Green Boating Issues & Information

VESSEL SEWAGE - Marine Sanitation and Pumpouts

• Sewage Disposal Sites along the BC coast
• Marine Sanitation: Fact vs. Folklore
• Sewage, MSDs and Pumpout (overview of issues with links to "how to" resources, from BoatU.S. Foundation)
• The Basics of Boat Pumpout (from BoatU.S. Foundation)
• Kayaking with a Toilet (from WaveLength Magazine)

VESSEL SEWAGE - Regulation

• NEW Vessel Pollution and Dangerous Chemicals Regulations- registered March 30, 2012
• Marine Waste Disposal - Letter to Minister of Transport, fall 2007
• Georgia Strait Alliance letter to Editors on proposed vessel sewage regulations (August 2006)
• Georgia Strait Alliance submission to Transport Canada on the proposed Ship Pollution Prevention Regulations - Sept 14, 2006
• Protecting BC Waters from Boat Sewage (BC Ministry of Environment)

GRAY WATER

• It's Not Always Black and White (By Mike Richards. Published in Wavelength Magazine Jan-Mar 2008)

FUEL & OIL SPILLS:

• Greening Up that Sheen (from Strait Talk, June 2004)
• Spills Aren't Slick - A Campaign of the Pacific Oil Spill Prevention Education Team
• Boater Fact Sheet: Oil and Fuel (California Coastal Commission)
• How to prevent discharges of oil at sea (Global Marine Oil Pollution Information Gateway)

HULL MAINTENANCE, HAULOUTS & BOATYARDS

• Alternative Fouling Control Systems - Environmental Options for Bottom Painting.
• Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Hull Maintenance at Boatyards and Marinas (Environment Canada)
• Hull Wash Water Management Options at Boatyards and Marinas (Environment Canada)

ENGINES

• 2-stroke engines pollute 2-much (Bluewater Network)

INVASIVE SPECIES 

• Canadian Boat Survey - Help reduce hull fouling and stop the spread of exotic species. 

MARINAS AND BOATYARDS

• Clean Marine BC program
• Ontario Clean Marine program
• Clean Marina (Washington state)
•  NEW! Ocean Conservancy Good Mate Program
• Real Estate Foundation of BC - info on Clean Marine BC

DISPOSAL

• BC Recycling Hotline
• Used Oil Recycling
• Earth 911
• Electronics Stewardship Association of BC

MORE LAWS AND REGULATIONS

• Federal Acts, Policies and Regulations
• Transport Canada's Regulation Query System: a unique, online search engine that provides relevant information about the CSA 2001 and it's regulations.  

OTHER GREEN BOATING RESOURCES:

• United Nations Environment Program - Shipping and Recreational Boating
• BoatU.S. Foundation: nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting safe and environmentally sensitive boating
• Ocean Conservancy: Waterway Conservation for Boaters

• NEW! Ocean Conservancy Good Mate Program

MARINE SAFETY AND TRAVEL:

• BC Ferries
• Marine weather for BC coast
• Tides, Currents and Water Levels for BC coast

GREAT BOOK!

Author Clyde Ford has released a new book on environmentally responsible boating called Boat Green - 50 Steps Boaters Can Take to Save Our Waters. Inspiring, practical and pragmatic this handbook is a terrific resource for all boaters who want to leave a "green wake". Click here for more information and to order online. 15% of the proceeds goes to Georgia Strait Alliance's marine conservation work!