✍️ By: Team BC1.NL
🎬 Multilingual subtitles
The Fair Transport Foundation was founded by Andreas Lackner, Jorne Langelaan, and Arjen van der Veen. Their goal is to demonstrate that goods can be transported sustainably without polluting the oceans. They are currently doing this with two sailing vessels, the “Tres Hombres” and “Nordlys”. There is clear demand for their services, as a third ship, “The Spirit of Rotterdam”, is in the design phase. That clipper can carry ten times as much as the Tres Hombres and is expected to be operational in three years.
Fair Transport started as a volunteer enterprise
The business model of the Fair Transport Foundation is built on a volunteer-run organization. This approach has enabled them to get started in recent years in a way that would not have been possible otherwise. Thanks to the dedication of volunteers, they have established a solid foundation for a professional organization that is now ready to generate revenue. As a result, they will soon be able to transition volunteers into paid employees.
How did sail-powered freight shipping start?
With what the founders saw on the ocean. They converted that pollution into an initiative to transport freight sustainably. In 2007 they established the Fair Transport Foundation in Den Helder, which laid the foundation for buying a ship: the flagship Tres Hombres, built between 2007 and 2009.
How does a cargo ship sail without an engine?
The Tres Hombres was built without a motor, so there is no propulsion other than the sails. To enter a harbour the ship is towed. In the past a ship was manoeuvred with a sloop and oars; now that is done with a tugboat. Traditional as the ships look, all modern safety equipment is on board, and the navigation equipment runs on wind and sun.
Cocoa, coffee, rum, olive oil and wine from the Caribbean
Products from the Caribbean: cocoa, coffee, rum, olive oil and wine. They come from farmers who work in a fair trade manner. Many of those farmers farm organically and fairly but carry no label, because certification costs money and they barely earn enough as it is. Because the crew knows the farmers who produce the cocoa and coffee, they know it is done responsibly.
On board you learn navigation, maintenance, knots and painting
In addition to transporting goods, training courses are offered. By learning the ins and outs of life on board, participants also learn how to work together. They gain knowledge in various areas, including navigation, ship maintenance, knot tying, and painting.
Thanks to Videolux for the aerial footage.
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