Straight down the Sink

In New Zealand most boats do not capture grey water, it’s flushed straight out of the sink and into the sea where you are anchored or under way. I’m guilty here, but I think I’ve managed to keep my impact to a minimum by using an old fashioned soap shaker and sunlight. I’ve seen some online contributors suggest washing dishes in salt water, haven’t tried it myself but it isn’t beyond me.

Onboard boat showers, including simple cockpit solar showers, can also present pollution issues. Soaps, shampoo and conditioners all draining straight into the bay where you are. Dispersal isn’t gone! I’m not even going to try and describe some of the contents of these products but worryingly, some contain plastic particles.

Recent focus has been on the sad state of New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf. Auckland’s and Waikato’s beautiful water playground and food basket is facing collapse. This is a wake up call for all of us in New Zealand.

Washing Machines

Some larger vessels will have clothes and dish washing machines aboard, therefore there will be chemical discharges from grey water tanks, presumably within the discharge limits as described in the regulations (of various countries).

The substances contained in the cleaners however are a concern for the environment.  Dishwasher powders for example are alkaline salt which dissolve grease, but are extremely corrosive. Although many laundry powders are now phosphate free, they still contain a myriad of chemicals that we want to keep out of our seas including surfactants, bleach and brighteners, to name a few.

Simple hand dish-washing detergents do not completely degrade in seawater, think about that next time you let your sink water go. Most probably you are thinking that yours was a minor contribution, but multiply that by the 25 boats you last shared a bay with.

Let’s Up our Game

We all bear some responsibility for these beautiful places we cruise and enjoy unchecked, let’s up our game and do our small bit to protect them.

In New Zealand for instance, there are Grade B sewage treatment systems available.

Bilge water is another culprit. Keep your bilge squeaky clean and free from oil or fuel to avoid inadvertently pumping that over the side when you switch on the bilge pump.

Sewage and grey water pump out facilities are available at most marinas in New Zealand.

If all of us start making some small changes, then we can make a big difference to the quality of our ocean water.

Here are some ideas to try:

• Try using unbleached or bamboo derived toilet paper
• Read and research product labels for content information
• Use minimum toilet paper
• Take all toilet and personal wipes off the boat by way of the garbage
• Try washing clothes in water only
• Try washing dishes in salt water with a quick fresh water rinse
• Try showering with water only
• Use marina pump out facilities instead of dumping grey or black water into the ocean
• Be aware of oil water in the bilge – mop it up instead of turning on the bilge pump

Reprinted with kind permission of Island Cruising NZ and Glenys Carr.

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About the Author:

Glenys Carr has raced and crewed in and around Auckland, NZ for most of her adult life. Together with her husband, she owns a Farr 35 and races/cruises from Coromandel, on the Coromandel Peninsula.

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Related Links:

Island Cruising NZ

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.