Top Ten: Techniques to be a Green Boater

eco friendly hull paintBoating is a great way to get out on the water to relax or go catch a fish. There are simple things that you can do to help keep our waterways clean.

1. Use the proper soap for cleaning your boat.
Use water based, biodegradable, and phosphate free soap to clean your boat. These soaps will help minimize the effects of the soap on the water.

2. Use non-copper based antifouling paints.
With copper based antifouling paints, every time you scrub your hull, copper is released into the water. With so many marinas impacted with copper pollution every little bit helps. Non-copper paints have really developed in the past few years, give them a try. Sure they may be a bit expensive, but lets get real. Did you ever think that your boat would not be a money pit?

3. Consider using a boat air lift.
Here at Coastkeeper, we keep our boat out of the water with an air lift. This keeps the boat out of the water when we are not using it. It’s great, noi hull cleaning at all and we don’t have to use any antifouling paint.

4. Keep your engine working properly.
Nobody wants to be that guy with a sheen leading everyone right to their boat. Keep your engine in good shape and free from leaks.

5. Minimize boat maintenance in the water.
Save the maintenance that needs lots of toxic chemicals for when your boat is hauled out of the water. This help ensure you don’t accidently spill that solvent or sealing in the water. Have you smelled that stuff? Seriously toxic.

6. Pump your head properly.
Make sure you are pumping your sewage properly and not just dumping it to sea. Nobody wants to swim your your sea logs.

7. Clean and drain your boat after freshwater boating.
Help stop the spread of invasives like the Quagga Mussels by preventing them from hitching a ride on your boat.

8. Fuel up properly.
Minimize fuel spills by using an absorbent pad and not overflowing your tank. That stuff is expensive and super bad for the water.

9. Change your old 2-stroke for a 4-stroke.
That old 2-stroke engine is noisy, fumey, and generally dirty. Upgrade to a proper engine to help keep that fuel-oil mixture out of the water.

10. Recycle your fishing line.
Some marinas have fishing line recycling. Use these instead of throwing your never to biodegrade monofilament line into the trashcan, or worse, the ocean.