Supporting Sustainability within
Sail Cargo London, Kent and Channel
We tend to think that the days of sailing cargo goods across oceans were nostalgic, romantic, and very over.We can still imagine the time when local spices, new animal species and vegetables from the new world voyaged for months in sailing ships to European ports to replenish cities’ markets.
Since the first large cargo ships were built in the 1930s, the days where cargo ships needed to rely on “wind power” to cover long distances have been left in limbo as the Cargo container ships, currently a fleet of 90,000 vessels, switched from environmentally safe wind to relying on fossil fuel producing sulphur oxide air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. This form of transport currently contributes enormously to pollute not only our oceans but also all of our planet.
Our Initiative
This initiative is a collaboration a between two UK divisions of the the Sail Cargo Alliance. The organisations involved are Raybel Charters CIC, (the operating company for Sail Cargo London and Kent) and the Sail Cargo Channel Association, supported by the London Multimedia Lab where it is directed by Raluca O'Callaghan and Patrick Humphreys. "Supporting Sustainability in Sail Cargo London Kent and Channel" brings together people and organisations who share a passion for sail-shipped cargo, working together in an ecosystem with shared ethics to create a healthy transport culture that promotes the preservation of the environment for future generations.
Sail Cargo Channel
In October 2023, “Sail Cargo Channel” was created as a Division within the Sail Cargo Alliance, This division replaced and transformed the previous Sail Cargo Southeast division, linking in bespoke food producers and consumers of Sail Cargo certified goods located in Normandy, France and Sussex, England. Sail Cargo Channel’s Operation organisation is the Sail Cage Channel Association. Its Port Allies will include Comptoir de Normandie in France and The Sussex peasant in England
Starting inJuly 2024, Sail Cargo Channel’s constituent ports in England (Newhaven) and France (Le Tréport) will be linked by regular Sail Cargo voyages on the Schooner “Vega” a three-masted, square top sail wooden cargo schooner originally built in Sweden in 1909. Vega successfully served as an industrial cargo ship for nearly 60 years. The new Vega retains just 15% of the original vessel - preserving the rich history, inside a ship built to exacting modern standards. Vega was restored by the Swedish ship-building family the Bergstroms and was relaunched in 2006. The family now want to see the ship return to her original purpose, as a sail cargo schooner.
Aims of Sail Cargo London, Kent and ChannelChannel
Sail Cargo London Kent and Channel Channel’s aims are designed to support the long-term sustainability of the operating companies for London Kent and Channel and the Port Allies. Unitive willintemet use studies that publicise and stainabity achievements of it operating companis involved and and promote underlying innovative business model then ensured the sustainability achievements in changing contexts, We will subsequently make this material available, together with the initiative's Provence-buldiding support platform, to all the divisions within the of the Sail Cargo Alliance.
Initial activities supporting sustainability in Sail Cargo London, Kent and Channel
1. To collaborate with Raybel Charters CIC (the operating company for Sail Cargo London and Kent) in within the framework of the comprehensive business model established in 2021 through the merger of Kent Sail Cargo and Sail Cargo London , thus promoting sustainably in various practical contexts in accord with this comprehensive business model.
The activities within the collaboration include the carrying of sail cargo destined for retail sale by and/or sourced from Sail Cargo London, Kent and Channel’s port allies on voyages of (i) S/B Raybel between Newhaven and Great Yarmouth via Sittingbourne (ii) Schooner Vega between Newhaven (UK)and Le Tréport, (France); (iii) Schooner Idi Min between Santa Marta (Colombia)) and Newhaven (UK)
The activities within the collaboration include the carrying of sail cargo destined for retail sale by and/or sourced from Sail Cargo London, Kent and Channel’s port allies on voyages of (i) S/B Raybel between Newhaven and Great Yarmouth via Sittingbourne (ii) Schooner Vega between Newhaven (UK)and Le Tréport, (France); (iii) Schooner Idi Min between Santa Marta (Colombia)) and Newhaven (UK)
Sailing Barge Raybel
2. Develop links to local producers in Sussex and Normandy of bespoke single origin products (cheese, charcuterie, confectionery, etc.) which can be traded as “live provenance certified sail cargo”on voyages of (i) S/B Raybel between Newhaven and Great Yarmouth via Sittingbourne (ii) Schooner Vega between Newhaven )and Le Tréport ; (iii) Schooner Idi Min between Santa Marta (Colombia)) and Newhavwn, This thus providing a direct supply chain benefiting our pot Allies in UK, Ftsance and Colombia.
3. Activate the Provenance Exploration and Demonstration Support Platform, for use within the Sail Cargo London, Kent and Channel ecosystem by means of a Proof of value and use trial for the Provenance Creator App: enabling Sail Cargo London, Kent and Channel’s Port Allies to place a QR code on each of the “sail traded” products that they offer for retail sale that, when scanned, takes one to the Sail Trading Provenance Explorer website where the explorer will be able to view the full activity history of the “Live Provenance certified” bespoke product, now including the sailing ships and voyages involved transporting and distributing this bespoke product.
Sail Cargo Live Provenance Certified Sungle origin Coffee Product