Join Our Green Boating Community Aquatic invasive species (also called exotic or non-native) are plants and animals that invade an ecosystem where they don’t belong. If the invasive species has no natural predators in its new environment, its population can grow unchecked. Their abundance causes damage as they can consume native species, compete for food and space, … Read more
Join Our Green Boating Community One of the many joys of boating is being able to see marine wildlife. However, encounters with boats can be dangerous or deadly for these beautiful creatures, and sometime hazardous for the boat too! Before you go out boating research what types of marine wildlife may be living in or … Read more
Join Our Green Boating Community Determining the best places to anchor and cruise can be challenging without the proper navigational resources. Electronic charts are digital versions of the traditional government-issued paper charts (many boaters still carry these as back ups). For boats smaller than 40-50’ it’s recommended to use a waterproof chartplotter. You’ll have to … Read more
Join Our Green Boating Community When you’re deciding where to go on your vacation, chances are that you choose a destination partly due to the beautiful environment. Tourism is dependent on intact ecosystems. Tropical beaches, vibrant coral reefs, beautiful vistas and other natural elements are key motivators for vacation choices. What would happen if something … Read more
Join Our Green Boating Community Not very long ago, the abundance of fish in the ocean seemed to have no limit. However, studies estimate that half of global fisheries stocks are overexploited; another 40 percent are fully exploited and have no room for additional capacity. Our choice in seafood is a chance for each of … Read more
Join Our Green Boating Community Whether you have a runabout boat or a large cruising vessel, food preparation will play a major role in the enjoyment of your trip. Follow the below suggestions to help green your galley: Choose cookware and kitchen items that are reusable and will last. Try to avoid anything plastic and/or … Read more
Join Our Green Boating Community Energy for navigation, refrigeration, lights or other electrical items require a power source, but a boat’s engine will use almost as much fuel to charge batteries as it does when motoring. Idling your engine still produces emissions and pollutants that negatively affect our environment and our health. Running your engine … Read more
Join Our Green Boating Community How you take care of and drive your vessel has a large effect on how much fuel you use. Before your trip: Perform routine engine maintenance. Change fuel filters regularly to remove unwanted particles, increasing engine efficiency. Fuel additives will clean engine parts, breaking down potentially harmful substances. For other tips, … Read more
Join Our Green Boating Community What is biodiesel? Biodiesel is a renewable, non-toxic, clean-burning fuel, which can be a great alternative to conventional diesel. It’s produced from seed oils (canola, sunflower, soybean, etc.) and can also be made from waste vegetable oil, animal fats and algae, which don’t compete with food production. Biodiesel burns cleaner … Read more
Join Our Green Boating Community Outboard motors have come a long way. If you were to purchase an outboard engine prior to 2006, you would be shopping in a marketplace dominated by carbureted 2-stroke engines. In these traditional engines, the intake and exhaust ports are both open during the piston’s downstroke. They lose 20 to … Read more
