Floating SUV's

[Paul Forgey]

I'm not at all surprised to read this point of view coming out against the fuel consumption and emissions from pleasure boats. Before I launch into this, let me say that I do think SUV's as daily drivers are stupid and wasteful (I use one occasionally but only when I need a tow vehicle). Emissions from street cars are a very serious concern.

I have to disagree with the level of concern warranted from boats. Eli Sanders even points out 135,000 tons of CO2 emissions vs. 2.4 million. That's about 5%. The amount of output from cars always will be much greater, and grow at a faster rate. Here's why: Most people can't afford a boat! And of the people who have them, most of them don't use them every day. They are not and never will be as ubiquitous as cars, SUV's or anything else on the road.

Focus where the real problems are. In the meantime, don't try to take my fun away where it won't make any real difference. I supposed next you'll try to tell me I can't race cars anymore either.

[Rain Monkey]

CO2 emissions aside, small engines account for 20% of smog (a local rather than global problem; but local to many places around the world.)

Boats, especially those with two stroke engines, pollute not just the air. Often the exhaust is discharged to the water. Creating the bubbling miasma that makes "teaking" lethal.

But if I had my way, I'd let the boats zoom and the skiers ski and just kill the engines on all the lawn mowers, weed-eaters and leaf-blowers.

[Paul Forgey]

Valid points. Two cycle engines are their own unique problem. Venting 4 cycle exhaust into the water isn't as bad (but not entirely innocent either). I don't know what the impact of diesel output is.

Does that 135,000 ton figure include commercial ships and ferries too? Even 5% of the output of motor vehicles seems quite high if we just count pleasure boats.

One other thing I also wanted to ask while I'm at it. The article speculated about hybrid boats. As far as I know, that simply can't work. Hybrids get their benefit by capturing some of the energy output of the engine that would normally go to waste during braking and idling. Boat engines are always working. There is no opportunity to recapture any of the output.

[Rain Monkey]

Hey, The New York Times did an article that seems inspired by ELI SANDERS article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/05/national/05boats.html

Maybe their reporter wants to be Eli's intern.

[Lucius Bolivar]

You should be able to use any diesel angine (http://biodiesel.org).

You can drive any brand new diesel vehicle right of the lot and fill it with tasty b100, which luckily is available in the Seattle area (http://biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/showstate.asp?st=WA).

[umlaut]

Anything considered "luxury"that runs on gas is a pretty easy environmental target. Especially in the water.
As others have mentioned, there are a few facts that Mr. Sanders did not touch on that make his comparison to SUVs a bit of a stretch.

• The average power boat sees probably about 25-50 hours of running use annually. Compare this to a daily commute.
• The MPG comparison is not apples-to-apples, as a boat can have exactly the same engine as an automobile, but has to work 20 times harder due to the resistance of the water. For most boaters, the distance travelled is not all that great, it is time on the water that matters...time often spent without the engine running.
• Boaters are some of the largest users of BioDiesel, with several pumping stations available for their use. How many SUVs do you know that support this kind of fuel?
• Sailboats obviously have an alternate fuel source. Though most have engines that see use moving to and from cruising grounds.

Also, Many of the boaters I know are some of the biggest environmental stewards. They don't want to foul the places where they cruise, ski, swim, fish, kayak and otherwise play. Responsible owners use biodegrable products, pump out their refuse at secure facilities, turn off their engines and don't idle when in locks or tied up, avoid 2-stroke engines (these are being phased-out anyways), pack home their garbage, and keep respectable distances away from wildlife and wetlands.

There will aways be exceptions to these folks, but please do not tar us all with the same crappy brush.