Schooner Apollonia

12/20/21 • 56 min

Hoisting the sail, a supply chain podcast

To end our inaugural season, we are back in the Hudson Valley, speaking with Sam Merrett, the captain of the Schooner Apollonia and his supercargo, Brad Vogel.
Sam and his team have successfully transformed a yacht they bought off craigslist into a cargo sailboat that is turning heads in ports throughout New York State. This vessel is completely powered by the wind and has transported all sorts of cargo up and down the Hudson River.
This is not a project that idolizes shipping vessels of the past but instead aims to inspire others to be a part of a growing movement that is committed to lowering the carbon footprint of the shipping industry. Sam argues that not only does the Schooner Apollonia sustainably move cargo but she also delivers products with a story.
Join us as we discuss this story to learn more about the green maritime transportation of the
future and the role sailboats have to play in it.

Previous Episode

Marine decarbonization takes on Wall Street

This week we take a step back from our usual focus on wind propulsion to delve into another important aspect of marine decarbonization: financing.
Our guest Harold Malone joins us to talk about a project he co-founded, the Marine Money Decarbonization Index (MMDI).
This index tracks the performance of the equity securities of 50 global companies that are committed to decarbonizing the maritime sector. Malone envisions that the MMDI will raise awareness of the challenges the maritime sector is facing, attracting investment and technological solutions into the industry.
Since you cannot invest directly in an index, Malone has partnered with ETFMG to create the ETFMG Breakwave Sea Decarbonization Tech ETF, which is designed to replicate the returns of the MMDI.
What had started out as a tool for the industry, is now a platform that is providing an opportunity for anyone who wants to participate in maritime decarbonization via the ETF.
Join us to explore an effort that is marking a key transition to a maritime sector that is becoming more accessible to the public.

Next Episode

TOWT

This week, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a plan to invest $500 Million in Critical Offshore Wind Infrastructure.
This investment is proof that society recognizes offshore wind turbines have little in common with the historic windmills of The Netherlands.

However, a vast majority of maritime supply chain professionals still believe wind propulsion is an obsolete and unreliable technology, completely uncompetitive in today’s shipping framework.

This week's guest, Guillaume Le Grand, is challenging this sentiment though. Le Grand, the CEO and co-founder of TransOceanic Wind Transport, just announced that TOWT is constructing its first modern cargo ship.
The wind-powered ship will have a 1,100-ton goods capacity and will be designed to spend 320 days at sea per year, reducing emissions by more than 90%, i.e. save 3,000 tons of CO2 per year.
Le Grand is an innovator that is proving that we can modernize old technology to satisfy our shipping demands, not to mention reaping the benefits of decreased emissions.

It is important to note that these innovations are being supported by government programs recognizing the shipping industry is changing. NYC DOT has announced the Blue Highways Program, a commitment to encouraging the use of NYC’s waterways to move goods sustainably into and around the City. This new dependency on marine facilities for freight transport is a window of opportunity for maritime professionals to be a part of the green shipping movement.