wind-powered cargo transport across the Atlantic. Gliding into Amsterdam's port with 40 tons of Caribbean rum, coffee, and cocoa, the twin-masted brigantine operates without an engine, relying solely on its sails.

We have almost no emissions because we sail without an engine.

— Sabine FoxThe boss of Fairtransport explains the ship's environmental advantage.

Sabine Fox, the 51-year-old head of Fairtransport, explained the ship's mission: "We have almost no emissions because we sail without an engine." The Tres Hombres sails approximately 7,000 km annually between the Caribbean and Amsterdam. Fox emphasizes their product selection: "We choose products which are not produced in Europe because we didn't want to be in competition with local markets." This approach aims to highlight the environmental impact of traditional shipping, which accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN's International Maritime Organization.

We choose products which are not produced in Europe because we didn't want to be in competition with local markets.

— Sabine FoxFox explains the company's strategy for selecting imported goods.

While the journey offers serene moments, like deckhand Aaron Smit recounting close encounters with dolphins, it also presents challenges. Smit described "the most terrifying experience I have ever had at sea" during a severe storm. The ship's international crew of 15, including eight volunteers and seven professionals, must adapt daily to the wind's power. "We are moving under sail only. There is no engine," stated French captain Anne-Flore Gannat.

How many things do we import from China that we don't need?

— Sabine FoxFox questions consumption patterns related to imports.

The Tres Hombres maintains an average speed of seven to eight knots, with a three-knot buffer to ensure timely cargo delivery. To fund its operations, Fairtransport sells its own "Tres Hombres" brand of coffee, chocolate, and rum, transports goods for other companies, and offers passage on its voyages. The sustainably farmed products are destined for high-end stores in northern Europe.

If you go to the captain's chair, which is right above the water under the bowsprit, you can be really close to the dolphins and see them jumping all around you.

— Aaron SmitA deckhand shares a positive experience during the voyage.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Times of India. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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