Clean
Boating Tip Sheet
Vessel
Cleaning and Maintenance
As a boater,
you are well aware of the care your vessel requires In order to keep your
boat safe, reliable, and attractive, you must clean and maintain it
As you do so, minimize environmental impacts by following the
recommendations listed here.Caution is necessary because your choice
of products and activities can have serious impacts on water
quality and aquatic life. For example, if paint chips from a hull
are not contained, they may end up in the water. The heavy metals
in the paint chips may then be consumed by mussels, worms, and
other bottom-dwelling creatures and passed up the food chain
to fish, birds, and humans. Clean Carefully Wash frequently with a
sponge or nonabrasive pad and plain water. This approach is very
effective at removing salt. Additional "elbow-grease" is required
to remove stains,When detergents are say, use soaps that are phosphate-free,
biodegradable, and non-toxic. Any soap should be used sparingly
because even non-toxic products can be harmful to wildlife. For
example, detergents will destroy the natural oils on fish gills, limiting
their ability to breathe.Wax your boat, if appropriate. A good coat
of wax prevents surface dirt from becoming ingrained.Clean teak
with a mild soap and abrasive pads or bronze wool. This method is
safe for the environment and better for the boat than the solvents
in standard teak cleaners that tend to eat away at the wood and
to damage seam compounds.· Avoid detergents that contain ammonia,
sodium hypochlorite, chlorinated solvents (bleach), petroleum
distillates, and lye.· Try some of the alternative cleaning products
listed on the reverse side of this page.Maintain Mindfully. Collect
all paint chips, dust, and residue. Dispose in regular trash.· Share
leftover paint and varnish.· Use less toxic propylene glycol antifreeze.·
Avoid overkill. Select a bottom paint developed for the mid-Atlantic
region.Recycle Regularly· Recycle used oil, oil filters, and antifreeze.·
Bring used solvents and waste gasoline to local hazardous waste collection
days.· Call 1-800-4-RECYCLE for locations of recycling centers and
information about hazardous waste collection. Visit the
New York Department of the Environmental Protection's web page at
www.state.ny.us/ for local recycling and hazardous waste contacts.Be
a Conscientious Consumer· Read product labels. Labels convey information
about the degree of hazard associated with a particular product.
For example, DANGER equates to extremely flammable, corrosive
or toxic; WARNING indicates that the material is moderately hazardous;
and CAUTION signals a less hazardous product. Select products that contain
no warnings or which merely CAUTION consumers. Be wary of unqualified general
claims of environmental benefit, e.g., "ozone friendly." A better
more meaningful label would read, "This product is 95 percent
less damaging to the ozone layer than past formulations that
contained chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)."
For additional information
about environmentally responsible products contact Green Seal. Environmental
standards for consumer goods. Green Seal is an independent, nonprofit organization
that sets environmental standards for consumer goods. Products that
meet their criteria are awarded a "Green Seal of Approval." You
may search Green Seal's database of Green Seal certified, environmentally
responsible products at: www.greenseal.org
or call (202) 588-8400..While
baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and vegetable oils are far less
harmful than bleaches, scouring powders or detergents, they are
still toxic to marine life. Use cleaning products sparingly and
minimize the amount discharged into the water. Never dispose
of any cleaning products down the thru-hull drain: dispose of them
on shore.
ALTERNATIVES TO TOXIC PRODUCTS
Clean Boating Tip
Sheet
Additional Equipment
The following are Recommendations for equipment
to help reduce marine pollution. There are no laws
requiring this equipment
NOT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BUT BECAUSE
YOU CARE!
Bilge
The bilge is the "dirtiest" area of most boats and the source
of pollution of our waters. Any steps to reduce the oil in the
bilge will reduce the possibility of this oil being dumped overboard
by the bilge pump. There is equipment that can be added or modified
within the bilge to reduce the oil in the bilge and thereby reducing
the possibility of oil being pumped overboard Absorbent
Materials:
Absorbent pads, Bilge pillows, booms and can be install under
the engine or drip pans. They come in various sizes. The bilge
pillows and booms are bio-remediating and will absorb 25 times
their weight in oil and fuel. They float on water to absorb fuel and
oil. The do not disintegrate and will last for months, even if
left in the bilge. They will make your job of cleaning oil and
fuel much easier.
· Inspect regularly to ensure that the saturation point is not
reached WARNING Do not expose to detergents or dispersants Exposure
may cause the absorbent material to become hydrophilic, allowing
it to absorb water, as well.
Float Switches:
There are various types of float switches that start the bilge
pump when the water reaches a certain level.
Simple
type
This switch shuts off leaving about an inch of water. The amount
of water left is dependant upon the factory setting and how the
switch is mounted.· Check your float switch to ensure a level of about
an inch or more is left. This will reduce the possibility of
pumping oil overboard, (oil floats).
