Plymouth chandlery offers free yacht-wash refills

Based in Plymouth’s Mayflower Marina, The Chandlery has started offering Plymouth boat owners free refills of Ecowork Marine’s sustainable yacht wash during August and September. The initiative aims to raise awareness of sustainable practices amongst Plymouth’s boat owners in Britain’s ‘Ocean City’.

The chandlery is part of PR Systems Marine Electronics which is owned by Matt and Alison Owen. The company offers electronic and electrical installations for yachts. PR Systems opened The Chandlery in 2021, during the pandemic, when they were able to take on the lease of the shop unit next door.

The Owens say they have put environmental considerations at the forefront of their chandlery and, where possible, try to only stock environmentally friendly solutions. This includes setting up an Ecoworks Marine refill wash station for customers to reuse old bottles rather than buying new ones. The company says that by just refilling from its yacht wash 10 litre refill station, up to 2,000 plastic bottles can be saved.

“When you’re out on the water, clean, clear seas free of litter always makes the experience more enjoyable, and if you happen to spot some wildlife alongside it creates lasting memories,” say the owners.

“There is a responsibility to protect our oceans and reduce our plastic use and we love that Ecoworks Marine has developed products that help us do just that, in fact we find the products so great we even use them at home. We’ve managed to convert many eco product sceptics and we are hoping we can change a few more minds with this promotion and we look forward to welcoming you to The Chandlery.” 

Now The Chandlery is asking customers to reuse bottles and collect up to 200ml of yacht wash that will dilute to up 40 litres of ready to use yacht wash to test the product in order to convert people to a better way for the environment.

Most boat care products end up in the sea after use or while being used. It’s very hard for boaters to avoid this when washing down boats on the water or even on the slipway. Many boat care products contain ingredients such as ammonium chloride, Sulfuric acid, bronopol and other ingredients which have all shown to be dangerous for marine life. Ecoworks Yacht Wash, however, is fully biodegradable.

“Many boaters are unsure about the quality of eco products and whether they work as well as traditional boat cleaners,” says Scott Johnston, managing director of Ecoworks Marine. “They do, it’s as simple as that and we’re passionate about providing boaters with products that are better for the ocean and even healthier for them while at the same time helping to reduce plastic use. We’re happy to partner with the great team at The Chandlery to show people there is a better way.”

Plymouth is also home to the UK’s first National Marine Park and the ‘Save Our Seabed’ campaign launched in July 2019.