The "Tres Hombres", Fair Transport's brigantine, sailed to the coastal town for her fifth Devonian call to load Exeter Brewery's "Avocet ale". The organic ale cargo will be shipped by sail to TransOceanic Wind Transport's warehouse in Douarnenez, Brittany.
The "Tres Hombres" loaded over 5 tonnes of organic ale. The Avocet Ale has been imported to France since 2011 by sail power only, and it is now known in France for its unique carbon-neutral approach. This shipping of ale by sail power will allow a reduction of the CO2 emissions of over one tonne.
The British call of this unique ship, claimed to be the only engine-less cargo vessel in the world, is part of her sixth yearly circumnavigation around the Atlantic.
Captain Arjen van der Veen, Master of "Tres Hombres" commented as he left the Netherlands: "We departed for our 6th Atlantic circumnavigation from our home port Den Helder, Netherlands. Back at sea with 8 crew and trainees, sailing down wind the North Sea downwind for our Stavanger call. I am happy to be back at sea, feeling one with nature! I think we have an amazing fairtransport family and growing each and every day. See you soon in Brixham!"
Tres Hombres' next ports of call fter Brixham will be: Douarnenez, Lisbon, Canary Islands, Cabo Verde, Belem, Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, Dominican Republic, Azores, Falmouth and Amsterdam.
Alan Collyer, Exeter Brewery Owner said: "As transatlantic sailor myself, I am interested in moving goods by sail power. When TransOceanic Wind Transport has suggested to us to export the "Avocet", our organic ale, to Brittany with sailing ships it came obvious to me: wind is an unlimited and generous energy and this was going to be by sail that we were going to ship our ale to French organic shops. We are not a big brewery and shipping by sail suits us and the Tres Hombres' cargo project is ideal."
Guillaume Le Grand, "TOWT - Transport à la voile" co-founder commented: "The shipping industry is currently ill-equipped to cope efficiently with the challenges of the 21st Century. Cheap energies will last only a few more years, then the wind will have to take over...The objective is to leverage traditional sailing cargo vessels, such as Fair Transport's "Tres Hombres" as a way to protect our future; and to promote a logistical alternative that both looks at a carbon-free future in a more tangible way and fosters a paradigm-changing context in shipping."
LINKS
TransOceanic Wind Transport
The Exeter Brewery Ltd
Tres Hombres Fairtransport
A 6 minute video of Tres Hombres carrying cargo can be seen below