Smart
Switch
The
smart switch shuts off before the bilge can pump oil overboard. NOTE:
The above pictures are for illustration only and DO NOT constitute
a product endorsement by the U.S.C.G. Auxiliary.
Clean Boating Tip Sheet
Fuel:
Air/Fuel
Separators
There
are various models of separators, they install in the fuel vent line
and prevent fuel from escaping. The gas only (shown above, (Left)
is designed for gas only. The one on the left can be used for
gas and diesel.
No
Spill Fuel Saver:
Attaches
to vent line and hull with suction cups and catches overflow
in a bottle. The above is just one example. You will find a variety
of
outside fuel vent attachments at your marine store.
Sure
Pour® Nozzle:
This nozzle
attachment to your fill tank automatically stops the flow to the boat
fuel
tank when the tank is full.
HELP
Your
help in telling other boaters of what you learned in this class and
practicing what
you yourself have learned will help in keeping our New York waters
cleaner.
•
Keeping New York’s world famous waters pollution free is more
important that ever.
•
Increasing population brings more boats
• New York has (as of 1998) 771,000
registered motor vessels
• New York has 300,000 visiting boats annually. With more boats comes
more
possibility of pollution.
Thank you for attending this class. Share information
you learn here with your friends in a friendly way put a little
"Pier Pressure" on them to clean up any dirty habits
they may have.
Resources
The
resources listed in this tip sheet are for your additional reading
on the subject of Marine Pollution.This bibliography lists the
recommended publications addressing clean boating and clean marine
practices. The bibliography gives documents that are useful, practical,
and readily available to the general public.
LAWS
Federal The
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 33 parts 151 through 157 relate
to pollution. The CFRs are on line at:
www.access.gro/nara/cfr/cfr-retrive.html
Sources:
This presentation
was developed from the following primary sources:1. The State of Maryland,
"Clean Boating Lesson Plan"
Additional
Reading
1.
"A Citizens Guide To Plastics In The Ocean: More than a Litter Problem",
1994, Center for Marine Conservation,1725 DeSales Street, NW,
Washington, DC, 20036, (202) 429-5609
2.
CLEAN BOATING GUIDES
"What Responsible Boaters Can Do to Keep New York's
Water Clean", Source: New York Sea Grant PublicationsUniversity
of Florida, PO Box 110409, Gainsville, FL 32611; SGEB-27
3.
"Sound Information: A Boater's Guide," Source: Puget Soundkeeper Alliance,415 West
Dravus Street Seattle, WA 98119; 206-286-1309
4.
PUMPOUTS : "The Clean Vessel Act of 1992 Pumpout Grant Program: American Success
Stories", Source: Robert Pacific, Division of Federal Aid, 4401 N.
Fairfax Drive, Room 140, Arlington, VA 22203; 703-358-184
5. "The Clean Vessel Act Educational Materials Sourcebook" , Sample
brochures, fact sheets, public service Announcements, logos on
disk, Source: Steve Farrell, Division of Federal Aid, 4401 N.
Fairfax Drive, Room 140, Arlington, VA 22203; 703-358-1845
6.
"Disposal At Sea", Commandant (G-MOR-1), United States Coast Guard,
2100 Second Street, SW Washington, DC 20593-0001
7. MARINA ECOLOGY: " Pollution Impacts from Recreational Boating:
A Bibliography & Summary Review Source: Rhode Island Sea
Grant Communications Office, University of Rhode Island Bay Campus,
Narragansett, RI 02882; 401-874-6842
#P1134; $6
Interesting Publications
1.Buller,
Pat. 1995. Clean Marina Clean Boating Clean Water Partnership. Seattle WA:
Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.
2.Clifton,
Clay., and Leigh T. Johnson. 1995. Clean Boating Tips. San Diego,
CA: California Sea Grant, UCSGEP-SD 95-7
3.McCoy,
Erika, J .A. and Leigh T. Johnson. 1995d. Boating Pollution Economics
& impacts, California Sea Grant, UCSGEP-SD 95-8Practical
Sailor. 1997. "Oil-Safe Bilge Pump Switches", Practical Sailor.
May 15, 1997. Pp 12-15.
CITIZENS
POLLUTION REPORT FORM
These
are the types of questions that you will be asked when you report
a pollution incident. Please answer the following questions to
the best of your ability then contact one of the following:Local
Coast Guard Station: VHF Channel 16Coast Guard National Response Centerat
1 (800)424-8802
Return
to MSEP home page
Return To Previous Page
Top Of Page
Return
to 1st District (SR) Staff Officers Page
Ken
Sommers, ADSO-CS
Assistant
WebMaster
First
CG District Southern Region