The America’s Boating Club has been promoting “green boating,” particularly in the upkeep and maintenance of your boat. Recently, the club developed a series of clean boating tips and published them in a brochure, called “America’s Boating Club Environmental Best Practices for Boaters.”

As we socially distance and catch up on our chores on board, here are a few best practices that will ensure you are doing your part to protect our waterways.

“GOLDEN RULE” – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE WASTE

– Retrieve all trash, monofilament particularly, from the water and the beach – even if it’s not yours. Keep both a net and a trash bag at hand, ready to scoop and collect debris.

– Recycle. Recycle. Recycle. Keep a clearly-marked container for cans, glass and – of course – monofilament.

– Minimize the packaging and plastic you take on board your boat. Establish the habit of using re-usable containers for food and beverages on your vessel.

SPEAKING OF WASTE

– Use restrooms onshore, both before you take off and, whenever, feasible, during your trip.

– While underway, use only Marine Sanitation Devices.

– Finally, and most importantly, use pump-out stations. Never discharge raw sewage.

FUELING

– Know how much fuel your tank holds, and when filling, do not top off your tank.

– Keep your engine tuned, and regularly check for leading seals, gaskets, hoses, and fuel lines.

Boat clean this spring! To download a copy of “America’s Boating Club Environmental Best Practices for Boaters,” visit online at bit.ly/ABC-greenboating.

Pat Schmidt is a member of America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva. For more about the chapter and the courses it offers, visit www.sancapboating.club or contact education@sanibelcaptivasps.org or 612-987-2125.