On its fifth consecutive journey between Europe and the Caribbean, the schooner brig Tres Hombres is visiting Bermuda this week, with the 32 meter vessel presently docked in St. George’s.
The hold of the trans-Atlantic cargo vessel without an engine is fully loaded with ‘fair grown and produced’ goods, such as cacao-beans, coffee, rum and chocolate bars, fulfilling the motto of the Fairtransport organization, ‘From A to B, Emission Free’.
Three sailing friends, Andreas Lackner from Austria and the two Dutchmen Jorne Langelaan and Arjen van der Veen, have started a revolution in naval cargo transport by making it their goal to significantly reduce the pollution caused by the engine driven mercantile marine.
They not only helped reintroduce traditional sailing cargo ships to the world seas, such as the Tres Hombres and the recently commissioned Nordlys IV, a 141 year old Brixham, but they are also helping develop the Ecoliner, a hybrid 8000 ton cargo ship with high-tech sails and a clean engine.
On this trip Alexandra Geldenhuys is also on board, she is a representative of the UK sail cargo shippers New Dawn Traders, an organization which retraces historical trade routes and writes articles on what trade was, is currently and on what the future of fair trade could be.
During their stay at Penno’s Wharf in St.George’s the public are invited to visit the Tres Hombres. Captain Lammert Osinga and his crew said they will gladly show the public around this unique vessel, the wind driven representative of a very unique organisation.
