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Mission and Program Overview
Sailors for the Sea educates and empowers the boating community to protect and restore ocean and coastal waters. Sailors for the Sea will become the primary information resources for boaters nationwide about programs that protect and restore coastal waters and ocean health. Sailors for the Sea will motivate boaters to take individual actions that lead to improvements in ocean health through: recycling, conservation reduced use of plastics and toxics increased reuse of products and use of products that have a minimal impact on the health of our oceans and coastal waters. Sailors for the Sea members will also join in support of local, regional, national and global efforts to protect the precious ocean. Sailors for the Sea pursues its mission and vision through the implementation of the following programs:
Clean RegattasClean Regattas is a third party certification program that helps regattas, yacht clubs and sailing programs voluntarily achieve higher environmental standards. Participants have the option of choosing a Bronze, Silver or Gold level of engagement, and work to fulfill each of the requirements necessary to be certified at that level. Sailors for the Sea provides support, materials and the final certification that a club or event is a Clean Regatta. In 2010 we have engaged over 65 yacht clubs, sailing programs and events in this program, and have reached over 35,000 individuals. The constantly evolving resources of Clean Regattas make Sailors for the Sea a destination for any boater looking to reduce their impact on the water and see the environmental, economic and social benefits of their actions.
Rainy Day Kits for Environmental Education The Rainy Day Kits for Environmental Education will connect a new generation of ocean stewards to their local marine ecosystems through straightforward, engaging labs in ecology and environmental science. By creating this connection to and understanding of the marine ecosystems that thrive beneath their hulls, sailors will develop an awareness and understanding of the need for protecting and preserving their oceans and local waters. Each lesson is developed by a different institution such as the New England Aquarium or the University of Miami, and will be the basis for a discussion to give students a greater sense of the aquatic ecosystem that lies beneath their hulls and how they can have a positive impact.
Ocean Watch EssaysEach month, Sailors for the Sea publishes an informative, topical environmental. Past articles have included ocean acidification, overfishing, habitat degradation and coral reefs. Each essay, often written by a collaborating institutions such as Scripps or Pew, briefly describes the issue of concern, and more importantly, includes recommendations on how a reader can take action to improve the status of each issue. Providing that crucial link between knowledge and action is a major aspect of Sailors for the Sea’s mission, and the Ocean Watch Essays epitomize that effort. Recent essays include Shark Conservation, National Ocean Policy and Protecting Bluefin Tuna Stocks.
Certified Sea FriendlyCertified Sea Friendly aims to improve the environmental, economic, and social aspects of the boat-building industry. First and foremost, the goal is to improve the relationship between boats and the environment. Environmental impacts from boat building materials, operation and maintenance required for vessels and decommissioning will be evaluated for the level of impact from each of these categories. Secondly, CSF can help increase profits in building and operating vessels. The CSF certification adds value by creating an advantage within the market for vessels that adhere to ocean conservation principles. CSF also educates the public on the benefits of improving operational and maintenance practices. Finally, in identifying alternative materials and products for use, CSF will improve social responsibility by protecting the health and well-being of workers, users of the final product, and individuals who share the ocean as a resource now and into the future.
