There is lots of talk about being "environment friendly" when it comes to boating. How do you rate yourself? If you have products you believe in and or tips for making it easier to be an environment friendly boater tell us about them. If you simply don't care or think the whole issue is overblown - tells us why. And don't forget to rate yourself in this weeks quick quiz.
- Status
Outboard motor discharge
I do my best to be environmentally friendly, but there's one problem I haven't been able to solve completely. My Evinrude 9.9 two cycle outboard discharges a small amount of fuel into the water, leaving a small "rainbow" slick, after I shut it off, whether or not I raise it or tilt it up. I solved the problem partially by replacing the fitting where the fuel line plugs into the motor, and there's no leakage from that location now. The discharge seems to be coming from near the prop. Is this normal? Is there a way to stop it? If anyone has any good advice, I'd be grateful.
I do my best to be environmentally friendly, but there's one problem I haven't been able to solve completely. My Evinrude 9.9 two cycle outboard discharges a small amount of fuel into the water, leaving a small "rainbow" slick, after I shut it off, whether or not I raise it or tilt it up. I solved the problem partially by replacing the fitting where the fuel line plugs into the motor, and there's no leakage from that location now. The discharge seems to be coming from near the prop. Is this normal? Is there a way to stop it? If anyone has any good advice, I'd be grateful.
bilge water
I am very envionmentally conscious.......but have to admit that pumping bilge water into the lake gives me concerns. Maybe my old Atomic 4 isn't as tight as I am sure it should be and there always seems to be a little oil/solvents in the water. Oh well, maybe I will replace that rear seal soon.
I am very envionmentally conscious.......but have to admit that pumping bilge water into the lake gives me concerns. Maybe my old Atomic 4 isn't as tight as I am sure it should be and there always seems to be a little oil/solvents in the water. Oh well, maybe I will replace that rear seal soon.
It's about time
Regarding being envoirnmentaly safe, I think everyone who sails that I know has that on their minds these days especially concerning inland waters here in California, which are really overused, but who is going to step up and say " Sorry we have too many boats on the lake today, you can't launch yours until someone else leaves" We haven't gotten to that point as of yet but it may be not far away for some lakes here. I think the law which pretains to 2 cycle engines on inland lakes is a good law. "It's about time the industry provides the same type of envoirnment protection as the Automakers( as it relates to No Leaks of engine or transmission fluids of any kind). I feel that keeping up your aux engine is just as important as keeping your standing and running rigging in tip top shape. I think that my 14 year old 4 STROKE Honda O.B motor is just as leak proof and far more efficient then any 2 stroker out there. No matter what you do to a 2 cycle it still will have a discharge of some kind. Sometimes a 4 stroke will as well, but I feel that until we come up with maybe Propane powered or Solar Powered outboards( the closest thing being Electric Trolling Motors) which has set my mind to thinking it maybe already in our immediate future. I never pump bilge water into a lake. I have both a manual and electric bilge pump and there are pumping stations around so you don't really need to pollute the lakes unless of course you are sinking and then it doesn't matter. It's much better for the envoirnment, to save the boat then to loose it with all the gas, oil, diesel, cleaning solvents and everything else that can harm our water and wildlife not to mention US !!!! So yes, I carry my garbage, grey water and blackwater with me till I get to a pumping station. It takes so little time to pump it out and it takes much longer for polluted water to become safe once more. Yes I don't think it can be stressed too much !!!! In our ever growing society we bring a great deal of stress to our envoirnment as well. We need to protect it just as much as we protect our own families, after all it may be them that have to drink lake or reservoir water, and just how much cleanup will have to be done to get it to acceptable standards ???????? Thanks for listening Happy Sailing
Dave LaPere
