Green Boating Tips
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Today it’s easy to minimize your impact on the environment while maximizing the efficiency and performance of your boat. Below you’ll find tips on products that can reduce pollution and lower your fuel consumption. Be sure to look for new approval designations that indicate safer products, such as the EPA-certified “Design for the Environment” label. It assures you that the product has minimal environmental impact.
1. Choose Green Products: Use the cleanest maintenance products that do the job. Look for the EPA-certified “Design for the Environment” DfE label, which assures you that the product has minimal environmental impact and is safer for the person using it. Benefit: Safer products. Reduce water pollution.
2. Use The Right Prop: Use a prop with the right pitch so your engine reaches its designed wide-open-throttle RPM. An adjustable-pitch ProPulse propeller allows you to dial in the optimum pitch angle in single degrees. Modular props, like the Quicksilver Flo-Torq II series, let you swap props while keeping the same hub. Product: ProPulse propeller (A West Marine Exclusive). Benefit: Reduce fuel consumption, improve performance.
3. Don’t Push Water: Install and use trim tabs or hydrofoils such as those offered by Bennett, Nauticus and StingRay. Most planing powerboats can improve hole-shot acceleration or reduce fuel consumption with properly adjusted trim tabs and hydrofoils. Keeping on a plane at lower engine RPMs can extend your range and reduce your time on passages. Benefit: Improve boat performance and save gas.
4. Keep The Bilge Clean: Avoid the accidental discharge of oily water by using a sorbent in each bilge area. Consider a bioremediation product like BIO-SOK to convert hydrocarbons into safe compounds. Benefit: Safer products. Reduce water pollution.
5. Retire That 2-Stroke Outboard: It may be possible to get a few more years out of your old-technology outboard, but you’ll be much happier with the reduced noise, fumes, fuel consumption, and pollution of a modern injected four-stroke outboard such as those by Mercury. For an even quieter ride, try Torqeedo’s electric outboard. Benefit: Save gas and reduce water pollution.
6. Recycle your Lead-Acid Batteries: 12V batteries are among the most recycled products in the world. Get up to a $10 credit* on a new battery, when you return your core to any West Marine store. Benefit: Save money and conserve resources.
*Amount varies by state.
7. Prevent Fuel Spills: Use or install a device to prevent overboard discharges from your tank vent. The Davis No Spill and the Racor Lifeguard Separator are two methods. The Fuel Whistle by Green Marine makes a whistling sound that stops when your tank is full, to prevent spills. Benefit: Save gas and reduce water pollution.
8. Use an autopilot: Modern autopilots such as those by Raymarine can steer better than most helmspersons and they don’t have a limited attention span. Benefit: Reduce fuel consumption.
9. Recycle Your Monofilament Fishing Line at West Marine stores or shore side recycling locations. If your harbor doesn’t have a recycling location, see the website fishinglinerecycling.org. Get a Fishing Club Card at West Marine stores and save money when you recycle your line.
10. Eat Responsibly Harvested Seafood: Protect fish stocks by using the Seafood MiniGuide & chose sustainable seafood at a restaurant or grocery store. Ensure that the fish stocks are plentiful for your children and for generations to come. For your free MiniGuide go to any West Marine store or visit http://www.westmarine.com/pdf/MiniGuideSeafood.pdf.