EcoClipper's first ship, the sailing Ketch ‘De Tukker’ in August will be carrying cargo and passengers on the North Sea, through the English Channel to ports as far south as Porto, Portugal.

To facilitate the process of finding and organising cargo the Dutch sailing company EcoClipper has signed a formal partnership with the broker New Dawn Traders.

New Dawn Traders currently work with a range of sail cargo companies and have created their Voyage COOP programme to bring together a network of producers, sailing vessels and other ‘port allies’ to deliver goods in a sustainable way.

Alex Geldenhuys, the founder of New Dawn Traders, was inspired by people, projects and businesses that promote resilience in local food systems, and wants to extend this movement across oceans. New Dawn Traders continues to build relationships across the supply chain to ship ethically produced, high-quality produce with a carbon footprint that is close to zero.

EcoClipper CEO Jorne Langelaan says “we are very excited to go into partnership with New Dawn Traders and their network. We share many of the same values and hope to help further their work to promote coastal communities and sustainable businesses.”

Alex comments “working with EcoClipper allows us to provide a dedicated sail cargo route between our farmers who really give the best care to the land but wouldn’t normally have an opportunity to export, and our customers who are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of fossil fuel from ocean transport.”

The Ketch De Tukker will link the ports of Northern Europe and Portugal to a dedicated sail cargo service, this partnership with New Dawn Traders will allow goods to flow sustainably along these routes and provide consumers with access to products that have been shipped in an environmentally friendly manner.

Alongside the recently announced sailing schedule, EcoClipper has a financing campaign where investors are able to invest in the EcoClipper Coöperatie U.A. This enables investors to become part owners of the fleet of sailing ships, including the Tukker.