‘Green’ your boating in 2020

Top tips from The Green Blue

As a boating community we enjoy getting out on the water and experiencing the beautiful environment around us. We therefore play an important role in helping to protect our marine and inland waters and safeguard the wildlife and habitats with which we share our boating environment.

The Green Blue is the environmental programme of the Royal Yachting Association and British Marine, supporting the UK recreational boating community to be part of the solution by adopting and facilitating environmental good practice to minimise any impacts on our inland and coastal waters.

Whether you’re continuing your journey or want to make your first steps to making your boating more sustainable, here are some of The Green Blue’s top tips to help you #GoGreenBlue in 2020:

Engine Efficiency

An efficient engine is not only good for the environment, it will give you a better ride on the water and a less painful experience filling up at the pump!

  • Consider choosing an electric outboard engine or alternative fuels like biodiesel or biogas if possible. Explore The Green Blue’s new Business Directory at www.thegreenblue.org.uk to discover engine and fuel alternatives as well as other sustainable products.
  • Regularly check and service your engine. Fresh oil, clean spark plugs and dust free air-filters all help to lower fuel costs and emissions.
  • Get Planing – Whilst up on the plane the drag of the hull is reduced allowing a more efficient drive.

Boating Around Wildlife

As boaters we are always delighted to encounter wildlife when out on the water or when onshore. Be it dolphins riding the bow wave, a group of seals and their pups resting on a rocky outcrop or a Heron stood majestically amongst the reeds.

Follow these good practice tips to help protect the wildlife we share our waters with.

  • Slow Down – whether you spot wildlife in the distance or it pops up on the port side. Reduce your speed to no wake speed or put the engine in neutral if safe to do so. This allows you and the wildlife time to react and avoid any potential collisions.
  • Keep a consistent course – this allows wildlife to predict where you are going and move out of your way.
  • Distance – Use binoculars! Keep 100m (329ft) from wildlife in and on the water or on cliffs, beaches and rocky outcrops where wildlife might be feeding, resting or breeding.
  • Keep quiet – Shhhhhh! Lower voices and turn off any music, sound can be heard over longer distances on open water and many animals have more sensitive hearing than humans.

Anchoring with Care

Anchoring is an essential part of boating, whether you are stopping for lunch or sheltering from stormy conditions. Some important seabed habitats, particularly Seagrass and Maerl beds, may be sensitive to anchoring activities.

There are many simple things you can do when anchoring to both prevent damage to your boat and reduce your impact on the environment too.

  • Avoid anchoring altogether, locate and use existing moorings, pontoons or berth at a marina.
  • Choose an anchorage away from the most sensitive areas wherever possible (e.g. away from seagrass, reefs, shellfish beds, etc.). Use the JNCC interactive Marine Protected Area mapper to find out what protected species and habitats are located around the British coastline at jncc.gov.uk/mpa-mapper.

Deploy your anchor correctly to avoid drag: Use the appropriate length of chain and warp to help reduce scouring of the seabed; Even if you think the anchor is holding well, check it periodically to make sure it is not dragging. If your anchor is dragging, raise it and re-anchor.

Antifouling

While antifouling does a great job of keeping our hulls clean, and even has some environmental benefits such as improving fuel efficiency and preventing the spread of invasive non-native species, it is toxic to aquatic life. Some of the compounds found in these antifouls can accumulate in marine organisms, and can find their way into marine wildlife further up the food chain.

