Hello, my Bluewater Cruising Association friends!

I am sure that many of you are aware that we have an amazing team of volunteers driving your Strategic Objective 2 forward.

• Strategic Objective 2: Promote environmentally and socially responsible cruising.

Their work is not only important in realizing our strategic objective, but it also fully supports our core value, Caring.

• Caring: Respecting our environment, the communities we visit and each other.

As you may have read previously, one of the team’s first steps was to develop a BCA pledge that captures the goals of and the reasoning behind this strategic objective.

BCA’s Environmentally and Socially Responsible Cruising Pledge

BCA will be recognized as environmental and social leaders among cruising organizations by:

• Developing, educating, promoting, and leading best cruising practices
• Seeking ways to reduce our overall climate impact.
• Developing opportunities for members to build their knowledge about the impact that sailing and cruising has on the marine environment, climate, and communities; and to build the skills to act.
• Developing our understanding and knowledge about what a changing climate means for the cruising and sailing community, the environment, and the communities we visit.
• Providing a forum to share information on how to adapt our seamanship skills and passage planning.

We aspire to be recognized in the cruising community for pursuing our dreams of ocean cruising while demonstrating excellence in our ability to sail clean, green, and socially aware.

The BCA Environmentally and Socially Responsible Cruising Pledge was presented to, and unanimously approved by, your Board of Directors. As the BCA navigates through each of our activities, we will continue to ensure we are meeting our core values and will reflect deeply upon our pledge throughout our journeys.

I am aware that not all of us will fully agree with the need for or be able to implement the best practices that are introduced as we move through the realities of our changing environment. However, I do fully support the efforts of the Environmentally and Socially Responsible Cruising Team and encourage all to enter thoughtful and respectful conversations in achieving our objective to promote environmentally and socially responsible cruising. Please be caring!

As individuals, each best practice that we put in place will result in huge impacts collectively.

I look forward to seeing every one of you as we cruise this summer and will be looking for your burgee. I hope that you will look for mine.

Yours aye,

David Mitchell
Commodore
Bluewater Cruising Association