Club of the Month: the sailors who log the litter
At a youth sailing club in Heraklion, the Saturday training route doubles as a survey line. The children decide what goes in the notebook.
Club of the MonthHeraklion, Crete
The dinghies leave the harbour in pairs. One sailor steers; the other keeps a waterproof notebook clipped to the thwart and writes down every floating object they pass, with a rough position from the club's numbered buoys.
Crete Sea School added the survey to its training route two summers ago, after the older students asked why the same bays always looked worse on Monday mornings. The notebooks are typed up on Sunday and shared with a regional clean-up group.
Seamanship first
The coaches are clear that the survey never comes before safety or sailing. It happens on the downwind legs, when there is time to look around, and it stops when the wind gets up.
Results
Get involved
The club welcomes new sailors from age eight and runs open days in spring.