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
Yes, Mostly, But.....
This is the Pacific Northwest and there is lots of water and quite a number of places to sail; unfortunately, it's getting increasingly crowded, both on land, at marinas, and in anchorages. Haul-outs are annual and I sand the bottom with an electric sander hooked up to a shop vac using a drywall bag to keep the copper out of the armature. The deck is cleaned with a pressure washer and no soap or chemicals, just plain potable water. The cutlass has been replaced with a PYI Shaft Seal so there is usually no bildge water - keeps the boat smelling a bit cleaner and no oily water is pumped over the side. The prop is a feathering prop so we maximize sailing vice motoring. That's the good news. The downside is the outboard for the dingy - 8 hp two-cycle, I think 50:1 mix. Most boaters realize now that much of this oil is used for lubrication of the cylinder walls and goes into the water. For short hops I usually just row - because it is more nautical, quieter, and a lot less work than attaching the outboard. Not lazy, just efficient! The number of boats compared to the population of the area, within the Puget Sound drainage area, is small. Most of the pollution, in my opinion, is from motor vehicles and land use activities. Kitsap County is developing regulations to protect and enhance the salmon fishery which is very, very important. However, they plan to put nearly all the burden on waterfront property owners (because they have the deep pockets?), and one can also expect to see much tighter regulations on marinas and boaters. I think the proposed emphasis is lopsided. Every roof, every driveway, every baseball field, every store and office building contributes to increased runoff in both quantity and faster time to the nearest stream. This increased flow rate sluices out the stream beds and the contaminanets are deadly. Additionally, as the population increases in a few years any improvements created by more stringent regulations will be negated. At this point it appears the only reason we're enacting more stringent regulations is to provide for more people and more growth. Does this sound futile or what? SeaTac is expanding the airport to include a third runway so there will be more jet traffic, more noise, and more diesel exhaust pollution everywhere - the signs of growth and progress. Thanks, Phil, for this opportunity to vent a bit. I was going to pass, but.... just couldn't take it.
This is the Pacific Northwest and there is lots of water and quite a number of places to sail; unfortunately, it's getting increasingly crowded, both on land, at marinas, and in anchorages. Haul-outs are annual and I sand the bottom with an electric sander hooked up to a shop vac using a drywall bag to keep the copper out of the armature. The deck is cleaned with a pressure washer and no soap or chemicals, just plain potable water. The cutlass has been replaced with a PYI Shaft Seal so there is usually no bildge water - keeps the boat smelling a bit cleaner and no oily water is pumped over the side. The prop is a feathering prop so we maximize sailing vice motoring. That's the good news. The downside is the outboard for the dingy - 8 hp two-cycle, I think 50:1 mix. Most boaters realize now that much of this oil is used for lubrication of the cylinder walls and goes into the water. For short hops I usually just row - because it is more nautical, quieter, and a lot less work than attaching the outboard. Not lazy, just efficient! The number of boats compared to the population of the area, within the Puget Sound drainage area, is small. Most of the pollution, in my opinion, is from motor vehicles and land use activities. Kitsap County is developing regulations to protect and enhance the salmon fishery which is very, very important. However, they plan to put nearly all the burden on waterfront property owners (because they have the deep pockets?), and one can also expect to see much tighter regulations on marinas and boaters. I think the proposed emphasis is lopsided. Every roof, every driveway, every baseball field, every store and office building contributes to increased runoff in both quantity and faster time to the nearest stream. This increased flow rate sluices out the stream beds and the contaminanets are deadly. Additionally, as the population increases in a few years any improvements created by more stringent regulations will be negated. At this point it appears the only reason we're enacting more stringent regulations is to provide for more people and more growth. Does this sound futile or what? SeaTac is expanding the airport to include a third runway so there will be more jet traffic, more noise, and more diesel exhaust pollution everywhere - the signs of growth and progress. Thanks, Phil, for this opportunity to vent a bit. I was going to pass, but.... just couldn't take it.
Final Results
Final Results for Quick Quiz Ending 8/7/2000: Are you an environment friendly boater? Mostly - minor digressions = 66% Somewhat = 16% Extremely = 8% No = 8%
Final Results for Quick Quiz Ending 8/7/2000: Are you an environment friendly boater? Mostly - minor digressions = 66% Somewhat = 16% Extremely = 8% No = 8%
- Status