Tip of the Month
June, 2008 - Motoring Green & Clean!
As boat users we all have a responsibility to the environment; to the sea, the coastline, and of course, to the natural wildlife. It isn’t difficult to be conscientious and considerate, and by following a few simple rules we can all be instrumental in keeping our waters safe and clean for everyone to enjoy, and minimize the impact our boating has on the environment around us.
The following items are all very obvious examples of what should never enter into the sea:
• Garbage, of any sort- including bio-degradable food materials
• Oil and oily wastes
• Sewage- if it is going to be harmful to the amenity value of the local water
• Toxic wastes
One way to make life easier for yourself, and easier on the environment, is to dispose of as much packaging as possible before you load food and drinks onto your boat. Put food into washable, re-useable containers to reduce waste onboard, and keep rubbish in sealed sacks ready to dispose of appropriately when you next get to shore. Another useful tip is to keep a can crusher onboard to reduce the space your rubbish occupies. This shows that a little prior planning can go a long way!
We have all had a bilge full of oily water at some stage in our boating career, so instead of dumping it irresponsibly into the water, carry some absorbent pads to soak up the liquid and then dispose of it later in the oil waste drums which are now found at most modern marinas.
Over the years, the practice of discharging toilets directly into the sea has been seen as normal and acceptable; yet at the same time, we are all increasingly aware of the noxious effects this discharge has in busy marinas - particularly when the tidal effect is minimal. As a result, more and more people are fitting holding tanks, with more and more marinas offering pump out facilities. Where there aren’t any, nipping three miles out to sea to empty the tanks also isn’t a great hardship. For those of us without a system to contain waste, we must be mindful of other water users nearby and the movement – or lack of– in the surrounding waters.
It goes without saying that anti-foul paint, scrapings and wash-off must also not get into the sea as these are serious contaminants, and I would urge everyone to make a determined effort to use environmentally friendly products at all times to help minimize damage to the environment in the long term.
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