Motor boats impact water quality of our lake. Unburned fuel, and cleaning and protecting chemicals discharge or leach into the lake and can severely affect the delicate ecosystem. Here are 12 ways in which we can reduce the damaging effect of our boat motor:
The Impact of Our Boat Motor
A certain amount of the fuel that enters into a motor is discharged unburned and ends up in the water. Chemicals used to clean, protect, and run watercraft often leach into the water, severely impacting the environment and weakening or killing the wildlife. This pollution can affect the pH and dissolved oxygen in the lake.
Aquatic plants and animals have specific requirements for light, temperature, pH level, and more, and toxins from detergents, paints, petroleum products, batteries, and metals have disastrous effects on wildlife’s ability to survive and thrive.
Two stroke motors can emit 25-30% of their unburned gas and oil mixture into the water. In contrast, four-stroke motors emit 97% less air and water pollution than old two-stroke motors.
What Can You Do?
1. Upgrade your boat motor from an old two-stroke engine to a four-stroke engine.
2. Eliminate needless idling of your motor. If waiting for someone at the dock, turn your engine off.
3. Keep your engine well-tuned so that it runs more efficiently, pollutes less and is quieter. Adjust and clean the plugs, ignition points, fuel systems and carburetors. Change oil filters regularly. Use engine cleaners minimally. Repair oil and fuel leaks promptly.
4. When fueling, refuel on land if possible. Prevent fuel spills by filling fuel tanks slowly and use an automatic stop device on your funnel or spout to prevent over filling the gas tank. Use absorbent pads or rags to catch drips and spills. Leave the tank 10% empty to allow fuel to expand as it warms.
5. Spill-proof your oil changes. Use an oil change pump to transfer oil to a spill proof container. Wrap a plastic bag or absorbent pad around the oil filter to prevent oil from spilling into the bilge.
6. Keep some oil-absorbent pads on hand. They are designed to soak up hydro-carbons like gas, diesel and oil, but not water. These sponge-like products come in many shapes and can be placed in the bilge to clean up oil or used as a doughnut shaped fuel collar around the nozzle to prevent any drips. Other uses include placing an absorbent pad by the fuel vent to absorb any escaped fuel or floating one at the surface to soak up that tell tale rainbow sheen. They are inexpensive and reusable. Just wring them out over an oil-recycling container.
7. Prevent oily discharges from the bilge. Keep your engine well tuned to prevent fuel and oil leaks. Check your bilge on a regular basis to ensure it is free of all oil, grease and chemicals. If chemical pollutants are found in the bilge, use an absorbent pad to soak up chemical waste and dispose of the pad as hazardous waste. Do not dump bilge water containing oils or other chemicals overboard.
8. Never use soap to disperse fuel and oil spills– it increases harm to the environment.
9. Dispose or recycle oil and other engine fluids properly. Do not drain fluids into the bilge.
10. Minimize boat cleaning and maintenance in the water.
11. When possible, use environmentally friendly products on your boat. Be aware that even these products can be harmful and concentrations should be minimized. Select non-toxic, phosphate-free, liquid detergents, biodegradable soaps to name a few. Baking soda and vinegar are excellent non-toxic cleaners.
12. Avoid running your engine at full throttle– the engine runs least efficiently at top speed.
As Nike says … Just do it!
JF
References:
/www.rmbel.info/boat-motors-and-water-quality/
https://www.riverlorian.com/greenboating.htm
/parks.state.wa.us/467/Boat-responsibility
https://cabinlife.com/articles/article/eco-friendly-boating-outboard-motors
/www.boatsmartexam.com/knowledge-base/article/respecting-the-marine-environment/