Boat owners can play a vital role in preventing concentrated paint residue and scrapings from entering the water. Follow the antifouling best practice guidance developed by the British Coating Federation (BCF), The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA) and The Green Blue as part of the ‘Protect, Collect, Dispose’ initiative. Including:

  • Place a sheet of tarpaulin on the ground to protect and capture any unwanted drips, spills and paint debris.
  • Dispose of paint debris and any contaminated items in hazardous waste bins at your marina or local council’s recycling centre.
  • Choose a facility provider (marina, boatyard, club or centre) that has a filtered washdown area to capture contaminated run off and biofouling or encourage them to install one.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 

  • Recycle as much waste on board as possible. With the increasing amount of mixed recycling facilities now available, you need only two bins on board.
  • Ask your facilities provider where their recycling bins are located or encourage them to provide them.
  • Think about recycling old equipment such as sails, rope, electronic kit and oilskins by offering them to your fellow boaters, boat jumbles or online rather than throwing it away.
  • Stamp out single-use plastics by refusing to purchase or use them. Choose more sustainable alternatives such as reusable cable ties or bungees, compostable waste bags and purchase items with little or no packaging.
  • Why not get involved with and encourage your local sailing club, centre and marine businesses to join forces and partner with a local litter clean organisation to help make your sailing environment cleaner and healthier.

The Green Blue helps boat users, boating businesses, clubs and training centres to reduce their impact on coastal and inland waters, wildlife and habitats. The Green Blue raises awareness, supports practical projects, runs outreach activities and offers easy to follow advice to make boating in the UK as sustainable as possible. Visit the new Green Blue website www.thegreenblue.org.uk to find out more.

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Carrick Castle Beach Clean on 22nd September 2019

Eleven people turned up in the pouring rain to clean the beaches in Carrick Castle as part of the National Beach Clean long weekend. There were boat club members, residents from Carrick Castle and from Lochgoilhead – thank you to all. We collected the equivalent of six full bags of rubbish from the beaches in 30 minutes!

  

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Carrick Castle Beach Clean – Sunday 22nd September 2019 11 am to 12 noon

The Carrick Castle Boat Club have arranged a second beach clean this year to coincide with the National Beach Clean Weekend (20th to 23rd September) and that of the Lochgoilhead Beach Clean.

Club members and residents of Carrick Castle are all invited to attend the ”Carrick Castle Beach Clean” on Sunday 22nd September 2019 from 11 am to 12 noon.

Please meet at the club’s notice board next to the village board and post box opposite Castle Carrick by the car park.

We will supply litter pickers, gloves and black bags of which 50% were funded by the Lochgoil Community Trust by grant and 50% by the boat club.  Please leave full bags of the rubbish collected by the roadside to then be taken to be piled up next to the litter bin by the bus shelter in the car park for the A&B  Council to collect.

Your help will be appreciated!

Carrick Castle Boat Club helping to keep our local environment clean.

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Are you looking after the environment as well as your boat?

New green campaign focuses on antifouling

Boat owners are being urged to ‘Protect, Collect and Dispose’ as part of a new initiative promoting best practice for antifouling vessels.

The RYA and British Marine joint environment initiative, The Green Blue, has joined forces with the British Coatings Federation (BCF) and The Yacht Harbour Association in a drive to encourage boaters to seek the best method for protecting boats and the environment.

Launched today (April 25) at the 2019 Marina Conference in Bournemouth, the Protect, Collect and Dispose campaign offers plenty of advice for those who antifoul their own vessels, as well as for marinas and boatyards which offer professional antifouling services.

Kate Fortnam, Campaign Manager for The Green Blue, says: “We have developed guidance with the BCF for antifoul application, removal and disposal to ensure hazardous paint does not enter the environment during these processes. The guidance explains how to best protect yourself and the environment, especially with regard to collecting paint debris and disposing of waste.

“This isn’t just an opportunity for marinas and individuals to ensure they are adopting best practice but to encourage others to do the same and help raise awareness of the main environmental issues.”

While antifouling does a great job of keeping hulls clean and preventing the build-up of marine organisms, and even has some environmental benefits such as improving fuel efficiency and preventing the spread of invasive non-native species, it is toxic to aquatic life.

Since the banning of TBT in 1987, most antifouls are now copper or zinc based. Some of the compounds found in these antifouls can accumulate in marine organisms, and can find their way into marine wildlife further up the food chain.

