Green Boating
March 4th, 2008As the owner of an old two-stroke outboard motor, I was surprised to learn that it emits more hydrocarbons in one hour than a typical car does in about 40 hours, according to Cottage Life magazine. What’s even worse about our aging Merc engine is it emits up to 25 - 30% of it’s fuel unburned into the water or atmoshphere. In some lakes in California, I wouldn’t even be able to operate it.
I know that my boating activities: wakeboard, waterskiing and tubing are having an enormous impact on our lake. The wake I generate is one thing, but the fuel and oil emissions are another as they inflict the greatest environmental damage.
Hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides are the major pollutants. A gasoline additive called MTBE (methyl tertbutyl ether) and possible carcinogen, is another. Nearly 90 percent of the MTBE in lake water is due to recreational boating, according to Gerry Mackie, author of The Cottage Bible.
While purchasing a new motor and accompanying boat are an expensive proposition, outboard models built after 2006 in the US have reduced emissions by 75%. In fact, if people are shopping for a new boat, they want to be aware of California’s Air Resource Board’s three star rating system as it applies to all new engines and PWC’s sold in the state of California.
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CARB’S One Star label identifies engines that meet CARB’s 2001 exhaust emission standards. Engines meeting these standards produce 75% fewer emissions than conventional carbureted two-stroke engines. These engines are equivalent to the US EPA’s 2006 standards for marine engines. |
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The Two Star label identifies engines that meet CARB’s 2004 exhaust emission standards. Engines meeting these standards produce 20% fewer emissions than One Star (Low Emission) engines. |
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The Three Star label identifies engines that meet CARB’s 2008 exhaust emission standards. Engines meeting these standards produce 65% fewer emissions than One Star (Low Emission) engines. |
According to Air Resources Board’s website:
The main purpose of labels is to educate consumers. ARB wants consumers to be able to make informed choices concerning engine emissions when they are shopping for watercraft. Water agencies that worked with ARB in developing the watercraft regulations supported labels. The labels are an additional tool water agencies can use to reduce pollution in areas where water quality is a special concern.
I’m curious to find out which boat engines carry the three-star rating, and over the next couple of days will report my findings. I will also look at ways to improve a two-stroke engine’s fuel efficiency.
Cheers,
Julie
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March 4th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Jules,
Even though we probably have the most horse power on our lake in our jet ski and wakeboard boat, everything we own is now 4 stroke. The 9.9 we have on the fishing boat is still on the first tank of gas last year. It’s not because we don’t use it either. It’s a fuel miser. Our area doesn’t even allow fueling on the water now. It’s just a matter of time before 2 strokes are going to start to be banned on some waterways. Here in Alberta we’re seeing more and more lakes that have banned gas engines period. Better start puming iron if I’m going to pull the kids out of the water on the wakeboard behind the kayak!!!
March 5th, 2008 at 5:02 am
LOL, you’re too funny. Yes the writing is on the wall for our old boat I’m afraid. Bill has started looking on Boats.com, we think we can get a good boat south of the border, which is only three hours for us. I appreciate your comments on the paperwork involved with bringing a boat across the border, but I think financially it will be worth while for us.
Cheers,
Jules
March 5th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
You will require clear title for the boat and the trailer. You need a letter from the manufacturer of the trailer that there are no open recalls on it. You also need a certificate of origin. If the boat and trailer are not built in Canada or the US, its a different ball game again. When you get to the border you need to go in and fill out a F1 form I think it’s called. You need to pay your GST here too. The serial number on the trailer is inspected at this point too. When you get home, you go to www.riv.ca and pay about $204.60 to the import vehicle dept. They send you some paperwork and then you go to Canadian Tire who then just walk out and look at the serial number and then you’re set to be able to register your trailer. Then you need to get some numbers for your boat. I’m not sure about BC but in Alberta, there’s an office at the border in Coutts that handle that. You missed the boat so to speak on deals for this season. You need to be buying in November and December. This is now prime time and I’m getting tons of action on my stuff and the prices are at their highest level of the season.