Jacques Cousteau was a childhood hero to millions of us who were privileged to witness his amazing documentary films. The “Captain” introduced humankind to our beautiful and fragile underwater world. His influence quickly matured to become a global role model as he added his passionate warnings about the tragic effects of our pollution and the need to protect Mother Ocean.

Unfortunately, if Jacques Cousteau were alive today, he would be disappointed by the poor environmental practices that continue throughout the boat building industry. The companies who stand to benefit the most from protecting our marine environment turn a blind eye to their inherent responsibility and are building thousands of boats that are environmentally unfriendly throughout their life cycle and have no recycling capability. Customers are also to blame as they ultimately buy these products.

Consider the status quo:

• Even though the headlines are constantly disclosing the complex environmental impact of harvesting our planet’s rain forests, the use of rare hard woods and tropical woods like teak is still a daily practice, and promoted openly as a “positive” feature on many yachts.

• While the automotive and aviation industries are striving for increased fuel efficiency, the yacht community is still focused on conspicuous consumption, building high speed designs that inhale prodigious amounts of fuel to attain ski-boat speeds. This results in increased fuel consumption up to 20 times greater than displacement hulls.

• The widespread use of fiber-reinforced plastic is creating a global stockpile of environmentally unfriendly material. Fiberglass (FRP) dominates the industry because it is the cheapest production technology, but the material continuously releases noxious emissions, and requires steady upkeep using various detergents, polishes, waxes and stain removers. FRP is also entirely non-recyclable. Visit any hurricane damaged region and witness the destroyed yachts being cut into chunks and carried off to a land fill, or worse yet onto barges for “disposal” at sea.

• The use of steel requires a multi-step process to clean and seal the metal to slow down its progressive degradation in the marine environment. While steel is technically “recyclable,” some of man’s most egregious environmental disasters are located at sites where steel ships are cut apart and re-processed. In practice, this material’s environmental profile is poor.

Even with all of the global warnings and signals, the yachting community continues to expand upon its original theme of bigger, faster, and more opulent. Gleaming white hulls with ornate shapes and ostentatious interior themes are still driving the market, apparently with no end in sight.

Leadership is always polarizing. It takes courage and good timing to initiate the kinds of changes that Cousteau championed. To that end, Trekker Marine Enterprises has entered the market to offer a clear alternative. Standing out in the maze of glamour yachts, Trekkers are here to demonstrate that sophisticated buyers will embrace high quality products that can deliver the dream today while helping to preserve the Ocean for tomorrow.

This is no small task, and we can only take steps as endorsed by our customers. But Trekker is committed to making a difference, and to provide the industry leadership necessary to assist a slow-to-change community to make a vital course change.

And now, the next step is in your hands, our dear customers!

Looking forward,


Steven Alan Fry
Sr. Adventurer and Founder
Trekker Marine Enterprises