As Superyachts’ Popularity Grows, So Is Their Supersized Climate Impact
The title is taken from a recent Bloomberg article from Jessica Nix to whom I provided some background information, so I thought I should respond to some of the issues raised by this piece. The yachting industry offers significant economic and experiential benefits, but in the face of a climate emergency, were the IPCC state […]
The Superyacht Hydrogen Primer
There is a great deal of hope that Hydrogen is the answer to our dependance on fossil fuels. Unfortunately, this has led to a lot of hype about its use. Many use cases simply gloss over the very real challenges of this molecule and, judging by many of the concepts, yachting has not been immune to […]
Superyacht Carbon Tax
There has been some confusion in the superyacht industry over the application of the EU Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) and the Emissions Trading System (ETS). The response I received from the Commision is that it applies to yachts, provided they are 5000 GT and above, and are transporting passengers for commercial purposes (charter) and […]
2023 IMO GHG Strategy – a call to action for the superyacht industry?
Superyachts are but a small part of the wider maritime industry and although they are exempt from many of the regulations related to energy efficiency and reduction of Green House Gas (GHG) it is clear that yachts will need to align with the ambitions of the IMO if it is to be seen as a […]
Let’s Talk About HVO!
Original version published on the Monaco Capital of Advanced Yachting (MCAY) website – here There has been a lot of focus on new technologies and green fuels such as Hydrogen and Methanol as a means of decarbonising the superyacht industry. While these may provide the solution for new-builds, what about the large fleet of recent […]
The Future Of Yachting Is In Our Hands!
Calm once again settles on the beautiful Yacht Club de Monaco after Monaco Oceans Week. For me it was a very useful and informative two days attending the 12th Environmental Symposium, 27th Captains Forum, 3rd Explorer Yachts Awards, and Monaco Smart Yacht Rendezvous. As always, there were some very interesting presentations and inspirational speakers, and […]
Where Are We Headed In 2023?
In 2022 two statements stood out for me that highlight the attitude towards climate change and the future of yachting: But superyachts are clean! CEO of renowned brokerage Adapt or die! CEO of northern european shipyard There is still a large gap between those who believe we can continue with “business as usual” (BAU) […]
Future Proof
Is it possible to “future proof” a superyacht? The reason for this question is that it doesn’t take much to realise that being able to switch a yacht from fossil fuel to green fuels in the future will have a positive impact on use, cost, and asset value. Whilst these concerns, and the transition away […]
Electronic Anchoring vs. Dynamic Positioning, What’s The Difference?
I was prompted to write this after I saw a recent press release stating a new 80m+ superyacht project had “electronic anchoring to protect sensitive areas”. This is not the first time I have seen this kind of announcement and it got me thinking about these systems – what is “electronic anchoring” how are they […]
What Lies Beneath
Although the primary environmental concern challenging our industry is C02 and other emissions generated from burning fossil fuels, there are other vectors such as sewage and grey water that can also have an impact. Whilst on the larger yachts the new treatments plants take care of both, producing effluent that can be clean enough to […]
