Mission

From circumnavigation
toward circular navigation.

Hrimfare started as a circumnavigation racer, challenging the ocean in the 1990s. Now 30-40 years later, Hrimfare is the Mothership for the citizen science concept Sailing4Science. We are officially endorsed by the United Nations Ocean Decade 2021-2030 program with its 10 vital challenges on how to protect our one and only ocean from fatal human impact. We are sailors and scientists. We offer adventurous sailing expeditions with a purpose – performing advanced and vital scientific research assignments while also challenging convenience-driven human lifestyles towards regenerative-driven alternatives.

Our philosophy and plan.

We are creating a unique "Hrimfare Circular Navigation Plan" based on a sincere ambition to live in balance with nature and within the planetary boundaries. We do not claim to be perfect or perfectionists, but we strive for continuous improvements, and we lean onto the cornerstones of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. We bring our lifestyle philosophy from life on land onboard to Hrimfare, and we learn from our crew and guests sailing with us. We love to feel and see inspirational insights being shared onboard and brought back and shared with family, friends, colleagues, and on social media accounts.

Our one and only ocean.

The ocean is undergoing rapid changes due to a destructive human impact. The ocean, being vital to our planet's life support system, is central in what the UN declares as the Triple Planetary Crisis – impacts from 1) climate change, 2) pollution, and 3) biodiversity loss. UNESCO has declared our time as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and calls for action via their declaration "The science we need for the ocean we want". The concept Sailing4Science with Hrimfare as its Mothership, is one of few officially endorsed projects contributing to addressing these challenges.

The ocean is under immense stress, and we need to communicate broadly about it, participate and contribute to science-based policies, and as global citizens, we should try harder to change our habits for the benefit of a minimized impact while supporting regenerative solutions.

The Ocean's role:

70% of planet surface, bulk of its living space
A large proportion of animal biomass
Absorbs 30% of excess carbon dioxide
Produce >50% of oxygen
Provide 17% of human protein consumption
Provide direct economic benefit of $25*10^12
The Earth’s thermostat
Means of transportation
Minerals, medicine, recreation, a sense of place…

The Ocean Health (UN World Ocean Assessment):

X% of commercial fish stocks are overexploited or fully exploited
Many fish and other species are threatened of extinction
Uptake of carbon dioxide have lead to ocean acidification
Shallow coastal habitats are being destructed in rapid rates
Eutrophication is increasing in most coastal waters
Oxygen deficiency zones are spreading both coastal and mid ocean
Climate change influence species distribution
Chemical pollution from ocean industries and land based sources are impacting many species and human health

Impact Assessment

The ocean is undergoing rapid changes due to human impacts, in fact, the ocean as the planet's life support system is central in what the UN has declared the triple planetary crisis: impacts from climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. UNESCO has also declared our time as the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and calls for the science we need for the ocean we want, Sailing4Science, is one of the officially endorsed projects contributing to addressing these challenges.

The Hrimfare Circular Navigation Plan includes a semi-quantitative impact assessment, and implementation into our energy plan:

Waste management and recycling plan,
Bunkering plan,
Maintenance plan,
Provisioning plan,
Equipment procurement plan.

Borrowing impact assessment points from the shipping sector, we are now developing a similar assessment table for sailing yachts and will publish it here.

Energy Plan

Hrimfare is a sailboat, with very efficient sail performance, so we mainly use the wind and essentially need the twenty-year-old Perkins diesel engine to get in or out of harbors, sometimes for coastal pilotage and in situations with no wind. We plan our routes carefully considering weather and water conditions and will avoid any unnecessary fuel consumption which in turn will keep our emissions as low as possible. In 2025 we will perform tests to run the engine on bio-based diesel HVO100, which will cut our fossil carbon footprint of engine use by over 90%. Hrimfare’s energy balance between generation and usage – will be monitored and consider all renewable generation possibilities while optimizing energy efficiency and minimizing unnecessary use onboard. Hrimfare is upgraded with modern and efficient renewable energy generation sources – wind turbines, solar panels, hydro generation (while sailing) and all navigation lights and indoor lights are replaced with LED. Major electrical appliances onboard are refrigeration, navigation and communication electronics, and scientific instruments. A separate diesel-powered generator will still be needed for heavier charging needs – such as the water maker, dive compressor, and some heavier scientific equipment. We are investigating the possibility of using the same bio-based diesel HVO100 for the generator. We will monitor DC and AC consumption and generation, and the results will be assessed to understand, learn, and optimize the system for all components onboard.

