Sustainable Cruising in World-Heritage Wilderness
September 27, 2022
The build of our new vessel, Odalisque III, has given us a great opportunity to further bring our operational sustainability to the highest possible standard.
Our innovative vessel-based experience has been purposely designed to have a low impact on the environment and avoid the need for a land-based footprint.
We have some great initiatives in the works and are excited to share these with you below.
Thoughtful by Design
- Odalisque III is being built in Hobart, Tasmania, focusing on using local materials and suppliers as much as possible throughout the construction. Richardson Devine Marine has a large in-house team of fabricators and joiners who are sourcing and creating many of our critical vessel components right here in Hobart. Along with that - our mattresses, tableware, artwork, and key furniture pieces have all been crafted in Tasmania by a broad range of designers, makers, and artists.
- Tinted glass has been used throughout to help keep the cabin temperature more stable when hit by the harsh Tasmanian sun. With large picture windows throughout the vessel, the tinted glass will reduce the reliance on air conditioners on hot days, reducing our overall requirement for energy production on board.
- Odalisque III is fully self-contained, including black water holding tanks and associated procedures that fully comply with stringent Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Parks and Wildlife Service guidelines.
- With a larger boat, comes a more sizeable demand for power. We have a large 920Ah lithium-ion battery bank installed in the hull of Odalisque. This minimises our use of generators, ensuring they won't be running overnight.
Intimate, Low-impact Journeys
- Our small group size of just twelve guests ensures a small footprint on the sensitive wilderness areas we visit.
- All guests will be inducted by our team of expert guides into strong biosecurity practices which will include the checking of guests' external clothing and footwear for soil and seed remains.
- Head chef Courtney Drew and her team of culinary professionals are passionate about using only the freshest local ingredients. This keeps our food miles to a minimum - we have great relationships with local suppliers, meaning that where there is a Tasmanian option, we'll use that every time. We are fiercely against food wastage - minimising and re-using leftovers wherever we can.
- Our waste footprint is kept to a minimum as well. All waste and recycling is taken back to Hobart for disposal at approved facilities. Single-use plastic is avoided at all costs, with friendlier, compostable alternatives being used as much as possible in all areas of the vessel.
Protection and Care for the Environment
- We have a close partnership with Raptor Refuge, who do great work in the rehabilitation and awareness space when it comes to our Tasmanian Raptors. We love to educate our guests about programs such as this and encourage them to support such charitable causes in place of any tips. To date - we have donated over $10,000 along with sponsoring a $10,000 reward for anyone coming forward with information that leads to the successful conviction of someone who has killed a raptor.
- A citizen science project is being put into action to allow our guests to have a tangible and measurable impact on the preservation of the areas we cruise. This will be done through the Tasmanian Natural Values Atlas - a database that allows anyone to access the observations of plants and animals recorded into it. Data is not often captured from the inaccessible areas we travel to, so these contributions will be a valuable addition to the atlas. This will be managed by our team of experienced nature guides to ensure that all information entered is accurate.