Regarding being envoirnmentaly safe, I think everyone who sails that I know has that on their minds these days especially concerning inland waters here in California, which are really overused, but who is going to step up and say " Sorry we have too many boats on the lake today, you can't launch yours until someone else leaves" We haven't gotten to that point as of yet but it may be not far away for some lakes here. I think the law which pretains to 2 cycle engines on inland lakes is a good law. "It's about time the industry provides the same type of envoirnment protection as the Automakers( as it relates to No Leaks of engine or transmission fluids of any kind). I feel that keeping up your aux engine is just as important as keeping your standing and running rigging in tip top shape. I think that my 14 year old 4 STROKE Honda O.B motor is just as leak proof and far more efficient then any 2 stroker out there. No matter what you do to a 2 cycle it still will have a discharge of some kind. Sometimes a 4 stroke will as well, but I feel that until we come up with maybe Propane powered or Solar Powered outboards( the closest thing being Electric Trolling Motors) which has set my mind to thinking it maybe already in our immediate future. I never pump bilge water into a lake. I have both a manual and electric bilge pump and there are pumping stations around so you don't really need to pollute the lakes unless of course you are sinking and then it doesn't matter. It's much better for the envoirnment, to save the boat then to loose it with all the gas, oil, diesel, cleaning solvents and everything else that can harm our water and wildlife not to mention US !!!! So yes, I carry my garbage, grey water and blackwater with me till I get to a pumping station. It takes so little time to pump it out and it takes much longer for polluted water to become safe once more. Yes I don't think it can be stressed too much !!!! In our ever growing society we bring a great deal of stress to our envoirnment as well. We need to protect it just as much as we protect our own families, after all it may be them that have to drink lake or reservoir water, and just how much cleanup will have to be done to get it to acceptable standards ???????? Thanks for listening Happy Sailing
Dave LaPereOutboard
Joe, I believe the "rainbow" or oil slick is unburned fuel. When you shut off a gasoline engine the ignition (spark) is removed, so any unburned fuel will exit out the exhaust. Try shutting off the fuel and letting the engine run out of gas when you shut it down.
Joe, I believe the "rainbow" or oil slick is unburned fuel. When you shut off a gasoline engine the ignition (spark) is removed, so any unburned fuel will exit out the exhaust. Try shutting off the fuel and letting the engine run out of gas when you shut it down.
Final Results
Final results for the quick quiz ending 8/7/2000. Are you and environment friendly boater? Mostly - minor digressions = 56% Extremely = 25% No = 7% Somewhat = 6%
Final results for the quick quiz ending 8/7/2000. Are you and environment friendly boater? Mostly - minor digressions = 56% Extremely = 25% No = 7% Somewhat = 6%
Fuel cells and boats
I'm on the lookout for a way to eventually replace my diesel with something more environmentally friendly --- fuel cells coupled with electric motors are on the horizon. Take a look at this website on one possible future of energy production for transportation purposes: http://www.fuelcells.org/tu1998.htm and http://216.51.18.233/fct/index.html One example from fuelcells.org about a boat: Fuel Cell Passenger Boats Planned. A 90-passenger boat in Italy has been converted to fuel cell power as part of the Euro-Quebec Hydro-Hydrogen Pilot Project. The hybrid electric power system employs a 40kW PEM fuel cell -- fed gasified liquid hydrogen -- with a lead acid battery storage system, giving the boat an operating range of 300 kilometers (186.4 miles). Officials are studying the possibility of an "in-use" demonstration. In Germany, the Expo 2000 project plans to equip the passenger boat "MS Weltfrieden" (motor ship World Peace) with a 10kW PEM fuel cell and two metal hydride storage tanks. The boat may go into public operation as early as the next operating season in 1999.
I'm on the lookout for a way to eventually replace my diesel with something more environmentally friendly --- fuel cells coupled with electric motors are on the horizon. Take a look at this website on one possible future of energy production for transportation purposes: http://www.fuelcells.org/tu1998.htm and http://216.51.18.233/fct/index.html One example from fuelcells.org about a boat: Fuel Cell Passenger Boats Planned. A 90-passenger boat in Italy has been converted to fuel cell power as part of the Euro-Quebec Hydro-Hydrogen Pilot Project. The hybrid electric power system employs a 40kW PEM fuel cell -- fed gasified liquid hydrogen -- with a lead acid battery storage system, giving the boat an operating range of 300 kilometers (186.4 miles). Officials are studying the possibility of an "in-use" demonstration. In Germany, the Expo 2000 project plans to equip the passenger boat "MS Weltfrieden" (motor ship World Peace) with a 10kW PEM fuel cell and two metal hydride storage tanks. The boat may go into public operation as early as the next operating season in 1999.
- Status