Freshwater Plan

Managing drinking water is critical on any sailboat on longer passages. Hrimfare can carry 1100L of freshwater in four tanks and has a good capacity for the production and storage of drinking water (220 liters per hour). However, freshwater production onboard requires a high-power electricity feed from the diesel generator. With this in mind, we have freshwater guidelines onboard for our crew and guests, to conserve freshwater usage on all passages where shore supply of portable freshwater is limited. In addition to that, we are investigating suitable rainwater collection systems onboard.

Waste Management Plan

We have developed a Garbage Management Plan according to Annex V in MARPOL 73/78 (12), including voluntarily implementing and keeping a Garbage Record Book on board. We aim to develop a tangible Zero Waste Vision, considering circular management, handling, and storage of food, hygiene and cleaning products, greywater, sewage, packaging, food scraps etc. As single-use plastic and plastic waste are such an obvious and severe threat to ocean health, its species, and habitats we are determined to continue to search and advocate for methods to minimize the usage of these packaging materials and single-use products onboard a modern yacht. Handling excess food is part of our Zero Waste Vision. Food should never be considered waste. Excess ingredients and leftovers or spoiled food thrown away are wasted resources. Well-prepared and detailed provisioning and meal planning is the smartest way to prevent wasted food. We will plan for and study how leftovers and excess ingredients can be turned into a tasty night watch boost, an evening snack, a strengthened breakfast the following day, or be frozen and be used successfully in other meals on another day. Food residues after cleaning up meals are dealt with in accordance with MARPOL Annex V, posted in our galley. We will also experiment with an onboard compost garden, based on a well-tested methodology by the crew on the climate sailing project 100% Sun Wind Water.

Sewage Water Plan

Many coastal waters are suffering from eutrophication – a result of too many added nutrients due to large organic loads from sewage water, agriculture, forestry, and industrial effluents. The excess nutrients are causing massive algae blooms, oxygen depletion (anoxia), and consequently “dead” sea beds and loss of fish and wildlife. Black water, (also referred to as sewage) and grey water are considered wastewater, but with two different types of classification, depending on the level of contaminants the water contains. Sewage discharge can spread pathogens and stimulate harmful algal blooms which eventually will pollute and destabilize the general water quality. In severe cases, this can be harmful to human health – of swimmers, divers, seafood consumers and thereby threatening the coastal tourism and fishing industries. Discharge of sewage water from ships and leisure boats is therefore increasingly regulated and today marinas are required (year) by the EU (and additional national regulations) to provide sewage pump-out stations in marinas. Many ports are still missing these facilities, but the number is increasing accordingly. Depending on the route and port, different types of pump-out stations will be available, such as fixed shore-based stations (located in marinas), floating pump-out stations (located in offshore mooring areas), or mobile pump-out services (often located near marinas). From a long-term perspective, it will be a joint responsibility of coastal communities and boaters to make sure it is possible to protect the marine environment from pollution e.g. sewage water to assure safe and healthy access to the ocean for future generations. IMO postulates that it is generally considered that on the high seas, the oceans are capable of assimilating and dealing with raw sewage through natural bacterial action, and therefore Annex IV of MARPOL regulates the discharge of sewage into the sea depending on distance from the nearest land. MARPOL also lists which areas are classified as Special Areas where stricter sewage discharge rules apply. In the Baltic Sea, leisure boats are no longer (since 2015) allowed to pump out sewage discharge. Instead, it is expected and recommended to use onboard holding tanks and visit assigned pump-out stations for safe sewage management. Grey water, the collected untreated water from sinks, showers, and wastewater, contains some of the similar problems of sewage water, and although only regulated in certain regions or countries for yachts, it is recommended to not discharge any grey waters in coastal waters, so either store in dedicated holding tanks or use appropriate treatment systems, which we are currently investigating.

