{"id":91,"date":"2019-03-12T23:10:32","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T23:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/boating\/"},"modified":"2023-04-02T02:55:44","modified_gmt":"2023-04-02T02:55:44","slug":"boating","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/boating\/","title":{"rendered":"Boating"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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\n
\n

 Getting
\nOut

\n on the Sound<\/span>
\n

\n       Good
\nBoating Practices <\/span>

\n

\n

\nRecreational boating provides relaxation and enjoyment for thousands
\nof Puget Sound area residents. Boating is an important industry
\nproviding jobs in boat manufacturing and service. Boating also
\ncontributes to the environmental problems facing the waters of
\nthe Puget Sound region. All of us-especially boaters-have a lot
\nto lose if the quality of our waters deteriorates. Poor boating
\npractices can also destroy the beauty that draws us out on the
\nwater. As a boater, you can help ensure that you won’t damage
\nthe Sound that bangs you so much pleasure. <\/span><\/p>\n

Maintaining
\nYour Boat <\/span>

\nMany of the cleaning, dissolving, and painting agents used for
\nboat maintenance are toxic to aquatic life. A few simple precautions
\ncan prevent these chemicals from harming our rivers, lakes and
\nPuget Sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>Bottom
\nPaints <\/span>

\nCopper and tributyltin (TBI) bottom paints, used to prevent fouling,
\ncause particular environmental damage. The impact of bottom paints
\ncan be lessened if we control the amount that enters our waters.
\nCopper paints may be a better choice than TBT paints. TBT pollution
\nhas been shown to damage our oyster populations and has been banned
\nin Washington State on all but aluminum boats. Avoid TBT paints
\nwhen your repaint your hull, alternative products are available.
\nWhen scraping the boat bottom, catch the scrapings with a drop
\ncloth. Use sanders with vacuum attachments and sweep up any scrapings
\nor dust that may escape your drop cloth and store them for your
\nnext hazardous waste day collection <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>Cleaning
\nYour Boat <\/span>

\nThe phosphates in many soaps used to wash boats can contribute
\nto excessive algal growth in our waters. Rinse and scrub your
\nboat with a brush after each use instead of using soap. If your
\nboat is stained, use phosphate free soap\/laundry detergent or
\nany of the alternatives suggested in the chapter on hazardous
\nwaste to get it clean. When possible, avoid products that remove
\nstains and make your boat shine. They are extremely toxic. Avoid
\nproducts with label warnings indicating that they are toxic, these
\nproducts can kill marine life if washed overboard or accidentally
\nspilled into the water. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>Bilge
\nWastes<\/span> <\/span>

\nBilge water represents an especially thorny problem for boaters.
\nSince bilge water often contains oily wastes, there is a temptation
\nto add detergent to the bilge water and pump it overboard. The
\ndetergent, which may be harmful in its own right, breaks the oil
\ninto small, floating droplets which cover a greater area of the
\nsurface. Increasing the area of the oil increases the impact on
\nthe larval stages of many marine creatures which call the surface
\nlayer of the water home. The practice of adding detergent and
\npumping bilge wastes overboard is not only environmentally damaging,
\nit is illegal. The Coast Guard can impose fines of up to $10,000
\nfor such activity. It seems like the only solution is to remove
\nthe oil\/water mixture to the oil recycling container at the local
\nmarina. But wait, the signs indicate “Oil only – no bilge wastes.”
\nWhat can a conscientious boater do? First, fix any leaks that
\nmight contribute oil to the bilges. Next, before pumping the bilge
\nwater overboard, capture the floating surface oil with oil absorbent
\npads, paper towels or old nylon stockings. To address this problem,
\nlegislation may be required. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a>Fuel
\n<\/span>

\n<\/span><\/span>Fuel
\noverflows are dangerous to people and toxic to fish and other
\naquatic life. The traditional method for determining a full tank
\nis watching for fuel spilling from the tank over-flow vent. You
\ncan prevent these overflows by estimating fuel consumption relative
\nto your tank capacity. With a little practice, you will become
\nan expert at gauging when your tank is full. Until then, wipe
\nup spills immediately to keep them from reaching the water. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/a>Sewage<\/span>
\n

\nLong recognized as a problem in lakes and streams, nutrient enrichment
\nis starting to be seen in some bays and inlets of Puget Sound.
\nNutrient enrichment “fertilizes” the waters and contributes to
\nalgal blooms and oxygen depletion which can cause fish kills.
\nAs well as adding to the nutrients that are affecting parts of
\nthe Sound, human waste may contain disease-causing bacteria and
\nviruses. Eliminating or minimizing the discharge of boat sewage
\nhelps maintain water quality, reduces risk of disease, and protects
\nshellfish beds from contamination. <\/span><\/p>\n

While boating,
\nit is important that you treat or dispose of your sewage property.
\nIt is illegal to dump untreated sewage into the water and violators
\nare subject to a $2,000 fine. If you have a toilet on your boat,
\nit must be equipped with a Marine Sanitation Device (MSD). If
\nyour boat does not have an installed toilet, consider using a
\nportable toilet. Many marinas have dump stations to empty portable
\ntoilets.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Marine
\nSanitation Device is designed to prevent the overboard discharge
\nof untreated sewage. There are three main types of MSDs. Type
\nI breaks-up and disinfects the sewage with chemicals, then discharges
\nthe treated sewage overboard. Type II treats the sewage to a higher
\ndegree through maceration and biological decomposition. Type III
\ntemporarily stores sewage in a tank on the boat. While deodorizers
\nand formaldehyde are added to the tank, this does not constitute
\ntreatment. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is
\nincreasing concern about the effect of chlorine on aquatic life.
\nMany Type I and Type II marine sanitation devices use chlorine
\nand other disinfectants. The adverse impact of chlorine can be
\nlessened if you discharge treated waste while under way and only
\nin waters deeper than 20 feet where tidal movement will disperse
\nthe chlorinated waste. Whenever possible, use chemical additives
\nin your MSD that do not contain chlorine or formaldehyde. Because
\nmarina pilings hamper the water’s ability to flush through the
\narea, overboard dumping at a slip will deteriorate water quality
\nin the immediate area of your boat, lead to foul-smelling water
\nand an increased risk of disease. Boats with Type Ill systems
\nand those berthed at marinas must use on-shore sanitary facilities.
\nIt is illegal to empty holding tanks in U.S. territorial waters.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Regardless
\nof the MSD type on your boat, sewage pump-out stations or portable
\npump-out units should be used when moored in marinas and to empty
\nholding tanks. <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

<\/a>Trash
\n<\/span>

\nTrash is the most visible kind of Puget Sound pollution. Designate
\na storage area on your boat specifically for trash and regularly
\ntake the trash to shore for proper disposal. Beer cans and tabs,
\nstyrofoam cups, plastic bags, fishing line fragments, and other
\ndebris can trap, injure, and kill aquatic life and birds. Most
\nof this debris doesn’t disintegrate, instead it remains in the
\nSound for years and continues to kill wildlife, foul propellers
\nand clog engine cooling water intakes. Call the Coast Guard at
\n(206) 286-5540 if you see any boat – commercial or recreational
\n– dumping plastics of other trash in the water. It’s illegal.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Work
\nwith your port or marina to be sure the following questions are
\nanswered to protect local water quality: <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n

\nNot-Only-For-Kids<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

 Getting Out  on the Sound        Good Boating Practices Recreational […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9073,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template_6.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/91"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/91\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9213,"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/91\/revisions\/9213"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.forsea.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}