Handling & Trailering
What is a responsible way to handle waste and sewage while boating?
Answer
Carry out your trash and use pump-out stations for holding tanks rather than discharging into the water
Keep your trash aboard and dispose of it on shore, and empty holding tanks at pump-out stations instead of discharging sewage into protected waters. Protecting the water is both good stewardship and the law.
Source: U.S. Coast Guard, Boating Safety Division — "A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats" (rev. Nov. 8, 2023), “Discharge of Garbage” and “Marine Sanitation Devices,” pp. 27–28 — https://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf
Not the answer
- Dump everything overboard away from shore
- Bury trash on the nearest beach
- Pour used oil into the bilge
Practice this
The boater safety certification exam is 50 questions and takes 40 correct — 80% — to pass. The app’s page carries a free ten-question test drawn from the same bank, marked as you go.
Take the free practice test