Responsible Travel Policy.

Mission Statement:

To provide fun, memorable holidays  with as little as possible negative impact on the environment whilst generating  as much  positive impact on local communities as practicable.

 

We aim to provide accurate travel information with options for reducing carbon emissions in terms of public transport / shared transport.  We recommend and hope travellers will use local businesses where possible and, in turn,  we use  local businesses where possible / appropriate. We endeavour to reduce water consumption with good practice aboard and encourage guests to continue this whilst ashore. We recommend  woollen jumpers because, apart from microplastic issues they are warmer, and more windproof than synthetic fibre clothes and it  also helps the wool industry. We pay market prices or better for goods like seafood  bought locally. We endeavour to never knowingly disturb wildlife, or interact physically with it  in negative ways. 

 

We will recommend tours like canoeing on Arran and Bute  cycling on Bute, Arran and Great Cumbrae Island with local businesses.  We will encourage guests, if appropriate, to play golf at local courses.  We will also offer to take guests to local  high quality restaurants / cafes. We will  when, possible, buy fish and seafood from local fishermen, and fish / seafood salesmen that we know offer good quality, fresh, sustainable offerings. Likewise for vegetables, meat and fruit.

 

A sailing boat is, by nature, fairly low carbon, however to meet guests’ needs we use energy for heating, refrigeration, navigation, communication and so on. Also, when sailing is not practicable, we need to use the engine to move from place to place. We try to sail as much as practicable. To reduce the need to run the engine to charge the batteries we are fitting Solar Panels. We have fitted a  modern folding propeller to increase efficiency under sail and power, (it folds to reduce significantly the drag when under sail and is pitched to optimise fuel consumption under power). We encourage guests to wear warm  clothes so that the heating fuel usage is reduced.

 

Printer cartridges are returned to ‘Cartridge People’ using their pre printed packages.

 

Seawater is used for flushing the loos.

 

We do not encourage the distribution of brochures or send them out willy nilly.

 

We endeavour to minimise single use plastics, specifically by re filling  liquid soap dispensers from large containers, utilising compostable bags for garbage, and trying to avoid single use plastic  where possible.

 

Beach cleans can be  a fun way of spending some time ashore.

 

We sort waste for recycling and dispose of it responsibly at recycling points and  community garbage facilities.

 

We will ensure guests are briefed on the local politics. Also advice is given on driving on single track roads. 

Jock, the Skipper is involved in the local sailing club as Commodore and holidays normally return to Tighnabruaich for Friday so that he can teach local school children sailing from 1700-1900 once they are home from school. Guests are encouraged  to come along. It takes place in the centre of the village so cafes, a hotel, shops and a community information centre are also on hand for interest.

The local community forest in Tighnabruaich is also a good venue that  guests will be invited  to explore and walks, cycles and more may be on offer. The Community forest engages in sustainable forestry and  crofting and endeavours to provide work, education and affordable housing for local people and has various initiatives running, not least of which is a small hydro electric scheme feeding power into the national grid.