Page 20: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2021)

The Path to Zero

Ceiba Comes to Life in the “Jungle Shipyard”

Danielle Doggett, founder and CEO of SailCargo, updates the project to build Ceiba, a true sailing cargo ship taking shape in the jungles of Costa Rica.

By Greg Trauthwein anielle Doggett and her co- “The mission of SailCargo is to prove Rica de? nitely comes with a unique set founders have been on a mis- the value of clean shipping. And we of challenges, in terms of personnel and sion since 2014 to prove the aim to do that by establishing a prec- supplies,” said Doggett, saying that get-

D viability of truly emission-free edent with our ? agship Ceiba. After ting materials in, out and around Costa shipping courtesy of the construction of its doing that, we do hope to expand to a Rica can be a “shipping nightmare.” $4.2m ? agship Ceiba, a three masted sail- wide range within the maritime sec- Undaunted, Doggett and her team ing cargo vessel being built in Costa Rica. tor of larger ships, more modern ships, simply have to plan in advance … far in “The name Ceiba comes from a type of really whatever the client demands we advance, to ensure a smooth ? ow. The tree, also called the kapok or silk tree and will maintain true to emission free,” one logistical positive: ready availabil- it is recognized by the Mayan people as a said Doggett. “I don’t envision a ? eet ity of shipbuilding material. “Thankful- spiritual tree that connects this world with of thousands of small wooden sailing ly as a wooden ship construction, 99% the next,” explained Doggett in a recent vessels, replacing everything. Although of our wood is all from locally sourced interview with Maritime Reporter TV. I do ? rmly believe that a vessel such as Costa Rican forest; most of that comes

Ceiba has its place in the right market between around a 100 km radius.”

Ceiba ‘By the Numbers’ and serving the correct markets that may While logistics of moving materials

Ceiba is about 147 ft. (45m) long already be underserved. Keep an eye on is cumbersome, Doggett said getting three-masted square rigged, square top- us, we have a lot in the pipelines.” people onboard this traditional ship con- sail schooner, able to carry the equivalent Ceiba’s, which is being built from pri- struction project has not been an issue. of 10 TEU standard containers (about marily local tropical hardwood, had her “We’re extremely thankful and lucky that 250 metric tons of car). While Doggett keel laid in January 2019 with an antici- as the world’s largest publicly known tra- freely admits she does not envision an pated launch in 2022. “This will make ditional ship construction, we don’t have ocean ? lled with ‘little wooden sailing Ceiba the largest emission free cargo to look very hard for talent,” she said. cargo ships’ replacing traditional cargo ship in the world,” said Doggett. “We have applications daily from people carriers, Ceiba is a niche proof of concept The project is fraught with challeng- globally that they want to work with us, project to prove that, on certain routes, es, chief among them building a ship and our young shipyard has had 27 dif- true emission-free trade is an option. in the jungle. “Building a ship in Costa ferent nations already participating.” 20 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • August 2021

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