“It’s only natural for those of us who love boating, yachting and sailing to feel tremendous respect for the ocean’s eco-system,” says Capt. Russ Grandinetti, who has spent the last 15 years captioning such megayachts as Domani, Mirage and Barbarina, and now heads up the San Diego, CA-based Knight & Carver YachtCenter’s new Eco Solutions division. “Today, there are a lot of ways yacht owners and crews can implement eco-friendly practices.”

1. Add a New Position – Environmental Engineer. The responsibilities of this position and maritime schools to teach this newly created curriculum is something the International SeaKeepers Society, headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, has looked to devise for the past few years.

Jim Gilbert, SeaKeeper’s board president and former president of ShowBoats International, says, “We’ve been working on this with a council of committed yacht captains and crews. On one hand, we don’t want to add additional burden on yacht owners with salaries. However, the environmentally-friendly management and coordination of, for example, ships systems, garbage handling, spill planning, the products used aboard, knowledge of regulatory concerns and standards in various global ports is a big job.”

Gilbert adds, “We hope to see such a position go into effect in the next year.”

2. Garbage Disposal. “Think about where your garbage goes when you take it ashore in all areas,” recommends Capt. Mark Drewelow, who has worked aboard vessels from 30- to 110-feet in the Mediterranean, Pacific and Caribbean and is president of C2C Inc., in San Diego, CA, “and think what you can do to make sure it goes where you intend it to go.”

More and more marinas are offering receptacles for recycling of garbage such as glass, plastics and aluminum cans.

3. Cut Down or Out on Plastic Water Bottle Waste with an RO System. The reverse osmosis drinking water system uses the same mechanism that an RO “watermaker” uses to make fresh water from salt water, Eco Solution’s Grandinetti explains. “It takes salt water and forces it at high pressure through a membrane so small that it only allows a water molecule to pass through it. The byproduct of the watermaker is a brine solution that is returned to the sea, and fresh water stored in your tank.”

Grandinetti recommends the Galley-Mate-brand water purifier. “This uses the same RO system mechanism for fresh water except it takes regular tap water (not salt water) and allows only a water molecule through its membrane thereby removing impurities. Because the unit is working with fresh water, i.e. tap water from a city supply, it functions at low pressure or normal house tap pressure (35 to 50 PSI) to push the water through and remove any contaminates such as chlorine and bacteria. This is the same way that many bottled water companies make their water. By using an RO drinking water system on board, the need for all the plastic bottles can be eliminated.”

4. Choose Environmentally Safe Products. The eco-friendly choice of cleaning agents and products for washing the boat, decks and superstructure is critical. “This is an area where it’s important to have effective cleaning, yet not damaging abrasives or chemicals that causes down-glossing of topcoat or brightwork,” says Elenor Ekman, marketing manager for Interlux, International Paint LLC, Union, NJ. “For example, we have a product called All-Purpose Boat Soap with Wax. It’s a concentrated formulation yet environmentally friendly. It can be diluted with both fresh and salt water, and it will leave the surface shiny and clean. The wax in this soap helps to repel water hence keep the surface clean and protected longer. Using the wrong detergent/soap or solvent for cleaning can have detrimental effects on any painted surfaces.”

5. Don’t Introduce Potentially Harmful Critters. “Be aware of the introduction of foreign species as you travel about,” says C2C’s Drewelow.

6. Eliminate the Need to Dispose of Waste Oil. A product called the Bio-Sok, made by Universal Remediation, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, gets put into the bilge at the beginning of a season. “It basically absorbs oil and begins to digest the hydrocarbons down by a combination of the soy based ingredients in the Sok and the natural bacteria in water,” says Eco Solution’s Grandinetti. “The wonderful part of this remediation is that the byproducts are H20 and CO2. When all is said and done, the Sok is an empty shell.” http://unireminc.com/

7. Contain Oil Spills Ecologically. There’s the BioBoom for this, also made by Universal Remediation. The product contains a spreading spill while the PRP (tiny spheres of treated wax which contain nutrients) inside consumes the pollution.