Trevor Fielding, Regulatory Affairs Manager at the BCF, comments: “This new initiative is intended to raise awareness of environmental issues relating to antifouling amongst the boat-owning community and our UK boatyards and marinas. Everyone wants to do the right thing but either they don’t know how and/or they lack the facilities to do so. We hope that the information provided will help to improve the practices followed by DIY antifouling paint users, as well as those applying antifoul professionally.”

Look after your boat and the environment 

When antifouling your boat:

  • choose an appropriate well-ventilated location and follow marina and boatyard rules;
  • read labels and literature thoroughly;
  • wear all recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) and keep this on until the end of the application;
  • protect the ground and surrounding area;
  • keep dust to a minimum and capture all debris and scrapings;
  • minimise paint dust by using wet sanding techniques;
  • thoroughly clean up after;
  • wash skin with warm soapy water or approved cleaners;
  • dispose of all waste responsibly.

For further information and detailed advice visit the RYA website and The Green Blue website.

Help to deliver the message

An informative leaflet has been produced explaining how to best protect yourself and the environment, especially with regard to collecting paint debris and disposing of waste. A weather resistant poster is also available for display in chandlers, marinas and boatyards. For these and other awareness raising materials, visit http://www.safeantifouling.com

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Carrick Castle Beach Clean

The Carrick Castle Boat Club assisted by members of the Carrick Castle Community Trust and some visitors carried out a Beach Clean in Carrick Castle on Sunday 5th May 2019 between 11 am and 11.45 am filling seven bags of rubbish. This annual beach clean ensures the beaches remain free of rubbish for most of the year. Thanks to over a dozen people who helped this year.

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It’s time to tackle non-native species

A few simple steps can curb the threat from invasive plants and creatures.

While you’re enjoying your cruising, have you considered that you might be attracting unwanted guests to your vessel?

Invasive species can hitch a ride on the outside of vessels and in spaces within them, as well as on equipment and clothing, and it’s all too easy to unknowingly spread animals, eggs, larvae and tiny plant fragments from one body of water to another.

The RYA and British Marine’s environment campaign, The Green Blue, is supporting Invasive Species Week (13-17 May), giving clubs and cruisers a chance to get involved and protect the UK’s waters from non-native species.

Around 2,000 non-native plants and animals from all over the world have been introduced to the UK by people. Invasive non-native species can block up waterways, make navigation difficult and cause irreparable damage to the environment. Once in a waterway they can disperse rapidly, adversely affecting recreational facilities, reducing fish populations and restricting navigation.

It is estimated that the threat to biodiversity from these invaders is second only to that of habitat loss. There are about 140 aquatic non-native species in Britain. Many species thrive in both salt and fresh water. Their main means of spreading is via boat hulls or propellers, or within bilge or engine cooling water systems.

How can I get involved?

Everyone can help to prevent their spread by following the Check Clean Dry routine and by putting up a sign to remind fellow boaters to do the same. Sharing a photo of biosecurity in action on social media under #InvasivesWeek will also help to deliver the message.

Since the launch of the Check, Clean, Dry campaign in 2011, The Green Blue has provided a wealth of information and guidance to inland and coastal clubs and boaters about the steps they can take to minimise the spread of non-native species.

  • Share a photo on social media under #InvasivesWeek.
  • Remind your fellow cruisers that they may be unknowingly helping to spread invasive species from one water body to another.
  • Access the free online training to learn more about non-native species, how to identify them and how you can prevent them from spreading.
  • Become a Check, Clean, Dry champion and contact The Green Blue for free materials you can use to raise awareness.

Reporting invasive species

The Environmental Audit Committee has launched a new inquiry to consider the impact and threat to biosecurity from invasive species. It is hoped this will act as a reminder for people to report sightings of non-native species, providing useful biological records to inform the GB Invasive Non-native Species Strategy. Find out how to record sightings here:  http://www.nonnativespecies.org/index.cfm?sectionid=81

Some of the species threatening our environment

Carpet sea squirt http://www.nonnativespecies.org/factsheet/factsheet.cfm?speciesId=1209

  • While each individual organism is tiny (1mm long), carpet sea squirt grows in colonies which can cover several square kilometres and any other species in its way.

