Steamship Company Plies Portsmouth Waters Leaving No Waste in its Wake

PORTSMOUTH — A longtime commercial mainstay of the Portsmouth seafaring scene has doubled-down on sustainability, further burnishing its already considerable green reputation while also cutting its waste stream by 70 percent. 

The M/V Thomas Laighton is the cruise ship of the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company, an iconic Seacoast institution, plying area waters since 1962. Originally founded as Viking Cruises by Arnold Whittaker, the Steamship Company was recently sold to two new owners, Jeremy Bell and Jerod Blanchette, who came aboard in June. 

The company offers a variety of tours to New Hampshire’s historic Isles of Shoals and throughout Portsmouth Harbor and the Greater Piscataqua Region, and is thoroughly committed to preserving the amazing history and heritage of the Seacoast. 

Beyond those iconic tours, the company also charters the famous Thomas Laighton “party ship,” where during the summer hundreds pack the vessel to hear the best in local music — everything from rock cover bands to reggae to DJs — all while taking in the crisp evening air of summertime on the Seacoast. The company offers three or four “party cruises” a week this summer. 

The new owners instituted a new recycling policy once the Thomas B. Laighton started cruising again last spring. They implemented the policy change after conducting research that happened to coincide with a new policy of Waste Management, ISSCo’s trash and recycling hauler, which began accepting plastic cups for recycling. Now, in addition to cans, cardboard, and bottle, all plastic cups are now recycled.  Every trash can now has a corresponding recycling bin situated next to it. 

Customer compliance of the new recycling policy is high, says Rich Ryzman, the Steamship Company’s marketing manager. Thomas B. Laighton crew members help customers comply by instructing them where to put discard the various items into their proper containers. The increased level of recycling compliance means using fewer trash bins. 

“Everything they buy off of our ship can be recycled — straws, cups, plastic ramekins. Anything that is plastic can be recycled,” Ryzman says. Also, crew members encourage people when drinking draft beer to use the same cup instead of discarding it for a new one. 

The results have been great. ISSCo. was able to get rid of its dumpster. The company is spending a little more money this year on waste than last year, though it should be noted that last year ISSCo. paid “overage” fees for a surplus volume of trash — “so we’re essentially spending at about the same level this year as last. That’s what we have to do to reduce our carbon footprint and help the environment. It’s been better all around to be recycling,” Ryzman says. 

The Isles of Shoals Steamship Company is equally dedicated to other greening aspects of its operations. The Thomas Laighton fills its fuel tanks with biodiesel from Simply Green, a Green Alliance business partner. The Green Alliance is a union of local sustainable businesses promoting environmentally sound business practices and a green co-op offering discounted green products and services to its members. 

Green Alliance members can buy one Thomas Laighton adult ticket and get a free ticket for one child, or buy one "Party Ship" ticket and get the second one free. Also, GA members can save 15 percent on private charter bookings. 

By being green, ISSCo. defies common stereotypes about big boats. “From the outside, we look like a gas-guzzling party boat,” says Ryzman. “People have this misconception. They think we use these massive engines that burn a lot of fuel. But we actually spend less money on gas per person than a smaller vessel would because of the biodiesel. Because we are primarily tour boats, we don’t drive fast — when we are going full bore it’s only 10 knots — so we don’t use a lot of fuel and we get help from the tides and currents.” 

The new ownership group came in with the goal of reducing the Thomas B. Laighton’s carbon footprint. To achieve that goal, they needed to change the long-standing waste policy. “We’re recycling more, which is a good thing,” Ryzman says. “Not only does the policy increase the value of our brand because people know about our increased recycling and approve of it, it’s just the right thing to do.” 

For more information about the Thomas B. Laighton and the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company, visit www.islesofshoals.com.