Welcome to our annual Eco-Boating issue. We’ve compiled a number of pieces profiling some of the measures the marine industry is taking to make boating more environmentally friendly. Kudos to the boatyards making the investment to ensure that runoff is filtered so that contaminants stay out of the ocean. We’ve also included the latest information on pump-out stations and a list of no-discharge zones (now known as “designated sewage areas”)—all in an effort to help boaters keep our marine environment as clean as possible.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about how recreational boaters represent the greatest number of eyes and ears on the water than any other. No other group is as well suited to bearing witness to the condition of our coastal environment. And while plenty of environmental groups are doing good work and looking after our oceans, they simply don’t have the resources to explore our vast coastline. But boaters poke into every nook and cranny of our coast. And we don’t just pass on by—we anchor overnight, explore river mouths by dinghy and walk the shore on foot. We see what is actually going on and don’t have to rely on what others tell us is out there.

When out cruising this summer, boaters will take special note of the marine environment—the good and the bad.

And from what our readers tell us, our coastal environment seems to be in pretty good shape. We hear far more about pristine places than polluted places. And while there are numerous areas closed to shellfish harvesting due to sewage contamination from land, and areas where industrial activities such as logging and aquaculture have left a legacy of junk cluttering some otherwise natural anchorages, most of our readers report that our coast is still spectacularly virginal.

Because the recreational boating community is so well travelled and in such a unique position to observe the condition of our coastal marine environment, we invite readers to participate in a special project called The Recreational Boaters’ Environmental Report Card. Here’s how we see it working: When out cruising this summer, boaters will take special note of the marine environment—the good and the bad. We want to know what you see and experience personally. What we don’t want is blanket condemnation of industries based on media reports or hearsay. Did the good outweigh the bad? When documenting the bad, keep it to the things that were creating real, visible pollution of our environment, and take photos if possible. How many pristine anchorages did you stay at compared to those littered with industrial junk or garbage? Document them.

After your summer cruise, rate the overall condition of our coastal waters on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being excellent. A form will soon be available for download that boaters can use to enter their findings. Email the form to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , and we’ll compile the results and publish your findings. Look for more details in upcoming issues.

The recreational boating community is perfect for this task, and where there are genuine problems we can provide a strong voice to our federal and provincial governments and pressure them to take action.