“I have tested this myself at Pier 32 Marina in San Diego by using a large vat filled with salt water,” says Eco Solution’s Grandinetti, who tests hundreds of products in what he calls an ‘eco-detective’ role. “I added 3 gallons of used motor oil on the inside circle of the boom and 3 gallons of diesel on the outside of the booms circle. In about a week or so there was just a small sheen on the water and the booms circumference decreased in size.” http://unireminc.com/

8. Don’t Pump or Dump Waste Water. “There have been significant strides today in wastewater treatment for yachts,” says Patience Cohen, special project manager for the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

The Marine Dragonfly system is one of these. Basically, this water/sewage system treats and disinfects wastewater using a proprietary blend of bacteria to consume and break down the waste in water into basic components like nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. The water from the treated waste stream is then processed through a patented oxygen-based system that removes residual color from the water along with odors. It destroys harmful fecal and E-coli bacteria as well as other organisms more efficiently and rapidly than chlorine or bleach, but without leaving a residue. This reclaimed water is then reused in flushing the toilets and the urinals, and the cycle starts again. http://www.marinedragonfly.com/

9. Give Back. “Figure out a way to give back to science. Be creative,” says C2C’s Drewelow. “Crew typically has time and money to make this happen.”

10. Speak Up. “Crew have a lot more power to change things than they might think, especially captains,” says SeaKeeper’s Gilbert. “When captains express their display about environment concerns in an area, and threaten to not be bring their vessel anymore, this economic loss gets the attention of officials a lot faster than scientists with numbers on a paper.”

ECO-FRIENDLY MARINAS

Many marinas around the world are implementing a host of eco-friendly practices. In fact, this is one of the impetus behind the Copenhagen, Denmark-based Blue Flag Program, avoluntary eco-label awarded to over 3200 beaches and marinas in 37 countries across Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Canada and the Caribbean.

Here’s a short sampling of environmentally friendly marinas:

· Turks & Caicos Yacht Club (TCYC) at the Nikki Beach Resort & Spa. Island Global Yachting (IGY), operators of the TCYC, opened in December an eco-marina that exceeds all 22 Guidance Notes to the Blue Flag Marina Criteria. A few of the features include an in-dock central oil vacuum system that delivers extracted oils to an off-site storage facility for later collection and recycling, and a pressurized central gray and black water vacuum system integrally located within the floating docks and a connection point for pump-outs at every slip. The facility can berth yachts up to 200 feet. For information: www.igy-turksandcaicos.com

IGY, which operates marinas in the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe and the Middle East, incorporates eco-friendly features into its properties. “These include,” says Chuck Smith, of KingstonSmith Public Relations, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, who handles media and public relations for the group, “clean marina standards based on US and International standards, operations SOP’s for environmental emergencies, and a list of approved eco-friendly cleaners and products for use at facilities.

· Old Port Cove Marina. This North Palm Beach, FL-based megayacht marina, capable of berthing yachts up to 200-feet, has been designated a Clean Marina by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). This designation, says Sue Morgan, marketing director, “recognizes our commitment toward protecting water quality and conserving aquatic ecosystems in the Lake Worth Lagoon. Besides maintaining esthetically pleasing and clean facilities, the marinas provide services to their boaters, and crew, that encourage environmental protection and pollution prevention. The services include recycling, well-marked waste receptacles, supervised used oil and hazardous waste collection containers (including containers for flares), clean bathrooms and laundry, pump-out services and in-slip pump-out, and information on sensitive habitats and endangered species.” For information: www.opch.com/old_port_cove.php

· Shelter Island Marina. San Diego, CA’s Shelter Cove Marina, on Shelter Island, has been the test bed for the national clean marina program. Some of the ‘no’s’ here to keep the water clean include no discharge of paint, sanding debris, hydrocarbons or chemicals into the water; appropriate booms, shrouding or other containing devices must be in place to catch all droppings, and no repair work, spray painting, electric sanding, or any work which would cause damage to the docks, harm to other vessels or pollution to the water are allowed. Facilities can dock yachts up to 190 feet. For information: www.sheltercovemarina.com

· Foss Harbor Marina. This Tacoma, WA-based 400-plus slip marina on Puget Sound is part of a Superfund clean-up site. It’s received a five-star rating from EnviroStars for its leadership in preventing and recycling waste. Docks are capable of berthing yachts up to 96 feet. For information: www.fossharbormarina.com