The 32-metre brigantine Tres Hombres has arrived in the port of Amsterdam carrying 40 tonnes of rum, coffee, and cocoa from the Caribbean.
The twin-masted ship operates entirely without an engine, relying solely on wind power to transport goods across the Atlantic with virtually zero emissions.
Operated by the Dutch firm Fairtransport, the vessel completes an annual journey of roughly 7,000 kilometres between the Caribbean and the capital.
Sustainable transport across the Atlantic
Fairtransport was founded in 2007 by three men, who inspired the vessel’s name, and is led by Sabine Fox.
The company deliberately selects items not produced in Europe to avoid competing with local markets, using the slower route to highlight environmental impacts in freight.
According to the UN International Maritime Organization, maritime shipping is responsible for around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Supplying northern European shops
The sustainably farmed products delivered by the ship are sold to high-end retail stores across northern Europe during summer sailing routes.
The final stage of the transatlantic crossing took crew members more than a month at sea travelling from the Azores to Amsterdam.
