Danielle Doggett is the co-founder and Managing Director of Sailcargo Inc, the “freshly emerging freight company, here to make a name in the sustainable transportation market.” SailCargo are currently building their very first ship in their rustic shipyard on the Coast of Costa Rica. Ceiba, this first ship, “will offer something unique to both exporters and importers: the opportunity to finally close the loop for their most important organic, sustainable products.” – they will transport these important products between the Americas, all while running an entirely carbon negative operation.

Danielle has 15 years’ experience on traditional ships & specific project management for sail-cargo initiatives. Growing up just north of Kingston, Ontario, she began her sailing career with the St. Lawrence II, moving onto larger ships at age 16: Swan fan Makkum. Founder of Topsail Rigging Ltd., she has focused her attention in recent years to gaining knowledge of the build stage of large scale projects, including working alongside Sailmaster B.V. in the Netherlands. She is an adviser to the Caribbean Sail Training Association, and was Captain of the flagship of Barbados, sailing cargo schooner Ruth for the rigging, launch & sea trials.

This has such a sense of meaning and accomplishment to hopefully launch this vessel that inspires so much more…

Danielle Doggett

Danielle kindly dialed in from Sailcargo’s rustic shipyard on the west coast of Costa Rica where Ceiba is currently being built. We discuss the following:

  • Danielle’s background growing up in Kingston, Canada, her career path in sailing and more recently, her exposure to sustainable shipping (~02:00)
  • Danielle’s early inspiration working with Tres Hombres and more about this inspirational ship (~03:15)
  • A quick overview on how shipping works today (~05:30)
  • How the existing approach is detrimental to the environment from the sourcing of materials all the way through to the end of life process of the actual ships (~06:00)
  • An overview of Sailcargo Inc and Ceiba including how it will be a sustainable, carbon-negative shipping operation (~11:00)
  • How the wood being used for Ceiba is responsibly sourced in Costa Rica and what Sailcargo is doing to build a carbon negative shipping company (~11:50)
  • Clients that Sailcargo plans to work with and how these clients have been waiting for a solution like this (~13:40)
  • Planned shipping routes between the Americas and the sustainable, important and “necessary” products that will be transported (~15:40)
  • How Ceiba will be powered (in addition to wind power) using an electric engine, the largest of its kind in the world (~17:00)
  • How Danielle’s family encouraged her sailing to help her overcome confidence issues (~19:20)
  • Starting and running a sustainable company in Costa Rica and the support they’ve received there to make this project a reality (~20:10)
  • Choosing the for-profit business model for Sailcargo vs the not-for-profit path (~22:20)
  • The role Sailcargo will play in the local community including an educational center, providing employment, a give back program and the sustainable partners reinvestment system (~23:30)
  • How Sailcargo is funded through selling shares in the company and the impressive uptake on this so far (~26:20)
  • Who is investing in Sailcargo so far? (~28:00)
  • Sailcargo’s progress to date and how long it will take before Ceiba is on the water (~29:00)
  • The Sailcargo team and what life is like on the shipyard (~30:30)
  • The use of film in telling the Sailcargo story (~33:15)
  • The goal of planting trees on the shipyard to help reconnect a broken part of the biological quarter (~34:00)
  • How these sustainable shipping ideas are starting to catch on around the world, particularly in Europe and growing interest in doing this at a larger scale (~35:00)
  • Key requirements to make Ceiba economically viable (~36:40)
  • Use of solar in powering the ship, how the team is waiting to be approached about making sails out of flexible solar panels and how they plan to use Ceiba to help test and refine innovative sustainable solutions (~39:25)
  • Why Danielle has chosen to focus her time and energy on this project (~40:50)
  • Danielle’s advice for mission based start-ups wanting to solve real problems (~41:50)
  • Danielle’s advice for all humanity (~42:40)
  • How to support Sailcargo and the Ceiba project (~44:30)