Please use this section to give your feedback and ideas

Recycling Rain Water for Boat Washdown

Question: Do you have any information on how to harness rain water to wash down boats?

Operations Manager, Mount Batten Centre www.mount-batten-centre.com

The only premises we know that collects rainwater and uses it in the dinghy park is Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy. I attach some pictures below for information. Water collected on the roof and piped to the dinghy park, where there are two taps - one from the roof-collected water which is slightly saline and used for washing down boats etc and then tap water for other purposes. For more information on how they set this up and what the costs were, contact WPNSA: http://www.wpnsa.org.uk/

If you are looking for a large water collection tank, you could try http://www.thetankexchange.com who provide recycled and second hand rain water collection tanks up to 400 gallons.

Renewable Energy

Question: Do you have any information on how to harness Wind Power for Electricity?

Answer: Many clubs, training centres and indeed businesses find it very expensive to install renewable power sources. However, Government grants can help mitigate the financial pain. The Blue Skies fund closes in March 2006 but I understand that there is a new fund called the Low Carbon Buildings programme starting up in April 2006 which will give capital grants to install renewable energy. Full details have still to be released but you can find out more at:

http://www.dti.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-1504.html

You can also get interest free grants from The Carbon Trust for this type of equipment:

http://www.thecarbontrust.co.uk/energy/pages/page_72.asp

The Government gives Capital Allowances (tax advantages) to renewable energy equipment, so you may be able to claim some tax back too.

If you want to talk to a business that has successfully installed wind power, try Ormiston Wires, who harness both wind and solar power to run their business.

Slipway Cleaning

Question: We wish to find/trial more environmentally friendly products for slipway cleaning and antifouling. Do you know of any?  Fal River Links www.falriverlinks.com is committed to sustainable transport and as such the use of Green products where possible is tied in closely to our aims.

King Harry Ferry, Cornwall Ferries Limited

Answer: The Green Blue currently recommends pressure washing as the most environmentally friendly method we know of cleaning slipways. The alternative is to use biocides to clean the slipway chemicals, but you must follow the usual advice, namely if chemicalising the slipway or applying biocides do it on a falling tide, stick to the manufacturers recommended dilution and don't be tempted to make it up stronger, and never use bleach. Use only the minimum amount required to get the job done.

NB King Harry Ferry is currently trialling a product called Byotrol Inhibitor which claims to be environmentally friendly. The Green Blue would like to look into this further and any students who wish to take this on as a research project should see our Science Matters pages for application details.

Recycling

Question: Ref the various articles on this topic in the latest RYA Magazine, I wonder if these proposals give an opportunity for the Association to push for the provision of better recycling facilities at marinas and boat yards? It saddens me to see the huge quantities of bottles and drinks cans going into the skips with the rest of the rubbish when yachts return to their berths after a weekend afloat, frequently in marinas within Local Authority areas which operate recycling policies.

RYA Member by email

Answer: Marinas and boatyards should certainly take the opportunity of recycling aluminium cans, as they can be paid up to 35p/kg for these, and reduce the cost of their general waste! For details of companies who buy aluminium cans, visit our ‘In Focus’ pages.

It seems many marinas and boatyards are put off because of the difficulty of finding and dealing with a whole variety of waste providers for different recycling streams. It appears there is no one waste provider that can provide all recycling services, and marinas are charged commercial rates as local authorities will not supply recycling facilities on their premises – obviously facilities provided by local authorities have no excuse!

One Harbour Authority which has recently installed top quality recycling services is Salcombe, so save up your cans, bottles and plastic if you are planning a visit! Contact Rob Wheeler in the Salcombe Harbour Office for more information.

Eco Recycling Solutions is offering a free month free trial to facilities who wish to use its Silver Recycling Boxes. These generate advertising revenue to cover the cost of recycling. Contact Sajid Searge, Operations Manager on 0870 241 8791 for more information, and quote ‘Green Blue’.

Alien Species

Question: I've just got my renewal form for my mooring on Windermere, and I'm interested to see that there's some concern expressed by the Lake Manager about the introduction of alien species of small organisms to the lake by visiting boats. Since many Drascombers, including myself, trail-sail their boats, this led me to wonder whether we ought to be more concerned about this. Years ago I sailed with friends a few times on a reservoir where the boats had to be washed down in a disinfectant of some kind before they were allowed on the water; but apart from this I hadn't given the question much thought until now. I suppose we ought at least to be washing down our boats between waters. Has anyone come across a statement of 'best practice' about this one?

RYA member By email

Answer: The transfer of Alien Species is an increasingly prominent issue with the species such as slipper limpets and Chinese mitten crabs gaining a foothold around the British coast.

With regard to freshwater environments, areas like Cardiff Bay and Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland are experiencing problems with the spread of Zebra mussels, which can survive in both salt and fresh water. Northern Ireland’s Environment and Heritage Service has produced a Zebra Mussel Management Strategy that notes:

• Zebra mussels can be attached to the boat hull, inboard motor systems, pumping systems, rudders, propellers and anchors. Zebra mussels are also often found attached to macrophytes that are entangled on boats and trailer. Zebra mussel larvae can be carried in bilge water, engine-cooling water, live wells and bait buckets.
• Zebra mussels can survive for more than five days attached to a boat hull or trailer. Larval stages of zebra mussels can survive at least 8 days in water  and will survive transport between water bodies.

The Green Blue understands that all boats moving between water basins in Northern Ireland now have to be steam cleaned, as do  boats leaving Cardiff Bay. Boat clubs, marinas and sometimes local garages now provide steam cleaning in these areas. Engine cooling water should be drained and bilge water should emptied out (dispose of on-shore if it contains oil or fuel). A quick visual inspection of the hull and trailer is also recommended.

In coastal environments, big shipping is a major contributor to the transfer of alien species. For more information on species and locations, visit www.marlin.ac.uk/marine_aliens

Holding Tanks

Question: I understand that forthcoming EU legislation will affect the control of waste discharges from pleasure boats in UK and EU coastal waters. I wonder if you can advise me if you have any knowledge of such forthcoming legislation.

RYA Member by email.

Answer: At the moment, there is no requirement for boats in UK waters to fit holding tanks, nor is there any pending legislative requirement. The Green Blue has done a trawl of scientific research on this topic, and found no evidence that sewage from recreational craft presents any threat to water quality or to the environment. In the meantime, the Department for Transport has been consulting on extending provision of sewage pump out facilities for small craft but it stops short of requiring a holding tank. For information on this consultation, follow this link to the RYA website:

http://www.rya.org.uk/NewsAndEvents/newsroom/news/PortWaste_sewage_consultation.htm