American lobster http://www.nonnativespecies.org/factsheet/factsheet.cfm?speciesId=1736

  • Much larger and more aggressive than the European species, American lobster could threaten native lobsters and other economically important species, such as brown crabs, through competition and disease.

Slipper limpet http://www.nonnativespecies.org/factsheet/factsheet.cfm?speciesId=1028

  • These form chains and stacks which can contain up to 15 individuals.
  • They can starve and smother native shellfish and be a serious pest to oyster and mussel beds.

For more information, visit www.thegreenblue.org.uk. Follow the campaign on Twitter @CheckCleanDry and @TheGreenBlue #InvasivesWeek

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Invasive Species 2017

It’s Here… Invasive Species 2017

 

Helping raise awareness about harmful effects of alien species

Invasive Species.  It’s your chance to get involved and protect your club waters from invasive aquatic species by taking advantage of free signs and materials!

Invasive aquatic species block up waterways, make navigation and paddling difficult and can damage boat engines and props. Many can be spread from tiny fragments, and survive out of water for over two weeks in damp conditions.

Everyone can help to prevent their spread by following the Check Clean Dry routine.  Put up a sign to remind fellow boaters and share a photo on social media under #InvasivesWeek to promote your club!

Freshwater (http://www.nonnativespecies.org/downloadDocument.cfm?id=807):

Marine (http://www.nonnativespecies.org/downloadDocument.cfm?id=1251):

Don’t let aliens hitch a ride!

Since the launch of the Check Clean Dry campaign in 2011, The Green Blue and the RYA have provided a wealth of information and guidance to inland and coastal clubs about the steps they can take to minimise the spread of invasive non-native species (INNS).

INNS are animals and plants that have been introduced by human activity (on purpose or by accident) to parts of the world where they are not normally found. These species can hitch a ride on boats and equipment and when unknowingly spread from one area to another, they can have a damaging impact on British plants, animals and ecosystems – by spreading disease, competing for habitat and food and direct predation.

How can I get involved?

If you’re inspired by the great work going on to prevent invasive non-native species from spreading and reduce the impacts of those which already have, why not get involved?

  • Help us stop the spread of invasive plants and animals in British waters – put up a Check, Clean, Dry sign to nudge fellow boaters into action
  • Share a photo of your sign on social media under #InvasivesWeek to promote your club!
  • Remind your club members that they may unknowingly be helping to spread invasive species from one water body to another in equipment, shoes and clothing
  • Access the free online training to learn more about invasive non-native species, how to identify them, and how you can prevent them from spreading
  • Become a Check Clean Dry champion and contact The Green Blue for free materials you can share with other members of your Club to raise awareness

For more information, visit http://thegreenblue.org.uk/

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The Green Blue launches new wildlife guide

 

Helping to celebrate United Nations’ World Wildlife Day

The Green Blue is launching a new wildlife guide for boaters today [Friday, 3 March 2017] to coincide with and celebrate United Nations’ World Wildlife Day.

The UK has an amazing array of marine wildlife, from the magnificent basking shark and the bottlenose dolphin to the unmistakable puffin and stunning razorbill. It’s not uncommon for recreational boaters to come across these and other curious and charismatic creatures when they’re out on the water.

The Green Wildlife Guide for Boaters, the latest addition to The Green Blue’s suite of handy leaflets, is designed to advise boaters on how to get the best experience out of their wildlife encounters by acting responsibly and cautiously to minimize the risk of disturbance while keeping participants and their boats safe.

With beautiful illustrations created by Pete Galvin, the key message to boaters who find themselves close to marine wildlife is to think speed, and be steady, predictable, quiet and cautious. The guide also provides up-to-date contact information for boaters who wish to record sightings, or who come across strandings. It also signposts boaters to further sources of information on protected species and relevant legislation.

