Halyard helps Sunsail's Solent fleet go green with Wavestream bilge filters

Sunsail’s new fleet of Beneteau yachts, which are based at Port Solent, Portsmouth, can now claim to be the ‘cleanest’ boats in the marina, thanks to the installation of Wavestream bilge filters supplied by Halyard.

Sunsail, one of the world’s largest sailing and watersports holiday companies, has implemented a green policy for its yachts, working with Green Blue, an initiative from the British Marine Federation and Royal Yachting Association designed to promote environmentally conscious behavior amongst the recreational marine industry.

One particular area of concern, according to Sunsail’s Head of Marketing Simon Conder, was the possibility of fuel leakages and bilge water emissions from the new fleet of Beneteau yachts, which are moored in front of the company’s head office in the picturesque Port Solent Marina. Taking advice from the Green Blue, the company turned to Halyard, which recommended the installation of the Wavestream bilge filter.

When fuelling vessels, repairing or servicing engines, and even in general day-to-day use, it is easy for fuel, oil or other contaminants to leak into the bilges. Should a vessel have an engine problem or fuel leak, large quantities of oil and fuel can end up in the bilges and can be accidentally pumped overboard causing serious localised pollution.

Wavestream is an easy-to-install cylindrical cartridge filter that fits between the bilge pump and the boat’s through-hull bilge outlet. The cartridge uses a patented technology that attracts the oil content of the bilge water and binds it to the filter element thereby ensuring that only clean water is discharged overboard. Wavestream filters have full Lloyd’s Type Approval, making them suitable for use on both leisure and commercially registered vessels.

Unless the vessel experiences a major oil or fuel leakage, the Wavestream filters will only need to be checked every six months. The filter cartridges are quick and easy to change as part of the yacht’s annual service programme.

“Simply by fitting the Wavestream onto all our Port Solent fleet, we can rest assured that no traces of pollution will be pumped overboard, at any time. This is especially important with such a large fleet of Sunsail boats, which are constantly in use, and combined with the fact that Port Solent is a locked marina, so water cleanliness is key,” says Simon Conder.

Richard Summers, Managing Director at Halyard says: “We are absolutely delighted at Sunsail’s decision to fit Wavestream to its new fleet. The emphasis on protecting our environment is paramount within the marine industry and Wavestream bilge filters have become the accepted solution for simple, effective control of bilge water discharge to keep within the specified legal limits.”