Toxic Free Plan

We work towards a toxic-free operation onboard. That means substituting hazardous substance products for better environmental choices. Hrimfare is therefore provisioned with bio-based biodegradable and phosphate-free detergents and personal hygiene products. Additionally, it is vital to use non-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) solvents when washing and cleaning engine parts to reduce releasing harmful contaminants to the environment. If a substitute of a product cannot be found and the use is judged to be essential for our operation, then a risk assessment is done for crew and environment exposure. We have exchanged fixed and handheld fire extinguishers from conventional that can be damaging to the ozone layer, contain potent greenhouse gases, or even PFAS. Instead, we are using FIREPRO aerosol extinguishers that are made from baking soda materials.

Bunkering Plan

The energy density of diesel and propane is very high, compared to what energy one can bring with a charged battery. Although we are building capacity for renewable energy generation, we are still relying on carbon combustion for propulsion (main engine), some high-energy electricity generation (gen-set), and cooking. We are in direct negotiations with HVO100 suppliers for fuel bunkering, and with suppliers of biogas for cooking instead of fossil-based propane. Filling diesel is one of the risk scenarios for pollution to the marine environment, and we have a careful procedure to do all we can to minimize the probability and consequence of such a scenario.

Provisioning Plan

We strive and encourage to resource only organic ingredients to our meals containing a high ratio of vegetables compared to meat. We also aim to prioritize and support locally produced products/supplies that demand a well-thought plan, to stick with a low waste policy and organic-only- vision. Bulk orders of organic dry food and canned products, through long-term collaborations, to avoid having to buy whatever is available in local stores in small packs with large packaging amounts. Along the route, we encourage sustainable fishing depending on where we sail. The galley has been equipped without plastic utensils, wherever possible, with considerations both for the environment and human health. We do not use plastics in food contact material on land and we do not want that on a boat either

Maintenance Plan

Many emissions of boating take place at the boat yards or other maintenance jobs. We adhere to best practices of how to clean the hull, what chemicals we choose for servicing the paint jobs inside and outside, and how to ensure no oil is spilled during engine maintenance. During the extensive refit of Hrimfare after 30 years of service, we have mainly been upcycling the original parts to not use new virgin materials if possible, to avoid, but when needed for safety reasons we have often replaced the same with same, to keep the Challenge Race heritage intact. We also think it is very important to have a responsible biofouling plan that is fit for the operation area and operation profile of each boat. We therefore have a prop-defender biocide-free foul release paint on our Autoprop. We choose ropes that minimize the shedding of microplastics when possible and in the upgrade of the saloon, we choose natural fibre textiles for the upholstery and prioritize to use sustainably sourced wood.

Equipment Procurement Plan.

Our new sails will be based on recycled or bio-based synthetic fibers, and we look forward to a future upgrade to a hybrid electric drive. We plan to replace tenders outboard with electric ones but in the meantime, we use Aspen alkylate petrol which has XZ lower toxicity to aquatic organisms. We are planning to switch the gas of our oven to biogas which will be a step in the right direction of becoming less dependent on fossil fuels. We are aiming to switch to biogas rather than replace the oven with an electric one since that would demand a high energy demand and still a need for usage of a diesel generator.

Our Inspiration sources.

6 Ways to Practice Green Boating - Boatsetter (2024)
Hållbart båtliv i Stockholm- Östersjöcentrum (2023)
Sailors for the Sea Powered by Oceana- Green Boating guide (2022)
The International Seakeepers Society- A green guide to boating (2021)
The 100% SunWindWater project (2018-2022)