1.       Minimize oil discharge from the bilge. Tuck absorbent pads under the engine to catch drips and place a few in strategic spots in the bilge.

2.       Take care during oil changes and fueling. Keep absorbent pads handy when fueling and removing oil filters, don’t overfill the fuel tank, and have spill-containment supplies on board in a convenient spot.

3.       Use non-toxic, ecologically safe cleaning products. Some of the same principles applied to the interior of the boat can work when cleaning the outside. Even brass and stainless steel can be tackled with home-made, non-toxic alternatives (see side bar) coupled with a bit of serious elbow grease – think of it as strength training.  But if you want to use commercial products, read the labels carefully (West Marine has a line of generally non-toxic, bio-degradable cleaners). “Biodegradable” is not enough – ask how long it takes to degrade and be sure that the product is also non-toxic and phosphate-free.  Check out automotive cleaners, as well. Surprisingly, that industry has made some interesting strides in developing environmentally-safer products (PuraClean, for example) that are often less expensive then ones labeled “marine.”

4.       Keeping the hull clean and slick not only helps win races, it also reduces fuel use. For most boaters, the answer is anti-fouling paint, the majority of which are ablative - which means the paint continually sloughs off exposing fresh layers of biocide.  For the speed obsessed, the choice is often non-ablative Baltiplate or some other brand of very hard paint that simply leaches a steady flow of biocide. The problem is that the biocides that both of these paints excrete also kill off a lot of other marine life – not just barnacles and zebra mussels.