Interview with Oceanographic Magazine
Arksen Founder, Jasper Smith, talks to Oceanographic Magazine about his deep connection with this planet’s wild places, why the marine industry needs shaking up, and what roles sustainability and conservation will play in Arksen’s long-term plans.
Photographs by Alex Glebov, Sasha Panarin, Jasper Smith and Arksen.
Take a glimpse at Jasper’s interview with Oceanographic Magazine on his influences, sense of adventure, sustainability and all things Arksen.
What has time at sea taught you about yourself?
“I’ve learned that I’m probably not as complex as I thought I was. We do tend to spend quite a lot of time overcomplicating things. At its most basic, I think life is quite a simple journey.”
What influence has adventure had on your life?
“Adventure is such a primal thing. As humans we need to put ourselves in positions where the outcome isn’t certain, where we take risks… Across all the things I’ve done, I think adventure is the definition of who I’ve become and the attitude I have to almost everything in life, be it personal or professional.”
How has that sense of adventure, personal endeavour and the desire to push limits influenced you as an entrepreneur?
“Everybody’s got the ability and energy to do pretty much anything they want, but it’s confidence that gives you the ability to take the first step. The thing I learned very early on, partly through sailing, partly through climbing, partly because of my upbringing, was just to get on with it, do what you can, make stuff happen, be a person that makes things happen rather than waiting for them to happen.”
Arksen is your first business foray into the marine world. As someone who’s been connected with the water their whole life, what inspired you to start a company connected with the ocean?
“The deep and profound love of the ocean, a determination to build businesses and a love of adventure.”
“When we looked at the marine industry, we realised it’s very traditional…white plastic boats sat in marinas don’t feel relevant anymore, people are looking for slightly different experiences… I think most sailors, at heart, are truly adventurous people who want to get off the beaten track and over distant horizons.”
What are the key sustainable elements of each Arksen build?
“If you look at the industry as a whole, it’s building production boats from plastic that are very hard to recycle — they’re built with the sale in mind, not with what happens to them when they reach the end of lifespan. At Arksen we take a different view. We look at the lifecycle of the product and try to build it today on the basis that as much of that vessel is recyclable as possible. Material selection comes from sustainable sources or is made from recycled materials.”
Read about Arksen’s use of Aluminium and it’s sustainable qualities here.
Do you see yourself as an industry changemaker or an innovative disruptor?
“Certainly a changemaker. I think the industry as a whole has really struggled to excite investors and therefore struggled to innovate at the same pace that the automotive and aviation industries have innovated.”
Find out more about Arksen’s Explorer Vessels.
Discover more about Jasper‘s adventures in our short film ‘Arksen Origins — Jasper Smith’.
