Boat Green: 50 Steps Boaters Can Take to Save Our Waters

by Clyde W. Ford

Overview

Recreational boating is a pastime enjoyed by millions. Yet the waters and marine environment that boaters so love are in serious jeopardy from pollution, resource mismanagement, and misunderstanding. Boaters can help change that. Although a relatively small part of the problem of marine environmental degradation, recreational boaters can be a huge part of the solution, writes Clyde W. Ford, an avid boater of over twenty years, whose encounters with polluted waters galvanized him to explore workable solutions.

Boat Green provides a host of environmentally sound boating practices, based on scientific research and practical boating experience. In this book, boaters will learn ways to:

• Reduce vessel operation and maintenance costs
• Improve vessels performance
• Increase safety and health of vessel operators and crew
• Increase awareness of marine issues
• Enhance enjoyment of the marine environment

All of these steps will help lessen the impact of recreational boating on the marine environment. These are practical solutions that have been field-tested and refined on actual vessels cruising the Pacific Northwest waters.

Boat Green is an essential guide for recreational boaters and for all those concerned about protecting the marine environment.

Clyde W. Ford is the executive director of EcoMarine Institute and author of nine books, including the award-winning The Long Mile and the Charlie Noble series of contemporary nautical suspense novels. Ford enjoys cruising the waters of the Inside Passage aboard his single-engine biodiesel trawler.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780865715905
Publisher:	New Society Publishers
Publication date:	02/01/2008
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Clyde W. Ford is Executive Director of the Ecomarine Institute in Bellingham, Washington. The award-winning author of five fiction and four nonfiction books, he is a much sought after public speaker who has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Clyde enjoys cruising and writing aboard his single engine biodiesel trawler.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     vii
A Note on the Chapter Icons     ix
For Yourself
How to Use This Book     1
What Does It Mean to Boat Green?     5
The Health of Our Oceans     9
The Health of Our Wetlands, Rivers, Streams and Lakes     15
Boat Green and Global Warming     21
One Boater Can Make a Difference     29
Make Sure Your Vessel Complies with Coast Guard Regulations     33
Maintain Situational Awareness     39
A Personal Vision of Protecting Our Waters     43
Operating Your Vessel
Fill 'er Up!     47
Oil Spill Reporting and Prevention     51
Use Biodiesel     59
Use Ethanol     65
Different Strokes for Different Boats     69
Electrify Your Boating Experience     73
Use Your Head to Protect Our Waters     77
Use a Pump-Out Facility Whenever Possible     83
A Gray Area of Protecting Our Waters     87
Prevent Onboard Fires     91
Use Radar Prudently     97
Recycle Underway     99
For the Upkeep and Maintenance of Your Vessel
Let Your Engine and the Environment Breathe     105
A Boat Green Oil Change     107
Boat Green with that Green Liquid in Your Engine     109
Keep Your Engine in Top Shape     113
Use Solar Power     117
Running with the Wind     125
On Dock, Off Grid     129
Keep Your Batteries Going ... and Going ... and Going     133
Best Boatyard Practices     137
Bilge Busting     141
Bottoms Up     145
Recipes for a Clean Boat     149
Skirt Your Boat     153
Use a Dustless Sander     155
For the Enjoyment and Protection of Our Waters
Boating on Environmental Credit     159
Enjoy Safe Encounters with Marine Mammals     163
Boat Green with Pets     167
Protect the Water's Bottom     171
Leave No Wake, No Trace Behind     175
Chart a Course to Boat Green     181
In Your Community
Form an Environmental Committee within Your Club     185
Host a Boat Green Event     187
Adopt a Waterway     191
Work with Your Local Marina     195
Get Involved with Boating and Environmental Issues     199
Teach Children the Value of Boat Green     203
Go Online to Boat Green     207
Join an Organization Working for the Marine Environment     211
Pass Along Your Boat Green Tips     215
Notes     217
Index     219
About the Author     227