Article by Dr Sandra Agius Darmanin, Vikings Sailing Club Commodore and Marine Conservation Biologist, brought to you in collaboration with some of our club sponsors and supporters.
As sailors, we spend our time on the water because we love it. But even small actions, repeated by many of us, can have a real impact on the marine environment.
The good news? We don’t need to make drastic changes. A few simple, sensible choices can make a big difference over time.
Ropes and rigging: what’s wearing away beneath the surface
Ropes are essential on any boat, but most are made from synthetic plastics like polyester or Dyneema. Over time, they wear down and can release tiny fibres (microplastics) into the sea. We can’t avoid using ropes, but we can use them more responsibly.
Simple steps you can take:
- Use rope ends for knotting activities to save money
- Choose more sustainable brands such as LIROS ropes, including their Green Wave range made from recycled materials
- Use slightly thicker ropes for mooring, which reduces wear
- Add chafe protection sleeves to minimise abrasion
- Replace ropes before they become old and “fuzzy”
- Avoid very cheap polypropylene ropes
- Never throw rope away at sea: reuse, donate, or recycle
At Vikings, we often ruse rope ends from chandleries, saving money while reducing waste. We also accept used rope for sailing and knot-tying activities.
Protecting ourselves from the sun
Living and sailing in Malta means we are exposed to very strong UV rays, especially during the summer months. Protecting our skin is essential, but the type of sunscreen we use also matters for the marine environment. Many conventional sunscreens contain chemical UV filters that can wash off into the sea and affect marine life, particularly in coastal areas where we sail and swim.
Mineral (or “physical”) sunscreens, such as the NIcely range from Summecosmetics, use natural ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to reflect UV rays, rather than absorbing them like chemical filters. When using skin care products, look out for eco-friendly or reef-safe labels for an environmentally conscious choice.
Keeping your boat clean
A clean boat doesn’t need to mean a polluted sea. In fact, most routine cleaning can be done with very little impact if we keep things simple. Many cleaning products contain chemicals that don’t disappear immediately once rinsed overboard, so reducing their use is one of the easiest ways to protect the water around us.
Keep it simple:
- Use water whenever possible
- A spray gun can clean effectively while using less water
- If needed, choose biodegradable or eco-friendly detergents
- Always use small amounts
- Wash with a bucket and sponge, not constant runoff into the sea
- Remember that even “biodegradable” products take time to break down, so less is always better
Antifouling: where choices matter most
Antifouling products often have the largest environmental impact on a boat, more than ropes or cleaning products. We can’t avoid antifouling completely, but we can make better choices.
- The best option: biocide-free coatings. These create a smooth surface so organisms can’t stick, without releasing toxins. The drawback is that they need good maintenance and regular movement, so make sure you get sailing often (not really a bad thing here!).
- Other options: copper-free or eco-labelled products. These have lower toxicity than traditional paints and contain organic biocides instead of copper. While they are not the best option, they release less active substance into the water.
- Try to avoid: high-copper antifouling paints. These continuously release metals into the water and contribute to marine pollution.
Products like PropGlide offer an alternative for props and running gear by using a non-toxic, foul-release coating.
Just as important: when doing maintenance, carry out sanding and paint removal in designated areas and prevent dust and residue from entering the sea.
Where you drop anchor matters
No anchor is truly “environmentally friendly”. The biggest impact doesn’t come from which anchor you use, but where and how you use it.
Across the Mediterranean, and around the Maltese Islands, large underwater meadows of Posidonia oceanica cover the seabed. Although we refer to Posidonia as “alka”, these aren’t seaweed but long-lived marine flowering plants, some of which have been growing for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Posidonia meadows play a vital role in the marine environment:
- They act as nurseries and shelter for fish and marine life
- They stabilise the seabed and help protect our coastline from erosion
- They absorb and store significant amounts of carbon, playing an important role in tackling climate change
But Posidonia meadows are fragile. When an anchor is dropped:
- It can tear through the root system (rhizomes) that hold the plant together
- As the boat swings, the chain drags across the seabed, damaging a much larger area
- The most damage often happens when the anchor is lifted again
Even a single anchor can leave scars that take decades to recover. In some cases, due to repeated impacts, the meadow may never recover at all. In popular boating areas such as Mellieha Bay, repeated anchoring over time has already led to significant loss of seagrass.
What can we do as sailors?
- If anchoring, choose sandy areas wherever possible
- Avoid dark patches on the seabed: these are often Posidonia or other vegetation
- Take a moment before dropping your anchor. A quick look overboard can make the difference
The future: eco-moorings
A more sustainable solution is the use of eco-moorings: fixed buoys that allow boats to tie up without dropping an anchor.
- No anchor means no damage to the seabed
- Already widely used in parts of Spain, France and Croatia
- In the Balearic Islands, eco-moorings can even be booked online in advance
You can explore how this works here. These systems are becoming more common across the Mediterranean, and I hope they become available locally in the future.
What we do at Vikings
At Vikings Sailing Club, we believe that sustainability starts with awareness. Alongside our day-to-day activities, we actively instill responsible, sustainable practices in our sailors, coaches, and members, encouraging small habits that make a lasting difference. We’ve focused on practical, achievable changes that work both on and off the water:
- Reduced anchor use during training by using reusable blocks
- Use of smart marks in our annual ranking regatta to minimise anchoring
- Upgraded to more efficient four-stroke engines
- Washing of all boats using water only, no detergents
- Avoid any antifouling on ribs
- Reuse and recycle boat parts where possible
Since a large part of our fleet is made up of durable, low-maintenance boats, we are able to minimise the need for sanding, repairs, antifouling and chemical treatments, reducing both waste and environmental impact over time.
We also:
- Organise regular Marsamxett Harbour clean-ups in collaboration with entities such as the Armed Forces of Malta and Saving Our Blue
- Were proud recipients of the Malta Waste Reduction Award (Clean-Up Awareness Campaign category), recognising our efforts in promoting environmental responsibility
- Encourage reusable water bottles and containers
- Reduce single-use plastics at events
- Take part in sustainability projects such as #SailGreen and #CleanRunRace
And something we’re especially proud of: our sailors often pick up floating waste during their sessions, small actions that truly add up.
Every sailor can make a difference
Protecting the ocean doesn’t require perfection: it starts with awareness and a willingness to improve. You don’t need to overhaul everything. Every little bit counts, as the combined effect can have a big impact.
Because at the end of the day, the sea we sail on is the sea we depend on, and it’s up to all of us to look after it.
This article was brought to you in collaboration with:
