Marblehead Ocean Week - Sailors for the Sea

Marblehead Ocean Week

 June 10, 2022  | By: James Ashton

In celebration of World Ocean Day on June 8, 2022, Sailors for the Sea Skipper Rob Howie joined Sustainable Marblehead at the organization’s second annual Marblehead Ocean Week. The event, held in partnership with the Rozalia Project, took place at several locations in the town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, and included lectures, a harbor fair and beach clean-up.

Highlights of the week included a kick-off evening presentation with famed Vendee Globe sailor and Marblehead resident Rich Wilson. Over the weekend, the Rozalia Project arrived with their Ted Hood-designed American Promise, to promote their mission of cleaning and protecting our oceans. Weekend events included an outdoor film screening of “Around Alone,” a community beach clean-up and a series of school presentations at the Marblehead Public Schools. Sustainable Marblehead also launched its first Harbor Sustainability Fair, featuring the latest in green boating technology, youth programming on micro-plastics and a Sailors for the Sea Green Boating education table.

The Rozalia Project, which works to tackle the problem of marine debris, hosted a beach clean-up on June 5. The organization collects data from each of their beach and waterway cleanups to better understand the marine debris problem and how to prevent it. 

Marblehead Beach Clean-Up Data, June 5, 2022

Macro Trash Top 3

1. Plastic sheeting-197pieces total

2. Food Wrappers-192 total

3. Zip Ties-133 total

Total macro trash=1,126 pieces 

Micro Trash top 3

1. < 5mm plastic -838 total

2.Resin Pellets-94 total

3. <5mm micro foam-53 total

Total Micro Trash=1,120

Total trash recovered= 2,246 pieces

All of these items are plastic based, and it is the first time zip ties have made it into the top 5 items collected.