Greener boating
Introducing a series in which Phil Pickin looks at what could be the ‘new normal’ for environmentally friendly boaters.
THE coronavirus pandemic has made many of us review a number of aspects of our lives. One area that has undergone a major shift during the lockdown is that of the environment. The reduction in the levels of pollution in both the air and our waterways has been very noticeable. As a result, many people have pledged to build on this after the lockdown has ended – part of the ‘new normal’ we hear so much about.
All parts of our lives have changed – many of which would have happened over a longer timescale – but recently the pace of these changes has accelerated. Methods of communication are just one aspect of our lives to have undergone significant changes. Just look at the number of people who now use services like Zoom, Skype, FaceTime and many others to stay in touch.
It may seem an odd thing to highlight in a waterways publication but look at the number of vlogs on YouTube from the boating community that feature interviews conducted using these apps. Although the vloggers and many mainstream media broadcasters had no choice during the lockdown, chances are they will continue after. As a result, there could be a reduction in pollution levels due to reduced car journeys.
Over the last few months, a number of marinas have frequently sent pictures to boat owners of their boat. This may seem odd, but it provides the owner with an ongoing connection to their boat and the reassurance that it is safe and being looked after. Possibly another journey saved had we not been under a lockdown. It’s hardly Crick or any other waterways event for that matter, but while these gatherings continue to be on hold, it does still keep boaters in touch with their boats.
Obviously, travel is at the heart of the boating community but travel accounts for a large proportion of the pollution in the atmosphere. It will, therefore, be interesting to see if interest in hybrid and electric propulsion increase after the restrictions have been lifted. Even before the pandemic many people ordering new boats, or engine replacements, were specifying hybrid. Now that we’ve had a glimpse of a lower-carbon future, it may motivate more of us to continue in this direction.
The boating community has always been a resourceful community, one that has had to make the most of the space and the resources on offer. So the restrictions may not have posed as big a problem to those on the waterways as it has to those in bricks and mortar. Reducing waste and being frugal with resources like water and fuel are just part of normal life on a boat. But with movement restrictions in place, liveaboards may also have struggled to store recyclable waste. The provision of this is often in short supply at the best of times, according to many boaters. As a result, will we see more facilities on offer and a general reduction in waste?
The great weather most of us have enjoyed this spring has provided not only ideal conditions for wildlife but also perfect conditions for those isolating on boats on which they’ve installed solar panels. This technology isn’t new, but it has continued to be developed over the last few years. Developments have also taken place in the systems used to control the flow of power to the battery bank. So over the coming weeks, we’ll look into these in more depth and hopefully have a word with the companies involved.
But it’s not all high tech or big-ticket items that have a significant impact on the environment. We all have an opportunity to make a positive impact by changing some of the things we buy and which end up in the water. Environmentally friendly detergents, surface cleaning products, hand soaps, shampoos and washing-up liquid are all widely available. They may cost a little more, but in these more enlightened
times, we may see a more significant take-up of such products.
The hope for many is that the progress we’ve seen over the last few months isn’t lost in the clamour to ‘get back to normal’, something few expect us to achieve anytime soon. Let’s hope that we continue to create a cleaner environment so that over the coming years, as boats need refits or undergo major repairs, owners continue to have the same desire to consider things like composting toilets and recycled materials for fit-outs.
So with these thoughts in mind, we are looking to bring you a series of features over the coming issues to try to build on the progress made thus far. We plan to look into what you can do to be more environmentally friendly when you use your boat. We plan to look at a wide range of products, from high-value items through to things you can buy as part of your weekly shop. Regardless of their value, they will help, in some way, to make your future boating that bit greener.
Although the impact of the virus has been devastating for many and lifechanging for all of us, maybe something good may come from it. The losses many experienced can never be offset by the increased awareness of the environment or the use of environmentally friendly products. But if in some small way we can make the world a better place afterwards, maybe some good can come from what we’ve all been through over the last few months.