These are a few methods can use to minimize the environmental consequences of boating. Clean boating is easy to implement with a little care and planning.
1. Keep the Bilge Clean - Preventive maintenance and proactive bilge care will reduce the environmental effect of unintentional oil discharges. Good routine engine maintenance will reduce many fluid leaks through timely replacement of hoses, seals and gaskets. A sensible boater will kept oil adsorbent pads or pillows in the bilge and disable the bilge pump during maintenance evolutions.
2. Exercise Caution in Fueling - Improper boat fueling can lead to an oil spill and pose a fire safety risk. Overfilling the tank is easy to prevent using a couple of hints. Know the capacity of the fuel tank and slow fuel delivery as you near the tank's limit. Purchase a warning whistle for the fuel tank vent line. Carry spare adsorbent pads and wrap one around the fuel nozzle while fueling your boat. Fill portable tanks at upland service stations.
3. Choose a Clean Marina - Operating a boat in an environmentally sound manner is much easier at a marine that has the amenities in place to facilitate doing the right thing. A well designed facility will be near your desired area of operation to reduce travel costs, have clean upland comfort stations, provide pumpout service at a nominal cost, offer adequate and proper solid waste disposal collection, and have vessel maintenance facilities that keep contaminates out of the water.
4. Reduce Wastewater Discharges - Using upland comfort stations, clothes washing, shower, and vessel washdown pads will reduce the amount of process or gray water discharged into the marina. Planning these activities prior to sailing will reduce the load on the vessel's onboard Marine Sanitation Device (MSD) and the need to pump it out frequently.
5. Avoid In-Water Vessel Maintenance - Conduct hull maintenance at upland boatyard whenever possible. Utilize a boatyard that has washdown or maintenance pads built of nonporous materials and designed to collect the process water used on the boat for further treatment. Use dustless vacuum sanders and proper screening to reduce airborne pollutants. Consider using a dry rack storage service. Leaving your boat out of the water until needed reduces the growth of marine organisms and related hull maintenance.
6. Use Care with Antifouling Bottom Paints – Bottom paint is meant to be toxic and thus suppress the growth of marine organisms on the hull. Runoff, overspray and residue associated with bottom paint use builds up in the environment. Use a bottom paint suited for your climate and minimum amount of biocide needed to curb marine growth. Consider using the best management practices developed for bottom paint application.
7. Vessel Engine Operation - Marine engines are some of the greatest contributors of hydrocarbons (HC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) pollution into the environment. Boaters can greatly reduce engine pollution by keeping engines in good condition and well tuned, using a proper sized propeller, limiting full throttle operation, driving their boat conservatively, keeping the bottom clean, learning to use trim tabs and reducing the excess cargo being carried by their boat.
8. Pumpout Facilities – Use a marina equipped with an operational pumpout facility. Avoid discharge of sewage within three miles of shore and understand local or regional regulations can be more restrictive. If your vessel is not equipped with an installed MSD, consider purchasing a portable MSD approved by the Coast Guard and empty it at the marina upland dump station.
9. Avoid Use of Soaps and Detergents - Never use a soap to disperse an oil sheen or spill. Fuel is much less harmful to the environment when it is allowed to evaporate. Using soap to break up an oil sheen will sink the fuel to the bottom where it causes harm to marine organisms. The Clean Water Act specifically prohibits the use of soap or detergent to dissipate oil on the water.
10. Pack It In / Pack It Out - Just like a good scout, keep solid wastes and trash onboard and bring them home at the end of the trip. Use approved waste disposal facilities and consider recycling waster products.
Clean boating practices ensure our boating environment remains unspoiled and available for future free use. Remember to call the Coast Guard's National Response Center at (800) 424-8802 to report oil and pollution incidents that you observe.
Alan Sorum - Alan Sorum is the Maritime Operations Project Manager for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council (PWSRCAC). Alan is ...
