Responsible boat maintenance also means caring for the environment

We all know that in order to enjoy boating we have to keep our vessels in good operating condition. Many times, however, taking care of our boats can cause maintenance and repair pollution. We don’t want pollutants entering our waterways, so how can we do a good job maintaining our boats and still be responsible stewards of our waterways? First of all, you can rinse down your boat with plain water after each use. That cuts down on the heavy cleaning. Don’t overuse cleaning products, and clean up any spills. 

If we are sanding or even just cleaning the boat, we can cause particles to enter the water and make it cloudy. If there isn’t enough sunlight, the grasses and tiny plants can’t carry on photosynthesis. These plants provide oxygen and are also a food source for marine organisms. Even worse than simple clouding, is the introduction of toxic particles such as copper, acid, chlorine, etc. from some paints. There are some products now that use cayenne pepper rather than toxic metals. Dispose of batteries properly. These contain lead or cadmium which can accumulate in fish tissues. And if your boat is on shore, lay down a tarp under your boat and vacuum often while sanding. Have you used a degreasing solution to clean your boat? If this gets in the water it can clean off the oils fish need for their gills to bring in oxygen. Some cleaners contain phosphorous, and too much of that can cause algae to multiply into a dense mat that shades everything below. TBT contains a tin compound that harms oysters. More and more green cleaners are available these days. Tide puts out a laundry detergent that is bio-based with no dyes, chlorine, or phosphates. West Marine carries Spray Nine, a cleaner and disinfectant which is a non-toxic heavy-duty degreaser and works for RV’s as well as fiberglass boats. These are only a couple of the many products that let you do the job and still protect the environment. 

We are all responsible for clean waters and clean beaches. There are beach clean-up days all summer sponsored by Save the Bay, on Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This is a good activity for the whole family to show their civic responsibility. Thursday August 17 Conimicut Point has a clean-up, and on August 24 you can go down to Oakland Beach in Warwick, grab a bite at Iggy’s, and then join the folks walking the beach. Kids need to do community service for school these days, and this could be a fun way to do it. Just by taking a few easy steps we can all be part of keeping our bay beautiful.

And just a footnote – if you are going to be out on your boat or even your backyard, on Monday August 21, there is an eclipse of the Sun going on between about 1:30, with the maximum at 2:45, and ending by 4:00 p.m. In our area it is a partial eclipse, but still spectacular. Do not look directly at the sun without eclipse glasses. Sunglasses will still let in damaging rays. Eclipse glasses are available for under $2.00 at Lowe’s and Walmart.  A great free show to share with the family.