Jane Swan, The Green Blue Project Manager, said: “Boaters are always keen to learn more about the wildlife they enjoy while out on their boats.  This new guide offers some very practical tips on what to do if you spot something or if something chooses to approach you. The excitement of the moment is understandable, but it’s always important to know how to enjoy the experience without risking you, your boat or the animals themselves.”

To complement the guide, The Green Blue is also launching Writing a Green Wildlife Guide for Boaters to help non-boating specific organisations when developing local codes of practice for water users.

RYA Planning and Environment Manager, Emma Barton, commented: “We’re delighted to be launching these guides in time for the summer boating season ahead, and very pleased that Natural England, the Marine Management Organisation, Scottish Natural Heritage and The Wildlife Trusts are supporting this initiative. It’s important that we all continue to work together in this area to encourage best practice as widely as possible.”

To find out more about The Green Blue visit www.thegreenblue.org.uk

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Beach Clean 2017 & 2018

2018

 

The Carrick Castle Beach Clean was carried out on Sunday 20th May 2018 between 11 am and 12 noon. We had such good support this year from 13 local residents it took a lot less than an hour. The equivalent of seven full bags of rubbish were collected by seven boat club members (Jai & Vonna Cowper-Smith, Ian & Dorothy Nicholson, Graham Mathie, Bill Miller and Douglas Locke) and six non-boat club members (Cecilia Ferguson, John Lanigan, Donatella Peretti, Jean Shepheard, Arthur Fairfull & Jane Richardson). The amount of rubbish collected in Carrick Castle was about the same as the last three years (7 full bags each) which was an improvement from 2014 when 14 bags were collected.

2017

The Carrick Castle Beach Clean was carried out on Sunday 5th March 2017 between 11 am and 12 noon. The equivalent of seven full bags of rubbish were collected by seven boat club members (Jai & Vonna Cowper-Smith, Ian & Dorothy Nicholson, Jim Graham with Cloe, Bill Miller and Douglas Locke) and three non-boat club members (Cecilia Ferguson, Peter Matthews & Liz Evans). Jimmy Sim very kindly took all the rubbish bags to the Lochgoilhead car park to join up with the rubbish collected on the Lochgoilhead beaches for the council to collect. The amount of rubbish collected in Carrick Castle was the same as the last two years (7 full bags each) which was an improvement from 2014 when 14 bags were collected. This weekend tied up with the British Spring Clean Weekend.

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End life of boats

What happens to boats that have reached the end of their useful life or have been abandoned?

There has been a flurry of interest in Europe recently about what happens to boats that have reached the end of their useful life or have been abandoned. Such vessels can lead to pollution, navigational hazards and removal costs for marinas, ports and recreational craft owners.

With an average age of 30 years, those recreational craft that are at the end of their useful life need to be disposed of in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. This is no small problem. It is claimed that Europe has one of the largest concentrations of recreational craft in the world with over 6 million in the European Union alone. It is estimated that as many as 95% of these are made from Fibre Reinforced Plastic.

Because Fibre Reinforced Plastic is highly durable, end-of-life disposal has not been a major issue so far. However, the time is coming when even these boats will reach the end of their lives and will have to be disposed of. As regulation is starting to restrict the disposal of FRP to landfill, recycling will become the only realistic option.

Boat DIGEST

In October 2013 an EU funded project call the Boat Dismantling Insight by Generating Environmental and Safety Training (Boat DIGEST) was established to study the problem of end-of-life boats. The main activities were to identify boat dismantling and recycling practices, boat dismantling facilities across Europe and to gather dismantler and boat owner opinions in order to understand existing problems faced by them.

