|
Most spills in the recreational boating sector result from careless
refuelling or pumping oily bilge water overboard.
What can you do to help?
Report all spills to the Regional Council –
the sooner the Council hears about an oil spill the better the chance
there is of minimising damage to the environment.
If you are a boat owner:
- Make sure the engine is properly maintained,
that it does not leak oil or fuel, and that the bilge is kept
clean.
- Stop water leaking into the boat, so you
do not need to pump out so often.
- Soak up any floating oil with sorbent
material (newspaper, rags or paper towels in an emergency) before
turning on the bilge pump.
- Never mix detergent with oily bilge water,
this mixture can be even more toxic than oil alone, and is very
difficult to clean up.
- Always keep a piece of sorbent material
underneath the engine to soak up accidental leaks.
- If you have an automatic bilge pump, you
must ensure there is never any floating oil in the bilges. Larger
boats can install a bilge water filter that will remove most contaminants.
When refuelling:
- Before you start, estimate how much fuel
you need in your tanks to prevent overflow.
- Plug the scuppers (and breathers if necessary)
with rags or sorbent material.
- Keep sorbent material on the deck to mop
up spills. You may wish to cut a hole in the centre of an oil
absorbent pad for the fuel nozzle to go through and place it over
the filler to contain blowback in the pipe.
- Make sure a responsible adult monitors
the entire refuelling operation. Do not let children or untrained
people refuel your boat.
- Never leave the fuel pump unattended.
- Whenever possible, refuel at an approved
area using a fuel pump. Avoid transferring fuel to your boat in
containers. If you must use a container, be sure to use a large
funnel, and pour slowly and smoothly. Alternatively, buy a siphon
hose with integrated pump to reduce spillage.
Two-stroke vs. Four-stroke
Two-stroke vs. Four-stroke (PDF - 74Kb)
|
