1. Become environmentally active - Understand how clean water and a healthy environment help us all to enjoy better boating, swimming and fishing. Decide to be part of the solution, not the problem.

2. Know your environment - Read about and observe the diversity of nature around you: marsh, beach, shellfish, fish, birds, bottom life. Become familiar with the environment regulations of your state and marina, boatyard or yacht.
3. Know your boat - Find every source of potential pollution from your boat, and understand that each is quite easy to control. Common types of pollution include: engine oil drips into the bilge, trash tossed or blown overboard, fuel squirts out of the fuel tank vent, or overflows when topping off.
4. Prevent boat pollution from happening - It is always easier to prevent problems than to clean them up. Make a list of pollutants you can control, and what will be done. It may be helpful to post the list for your crew and guests to read. A briefing by the captain, before casting off, is the simplest, cheapest and most effective way to prevent boat pollution.
5. Litter control - Have trash and recycling bags handy. Bring back what you take out. Recycle as much as possible. Trash and litter spoil boating for everyone, so urge other boats to also pick it up and bring it back. Ask smokers to put butts in ashtrays, not to flick them overboard. Speak out when someone forgets; ask them to pick up whatever they tossed, even if it means coming about and retrieving a drifting sandwich bag.
6. Fuel and oil spills - Install a fuel/air separator on your boat's vent line of the built-in fuel tank. Keep an inexpensive petroleum absorption pad/pillow tied down in the bilge to catch any oil drops. When a small fuel spill happens, sop it up with an absorption pad; if gasoline, as a safety measure, let the pad air out on deck until dry. Recycle all used engine oil and antifreeze/coolant.
7. Sewage - No one's favorite subject, but it still needs control. If you use a portable toilet, take it ashore and empty it into a toilet or a special portable toilet dump station in the marina. If your toilet is a MSD Type I or II flow-through treatment type, keep it working properly. If it is a holding tank MSD Type III, pump it out regularly, but never overboard; Y valves can only legally be used on salt water if beyond three miles offshore - never on fresh water.
8. Boat cleaning - Use minimal amounts of chemical cleaners. Buy only those rated as "green", or biodegradable; avoid cleaners with dangerous warnings about skin or eye contact. Whenever sanding tops or bottoms, don't let the chips and dust fall on the ground to be eventually washed into the water; rent a dustless sander for a faster, cleaner job.
9. Help clean dirty waterways and shores - Look around the marina and where you like to go boating. Tell the marina manager about any problems you observe. Can you do something to clean and improve the environment? Is there litter that can be picked up, or problems which need the attention of others? Invite other boaters to help you clean up a shore or beach.
10. Tell others how boating waters are getting cleaner - Yes, they really are cleaner in most places in America. But this only happens when we take responsibility for our share of pollution. Talk with other boaters about the importance of clean boating.

Clete Galass and Alex Gregor