E-Steward Resources

Attention Newport Bermuda Race e-stewards and delivery crews returning to New England / NY waters and approaches:

Advisory from NOAA Fisheries:

New Right Whale Slow Zone: SW Martha’s Vineyard, MA - Effective Through 7/12

Sent courtesy of Anne DiMonti, Director RI Audubon and Alicia Schuler, Regional Large Whale Ship Strike Reduction Coordinator - Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office - NOAA Fisheries | U.S.
Phone: (978) 281-9235 www.fisheries.noaa.gov

E- Steward notes re Potable Water:

“We are using 5 gal Poland Spring bottles (w/ handles) and a rechargeable pump. These bottles fit perfectly secured to our table (see pic). This method & pump was suggested by a crewmember who did the TransAtlantic (Race) last year. We will have 5 onboard for drinking in addition to our (2) smallish water blatters which we will use for dishes and such. The pump is rechargeable, lasts 4-6 bottles and costs $10. I have a manual pump as well as a backup, and a flexible large funnel to refill for the return trip. Extra bottles stashed in a couple places - (3) under the port aft bunk (balances out opposite fuel tank) and (1) under the bunk in the salon.”

2024 Newport Bermuda Race e-stewards and other crew will find this article "WHAT TO DO WITH TRASH ABOARD?" by Jennifer Brett from Sailors of Sea helpful regarding trash handling. We call you attention to the last couple of paragraphs which gives guidance on the handling bio-degradable food waste per the MARPOL regs and while sailing in International waters. (See also our June 5, 2024 post below regarding composting (not currently available at RBYC, but being planned for future events.) Included in that post is a link to general info about garbage and recycling on the island of Bermuda.

Cooks and e-stewards for the 2024 thrash, please note that RBYC advises there is no large-scale collection and composting of biodegradable food waste on Bermuda, and owing to space constraints at the Club, there will be no separate collection of food waste for composting. All spoiled food is mixed with regular, non-recyclable garbage including paper, cardboard, and plastics. These items are collected and brought to the Tynes Bay Waste-to-Energy facility where they are converted into electricity.

Glass, tin and aluminum ARE recycled, and you will find bins at RBYC for these recyclables. See Link for more information about garbage and recycling on Bermuda. Look for separate post regarding guidance for proper trash and food waste handling at sea.

We all are stewards of the sea and want to do our part to ensure we do no harm and do the right thing.
I've raced and cruised through Bermuda many times.
Reducing and eliminating plastics is a goal we all share, and I'm certain we all want to ensure we do not put any fuel or oil in the sea.
Discharging oil & fuel from a bilge is not just for older boats with leaky engines, as only one fuel filter or oil change job gone bad or a leaking fuel tank or fuel hose on a new or clean boat is enough to make any boat have a perpetual issue with discharging a sheen of oil on the water every time the bilge pump operates.
The common solution is using oil-zorbs that soak up hydrocarbons which are essential for any vessel, but I have another solution using the completely non-toxic product called De-Oil-It (DOI).
DOI is on the EPA National Contingency List as a surface washing agent, but instead of washing the oil away, it disassembles hydrocarbons with the colloidal micelle process rendering the once hydrocarbons into their basic elements of H20 & CO2, hydrogen & carbon particles. Anything left is easily consumed by natural biodegradation but is rendered non-toxic after application of the DOI. Odor and flammability are also immediately resolved.
Once treated, a previously oily bilge can be discharged into the water without risking any sheen or EPA fine.
Go to YouTube and search for this video

The captain and crew of Raven are committed to winning and to the sustainability initiative. Two of Raven's initiatives have been the captain's installation of a water purification system, in order to avoid the use of disposable plastic, as well as the use of washable, reuseable dinnerware. Further, all meals are being prepped ahead of time or otherwise will be the result of fresh produce in an effort to keep the crew well nourished and to minimize the amount of trash resulting from packaging. As the crew's e-steward, it is wonderful to work with a group of individuals, who have already demonstrated a healthy commitment to sustainability and environmental awareness.

Pre-race briefing for 2022 Newport Bermuda Race sailors on the subject of whale sightings and marine mammal interaction while at sea. NBR sailors are encouraged to log sightings and marine mammal strikes. https://us.whales.org/

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See the attached link to 11 Hour Racing's YouTube video entitled "Best Practices for Sailors at Sea: Avoiding Marine Mammal Strikes".

Hi to the Greenteam & Race organisers

We would like to know:
1. What information you are planning to promote the importance of wildlife, species at risk, and sensitive habitat on the race course?
2. What protocol have you defined for racers that observe marine mammals, and how this can be tracked and shared with both other racers and the science community ashore?
3. What information will you provide to the racers to mitigate marine mammal collisions?
4. What protocol have you defined for report marine mammal incidents - both to other vessels - and to relevant marine mammal collision database?

Please let me know if you need any support with this important topic?
Thank you

[email protected]
Sustainability program manager
11th Hour Racing team

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This link provides some of the best options for purchasing flight and travel carbon offsets.

Please see file attached showing simple instructions for using the Marine Debris Tracker. These were supplied by Kathryn Youngblood, Research Engineer & Citizen Science Director, Debris Tracker at the University of Georgia.

We did a risk review and analysis of potential environmental hazards based on our previous race experience, scored the risks based on severity and likelihood to occur, and then came up with some mitigation strategies which will be employed during our race or have been executed during race prep. This is pretty basic in my opinion, but could be a good framework for future efforts. This style of risk analysis and mitigation (see attached PDF) is based on an ISO standard framework I use in my professional duties for design and safety risk reviews.

Chris showed the Green Team a flexible solar panel manufactured by Solbian Marine mounted on the forward cabin trunk which provides auxiliary power to the battery system minimizing the need to run the engine to charge batteries. If it were not for refrigeration, he says this panel would power everything on the boat (Hakuna Matata is a Cal 39.) Just aft are two round solar powered vents (in lieu of cowl vents). They power fans for circulating air inside the cabin. They are lower profile and don't tend to bring on as much water.