Environmentally Friendly Boating

By: Andrew Dillan
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:42:23
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher | Social Bookmarking
Rating:
 

As a boater, you want the waterways to stay clean. To make sure that your beautiful scenery will be around for your next trip out, here are a few tips that you can use.

1. Lead by example.

Next time you are at the marina, be sure to bend over and pick up a piece of litter out of the water (or from the beach, docks, or ground). If people see you taking the time and energy to clean up, they will know that it is not acceptable for them to litter.

2. Start a movement.

If everyone on your water picked up one item of garbage each time they went out, the water would be clean in no time. Put up signs suggesting the “pick up one piece” policy along the dock or at a relative area.

You can also organize to get a lot of people together to clean your lake or river. Like the “adopt-a-highway” program, getting everyone together once a year to clean your waterway will help you get your shores looking clean in no time.

3. Use Common Sense When Fueling.

If you have a portable fuel tank, be sure to always fill it on solid ground where spills are less likely to occur. In many areas it is illegal to fill a portable fuel tank in a boat for fire regulations. If your fuel tank is on-board, be careful while you fuel. Keeping a cloth or towel with you to wipe away spills will save the environment and your paint job!

Always know the capacity of your fuel tanks. Be sure that you have an accurate gauge to tell how full your tank is. Never overfill your tank.

If you have a smaller engine, use a funnel to fill your tank. You can even take an engine ashore to fill. This will give you an opportunity to wipe down the area of your boat where the engine attaches, and can prevent you from getting rust and other problems. This particularly applies to emergency engines for sailboats.

4. Know your Vent Line.

When fuel gets warmer, it expands. This can cause it to escape from the vent line. Riding through particularly choppy or rough waters can also cause fuel to escape from the vent line. You can install an anti-surge valve to prevent fuel from leaking overboard while you are having a good time.

When you are filling your tank, you will be able to feel air flow from your vent line. This air flow will increase dramatically when you are close to filling your tank. When you feel the air flow increase, it means that it is time to stop filling your tank.

There is no excuse for littering, especially on the water. The litter that you throw into the water can contaminate fish, the water that goes to our cities, and surrounding farmlands. The smallest items, such as cigarette butts, often take the longest to decompose (cigarette butts are NOT decomposable and will stay in the water, keeping it ugly, until they wash ashore where children might play).

As a boater, I have an intense respect for nature. I like going out into nature, and I have a vested interest in keeping our environment clean. Together, we will be able to keep our waterways clean.

Andrew Dillan is an avid boater. The only thing he loves more than his boat might be his car. Find out how to finance your purchase of a new boat (that could be more environmentally friendly) at The Guide to Car Loans.

Article source: Expert Articles

Most Recent Articles in Travel & Leisure category

  • Australian Student Activities and Highlights - By: Dexter Nicholson
    Culture shock is probably the most abrupt effect felt by new international students studying in Australia. The Land of Opportunities is multicultural, this is something that student visa holders should know right before they decide to study down south. However, possessing multiple types of culture is not a negative issue. It can actually ease up your aim for faster adjustments. Even though you're novice to an Australian life, everything will be easier and handy. Coping up with the new environment is just like learning the alphabet. Everything will come automatic. Because as you try to keep up with an Australia life, most of the people around you would slow down and help you learn what you need to learn. Boredom and homesick is a big joke because there are a lot of recreations waiting for you inside and outside your school.
  • Recommended Budget Hotels in New York - By: Larry Austin
    New York City is the most populated city in the United States and even as a region New York is very popular among travelers. This is the number one destination in the Untied States for foreign visitors as it is the cultural, financial, entertainment, industrial, fashion and commercial center of the United States.
  • The Old Vicarage Ambleside Guest House Now Has an Indoor Swimming Pool - By: Kathleen Maze
    The Lake District is best known for its lakes but there is also a phenomenal amount of walking that can be enjoyed by all abilities. It is easy to find something suitable for all abilities, ranging from a gentle ramble, a mountain walk or an exhilarating high-level traverse.
  • 3 Ways Beach Chairs Make a Day at the Beach Bearable - By: MJ Marks
    Not sure if you are a beach type persons? Well, find out how beach chairs keep you comfortable and happy at the beach.
  • Working Students in Australia - By: Dexter Nicholson
    A lot of families and individual cannot support their studies so they either look for a scholarship, not study at all or work part time. As education is very important for the development of the young mind, every thing should be done to be able to get that diploma. Read more for the working students in Australia.
  • Six Reasons Why to Choose Aluminum Beach Chairs - By: MJ Marks
    If you go on a tropical getaway this summer, don't forget your beach chair! A great option are aluminum beach chairs. Here are six reasons why you should consider them for your
  • Tourism After Katrina - By: Jesse Henson
    Hurricane Katrina affected not only the local populations but also the once-thriving tourist industry in the area.
  • 101Malta and 101Dublin - a far cry from the usual online travel guides - By: Luciano Borg
    Log on to any site that claims to be your perfect travel guide and what do you get - a multitude of travel deals. Wherever you click you are instantly overwhelmed with special offers: book this, buy that, fly with us, hop on this, reserve that!
  • Getting in Touch with Nature in Malta - By: Luciano Borg
    The Maltese countryside is small and, like that of many other countries, threatened by over development. Thankfully, there is still enough of it that is protected to help one get away from the urban areas on the Island to be able to get in touch with nature.
  • Wreck Diving in Malta - the paradise of the Mediterranean Sea - By: Luciano Borg
    The Maltese Archipelago is a real paradise for divers and snorkellers. In the case of wreck diving, for many it is a dream come true. The islands have fortunately retained their natural state due, to a large extent, to the sea and its fauna.