Better Boater Tips

How hard is it to be a conservation conscious boater? Well it is easier than you might think and getting easier every day. These better boater tips can help you make better choices to improve you boating and safeguard the oceans and waterways.

Clean Green

Cleaning the interior, deck and hull of any boat is one of the chores and joys of boating. Fortunately, the days when the only option for cleaning our boats were toxic cleaners, bleaches and chemicals are long gone.

Today there are plenty of products on the shelves of your local chandlery that can put your canoe, kayak, sailboat, fishing skiff or super yacht in bristol condition without harming the environment. When picking cleaners and waxes look for those that are biodegradable and free of toxins and acids. You might even try any phosphate free dish soap for most of your day to day cleaning and wash downs.

Dirtiest Catch

For most of us a day on the water is fun, challenging, and a great time to get closer to our natural environment. But careless boaters may be leaving trails of trash behind that mar the beauty of the on the water experience and pose real threats to marine life. Trash bags, plastic bottle, wrappers and more often find their way off the boat and into the water.

If we all practice leave not trace boating and commit to bringing home any trash that other boaters may have missed our oceans and waterways will be cleaner and our experiences richer. The next time you drop a plastic water bottle overboard or see a trash bag floating on the water - take the time to practice your person in the water recovery and scoop it up and bring it home.

(NOTE: In the future I think we should promote a picture blog of what people find on the water and bring home. You’ve seen the pictures of fisherman with their big catch...let’s do the same with trash)

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Speaking of plastic bags - all sorts of them are floating in our waters. They are a real hazard for sea turtles and other marine animals that mistakenly consume the toxic plastics. So rather than packing your provisions in plastic bags find a reusable grocery bag made of canvas or a recycled material to tote your goodies to the boat. Check out the Oceana Tote at the Oceana Store.

You’ve got to stay hydrated on the water and for most boaters the convenience of plastic bottles means that dozens and dozens of empty bottles are on the boat at the end of the day. Making sure all the bottles that went out come back and that you recycle those bottles can make a big difference and reduce the amount of plastic finding its way in our oceans and help slow the growth of the Pacific Gyre (link). Better yet reuse your plastic bottles or get a recycled aluminum bottle to hold your fluids.

Check back regularly for more better boater tips and suggestions on ways you can help protect our oceans.