Boating Community

As a boater or marina operator, you are a true steward of our ocean, lakes and waterways. This firsthand experience on the water also puts you in a unique position to be a leader in water protection.

Good Mate

You know the damage carelessness can inflict on rivers, lakes and the ocean where you cruise. Discarded fishing lines or plastic bags wrap around a propeller, or large floating items scratch or damage a hull. Pollution from cleaning products, sewage, and oil or fuel takes a toll on water quality. Pollution makes the things we love to do on the water—swimming, fishing and watching wildlife—somehow less complete and less inspiring. Marine pollution poses health hazards to humans as well.

The good news is that every boater and marina operator can take simple, practical steps to protect the waters that our lives and recreation depend on. Those actions, multiplied across the entire boating community, add up.

Working in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary, Ocean Conservancy created Good Mate, a public outreach program aimed at reducing and eliminating marine pollution and environmental degradation. Ocean Conservancy’s Good Mate program gives you simple, easy-to-follow guidelines for green boating.

And by sharing what you learn from Good Mate with the greater boating community, you can bring even more people on board and truly make a difference.

Take a moment now to see the easy tips that boaters can take to protect our ocean and waterways.

Download a copy of Ocean Conservancy’s Good Mate Manual, an educational tool for recreational boaters; marina owners, operators and staff; and others concerned about marine and aquatic environmental issues.

Watercraft cleanups have been an integral part of the International Coastal Cleanup™ for over thirty years. We welcome all boaters and marinas to get involved and plan a cleanup for your favorite waterway.

Good Mate Goals and Objectives

The Good Mate program’s primary goal is to help recreational boaters and marina staff gain a better understanding and awareness of how they can help protect waterways while enjoying their recreational boating activities.

The long-term objectives of the Good Mate program are:

• Helping boaters and marinas develop and incorporate environmentally friendly management strategies in six areas: oil and fuel, sewage pollution, vessel maintenance and repair, marine debris, stormwater runoff, and vessel operation.
• Empowering boaters and marinas to take action against marine debris, by providing resources and support for watercraft and marina cleanups.
• Educating and training recreational boaters and marina staff to be informed and educated stewards of waterways.
• Helping boaters and marinas realize economic benefits while promoting environmentally friendly procedures.
• Fostering cooperation between groups interested in the use, quality and enjoyment of local waters.
• Keeping boating fun by maintaining a safe, pleasant and clean environment.

For additional information or to request hardcopies of Good Mate resources please contact [email protected].