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Boat responsibility
Operate & maintain your boat responsibly
How boaters operate and maintain their vessels can significantly affect the health of lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. It is a boater's legal responsibility to help protect Washington waters and aquatic wildlife.
Do your part
- Support marinas that are environmentally conscious. Many will help you recycle oil, antifreeze, aluminum, and plastic bottles, and will provide a pump-out facility for your sanitary system. Visit Clean Marina Washington for a list of certified marinas.
- Whenever possible use environmentally friendly products on your boat. Be aware however that even these products can be harmful and concentrations should minimized. Select non-toxic, phosphate-free, liquid detergents, biodegradable soaps, and non-acidic teak cleaner, to name just a few. Baking soda is an excellent non-toxic all-purpose cleaner.
- Consider replacing older two-stroke outboard engines with a clean, efficient 4-stroke engine. They run quieter and cleaner and are much better for the environment. Newer Environmental Protection Agency-approved (2006 or later) two-stroke engines are better than older designs.
- Take the pledge. Pledge to do your part for the environment.
Engine maintenance
- Keep your boat's engine well-tuned for fuel efficiency and to minimize pollution. Use engine cleaners minimally. Repair oil and fuel leaks promptly.
- Remove all bilge oil. Use pumps or oil absorbent bilge pads to safely remove contaminated bilge water for proper disposal on shore. New products are available that can digest petroleum hydrocarbons in bilge water, but be aware that they take time to work. Never use soaps to clean an oily bilge.
- Dispose or recycle oil and other engine fluids properly. Do not drain engine fluids into the bilge.
- Flush first. Flush winterizing agents and antifreeze from the engine before launching each season. Collect these fluids and properly dispose or recycle them on shore. Avoid using ethylene glycol antifreeze in your boat, use only propylene glycol winterizing agents.
- For more maintenance tips, visit the Department of Ecology.
Fueling
- Don't top off your tank when fueling. This reduces the risk of fuel spilling and allows for expansion in the tank. Use absorbent pads to wipe up all gasoline and oil spills. Use an overflow prevention device on the fuel vent to guard against accidental spills.
- Never use soaps to disperse fuel spills, it's illegal and makes the problem worse under the water.
- Report all fuel spills: visit the Department of Ecology for a list of whom to call.
- For helpful tips about fueling a boat, visit the Department of Ecology.
Sewage
- Use onshore restrooms or carry a portable toilet. Larger vessels should have a Coast Guard approved marine sanitation device or marine head with a holding tank. Use the nearest pump-out or dump station for waste disposal. List of locations.
- Pump-out Washington hosted by the Washington Sea Grant in partnership with the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission's Boating Program contains information on pump-out locations on Google Maps, a how to video, information on free adapter kits for your marina tenants, impacts of sewage on shellfish, and grant opportunities available to recreational boating facility operators.
- Washington Department of Ecology information about boating and sewage.
Solid waste
- Dispose of trash properly on shore, recycle when possible. Minimize disposable plastic products brought on board. Fishing line, six-pack rings, and plastic bags are harmful to fish, birds, plants, and other wildlife, and they last for many years. They also tangle boat props, clog intakes, and litter shorelines.
- Recycle old fire extinguishers and marine batteries.
- Dispose of hazardous waste properly, such as in county household hazardous waste stations. Visit the Department of Ecology's Recycling Database to find a recycling location near you. Ask your marina or marine supply store about approved locations for expired marine flares.
- For information about recycling and hazardous waste, visit the Department of Ecology.
Vessel maintenance
- When refinishing your vessel over water, limit projects to less than 25% of the surface area of the deck and superstructures. Contain all debris with tarps and clean the work area regularly. For all hull work and larger refinishing projects, remove the vessel from the water and take it to a permitted boatyard.
- When painting or varnishing, guard against drips and spills by using secondary containment.
- When cleaning your vessel, use plain water whenever possible and minimize your use of soaps or toxic materials when the vessel is in the water. Keep all quantities to a minimum. Be aware that there are no legal cleaning materials for discharging into our waters.
- Never scrub, scrape, or clean boat hulls on or near the water if covered with antifouling paint. Clean and prep boat hulls at permitted boatyards where the waste is properly contained.
- Learn more by visiting the Department of Ecology.
Vessel operation
- Take it slow. Proceed slowly in shallow areas to avoid disrupting the environment. Stirring up sediment affects the natural life cycle of plants and animals.
- Watch your wake. Boat wakes erode shorelines and damage habitats.
- Watch your anchor. Avoid anchoring in sensitive shallow water habitats such as eel grass beds.