The RYA, through its membership of the European Boating Association, was an Advisory Board Member of Boat DIGEST to provide suggestions and feedback on the deliverables. The result is that four sets of “Guidelines” have now been published on the project’s website www.boatdigest.eu. These target: boat owners and nautical associations; marinas and leisure harbours; repair & refit companies; and boating schools and skipper training centres. The guidelines offer information on actions that can be taken by these four groups and the role they can play in raising awareness about the issue.

Clearly, Boat DIGEST has made a valuable contribution in raising the level of awareness and knowledge of this issue among key sectors, however, the project did not make an assessment of the possible financing models for disposing of  old boats; this and where costs fall is the issue that troubles us most.

BOATCYCLE Project

Between 2010 and 2012 the European Union sponsored a project that addressed the end of life issue as part of an aim to reduce the environmental impact of the marine industry.

The main objective of the project was to reduce the impact of the nautical industry on the environment by developing new treatment, management and recovery methods for end-of-life recreational boats. The BOATCYCLE project also addressed boat production and manufacturing processes based on life cycle assessment and an eco-design approach. Again the ‘who pays’ question was not addressed.

Who will pay then?

Researchers have calculated that the average cost of conventionally dismantling a 7 m long boat including logistics is €800, rising to some €1500 for a 10-12 m boat and as much as €15,000 for boats of over 15 m. (The escalation is related more to boat volume than to length and to the greater complexity of larger boats).

It has been mooted that the costs should fall on the boat owner, but many owners who are in place at the ends of a boat’s life are unwilling or more likely unable to afford such substantial sums, at least within a short time span. Unlike owners of metal boats, which have significant scrap value in their recyclable metals, those who own reinforced plastic boats cannot rely on scrap value to reduce disposal costs. Collecting the costs from owners, even those that can be traced may well be difficult.

The problem with the owner pays proposal is that it does not recognise that the boatbuilding industry has its part to play. Currently, there appears to be little incentive for innovation in green design and the development of new marine products that are more sustainable throughout their life cycle and during scrapping and recycling.

One concept that merits further examination is that of extended producer responsibility; a strategy in which the manufacturer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. In practice, this implies that manufacturers assume the responsibility for collecting or taking back used goods for their eventual recycling. This reflects the fact that boat builders and their suppliers are also key stakeholders in the lifecycle process and working towards sustainable and recyclable products is in their interests.

This approach is not without its problems; often the original manufacturer goes out of business long before the boats they build reach the end of their lives. Also the costs of extended producer responsibility may well be reflected in increased lifecycle costs.

Nevertheless, in the absence of any legal or regulatory instrument that requires the recycling of recreational craft or the correct management of abandoned craft in Europe, the marine industry must start developing viable disposal and recycling strategies akin to those that have evolved for the auto trade. The requirements for dismantling, reusing and recycling of end-of life boats and their components should be integrated in the design and production of all new boats. Today, in spite of the great advances in waste management in Europe, there is a compelling need to include specific measures related to the management and recycling of boats aimed at:

  • ensuring that they are designed and manufactured in such a way as to allow reuse, recycling and recovery to be achieved;
  • preventing waste;
  • promoting reuse, recyclability and recovery;
  • obligating the use of manufacturing processes without hazardous substances;
  • improving the environmental performance of all involved in the life cycle of boats.

The future?

There is clear evidence that the European Commission is starting to take notice of this issue as part of the ‘circular economy’ (a generic term for an industrial economy that produces no waste and pollution) and a further study is expected in 2016; the future may well depend on action taken by the EU in the years to come.

Action by the EU could include mandatory or non-mandatory regulatory measures, a legislative framework or no measures at all. However, according to the BOATCYCLE experience certain measures are considered to be necessary in order to achieve the correct management of end-of-life and abandoned boats at an EU level. These may well include regulatory measures at EU and/or Member State level; creation of a European registration and deregistration system including information concerning boats that have reached their end-of-life status; and mandatory extended producer responsibility.

Whatever happens, the RYA is keeping a close eye on developments through the European Boating Association in order to ensure that the views of boat users are fully represented and understood.

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