How to Be “Marine Green” This Summer

There’s nothing like spending a summer day on the water. Especially if this happens to be your place of business. But whether you run boat tours, a fishery, or just enjoy a lazy day on the lake, you’ll want to be prepared for that unfortunate eventuality: an oil leak or fuel spill.

Because marine spills can happen even to the most responsible boaters among us, prevention is key. Here are five ways to become marine green:

  1. Tune in and tune up. Your boat engine requires the same care as your car engine. By keeping it well tuned, you’ll prevent oily discharges from the bilge. It’s also smart to make FiberDuck Oil Absorbent Socks or XSORB Bilge Boom part of your spill prevention plan, and check the bilge frequently to ensure the bilge pump doesn’t clog.
  2. Be a wrapper. For this kind of wrap, it doesn’t matter if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket as long as you wrap a FiberDuck pad around your oil filter to prevent accidental oil spills during your oil changes.
  3. S-l-o-w d-o-w-n! Just as 55 mph saves lives on the road, filling your marine tank slowly helps prevent fuel spills. And just as you’re not supposed to “top off” your auto gas tank, be sure to leave your boat’s tank about ten percent empty, so the fuel has room to expand as it heats up.
  4. Save suds for the shower. It may seem like a good idea, but soap is actually the worst product to use on a spill. It’s the antithesis of green, harms the environment and is illegal for spill containment.
  5. Maintain on the mainland. The best way to minimize your environmental impact is to do as much of your cleaning and maintenance as possible in the boatyard. Once you’re ship-shape, you’ll be able to truly enjoy your time on the water.
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