Point Judith, Rhode Island, June 18th, 2009.
350 gallons. That’s how much marine diesel John Ainsworth typically uses every day on his 70-foot commercial fishing boat, The Hope and Sydney. For the past few months, he's been personally modifying the boat’s engine and fuel system, and replaced 99% of the diesel fuel with recycled vegetable oil.
With the goals of providing eco-friendly seafood to his customers, reducing his carbon footprint and cutting fuel costs, John began modifying the massive diesel engine. A series of changes to the fishing vessel would allow it to run on veggie oil, a recycled waste-product from commercial kitchens across New England. The conversion was no easy task, requiring all the technical and tinkering know-how Ainsworth has acquired in his 20 years in the fishing industry. The entire conversion ended up costing close to $50K, not counting the blood, sweat and tears that went into the project.
So, why go to all the trouble? Ainsworth sees it as a win-win situation; “It’s great that I’m reducing my carbon footprint for sure, but ultimately I’ll be spending less green on fuel while simultaneously providing my customers with a more eco-friendly source of seafood.”
Three hundred and fifty gallons a day is a lot of fuel to replace. Finding an abundance of this alternative fuel is a challenge, and one John is still working on. His goal is to partner with the very restaurants he’s providing with seafood. He provides the green catch of the day, and they provide the fuel needed to go get it.
Ainsworth’s green catch of squid, scallops, lobster and fish, including cod, haddock, flounder and yellow tail, can be purchased through The Town Dock fish market in Point Judith, RI by simply requesting seafood from The Hope and Sydney. An up-to-date posting of recently landed fish can be found on this blog.
To contact John directly, call 401-265-0658
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