Cleaner Waters – One Boat at a Time

Toxin-free boating is the vision from which Brush ’n Go was born. As boaters, we were worried about the condition of the Baltic Sea until we realized we ourselves were part of the problem. The issue concerns organisms attaching to the boat’s hull and their control with harmful chemicals. We were poisoning the marine nature we love the most. An alternative to toxic paints had to be found.

www.myrkyttomastivesilla.fi

Copper and Zinc Pollute the Underwater Environment

Let’s start with the problem. In the Baltic Sea, a boater’s nuisance is the barnacle, also called “merirokko.” Also, slime buildup on the hull and algae accumulating during the summer are part of the problem, which disrupts the boat’s movement and increases fuel consumption. Boaters know this well.

Antifouling paints used to keep the hull clean are based on toxic biocides that are harmful both to humans and the fragile Baltic Sea ecosystem. The copper and zinc compounds in the paints strongly affect underwater life: vegetation like bladderwrack, microorganisms, shellfish, and fish stocks. Through the food chain, harmful substances also accumulate in humans.
The problem’s core also lies in the mode of action of toxic paints and silicone paints. Their effectiveness is based on slow dissolution into the water. At the same time, plastics used as the paint’s dry matter peel off the hull, and boaters become part of the microplastic problem in the seas.

The Importance of Recreational Boating Is Greater Than You Think

The state of the Baltic Sea is discussed regularly, but the blaming finger rarely points at boaters. The scale of the problem caused by toxic paints is not fully understood. “Toxic paint” is a loosely used term that refers more to the potency of substances than their harmful effects.
In reality, recreational boating is the largest single source of copper emissions in Finland. The amount of copper released from boat hulls into the sea, 17,000 kg annually, exceeds the combined impact of pulp and paper industry, metal industry, municipal wastewater, and mining and quarrying activities.
The situation is similar regarding microplastics. Microplastics released from boat hulls accumulate directly in water bodies. According to Swedish research, the amount corresponds to emissions caused by washing synthetic textiles and is multiple times greater compared to microplastics in cosmetic products.

Toxin-Free Boating. How Is It Possible?

There have always been alternatives to toxic paints. Mechanical cleaning is the most obvious, but it traditionally meant lifting the boat, diving, or something equally laborious. To become an attractive option, boat cleaning had to be made easier.

This is how Brush ’n Go was born, a boat wash done without detergents or solvents using rotating brushes. Brush washing is an effective and toxin-free alternative. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of paints has declined and continues to decline as the limits on harmful substances tighten.

A hard toxin-free coating lasts for years and stays clean when washed 2–4 times per season. The same applies to uncoated aluminum boats. Mechanical cleaning is also supported by the supervising authority, the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency Tukes.

We have gathered information about toxin-free boating on the website myrkyttomastivesilla.fi. You can also read about toxin-free alternatives on the websites of the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency Tukes and the Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association (Pidä Saaristo Siistinä ry).