Copper antifouling paints "dipped their toes" into US west coast legislative waters this year. California Senate Bill 623 was last amended on June 21, 2011 and was referred to the Appropriations Committee on June 29, 2011. Washington Senate Bill 5436 was passed by the Legislature on April 18, 2011 and signed by the Governor on May 3, 2011; it is now Chapter 248, Laws of 2011. Both bills would increase restrictions on using copper antifouling paints on recreational boats.

Use the Internet links provided above to access exact language and status of each bill. Here is a quick comparison as of June 29, 2011, provided for educational purposes, only:

The WA bill will be fully effective by 2020, apply to recreational boats up to 65' and restrict copper content to 0.5% of antifouling paints.

The latest version of the CA bill is more complicated. It includes provisions for determining whether water quality in marinas and harbors, where low-leach rate copper antifouling paints are used, is moving toward meeting the standard for dissolved copper. It also addresses transient vessels, best management practices for in-water hull cleaning, and the importance of maintaining boating in the economic and social fabric of California. Depending on whether certain conditions are met, copper antifouling paint could be prohibited for recreational boats as early as 2015.

The CA bill states that the Legislature intends to promote the use of nonbiocide paints in order to balance control of aquatic organisms on vessel hulls and the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act.

Both bills exempt boats subject to US Coast Guard inspection and that are engaged in commercial use or carrying paying passengers.

In 2002 and 2003 we conducted a field demonstration to see how well fouling could be controlled with nontoxic hull coatings and in-water hull cleaning. We found that fouling could be controlled on nontoxic epoxy and ceramic-epoxy coatings if they were cleaned more often than typical copper antifouling paints. These durable hull coatings could also withstand vigorous cleaning.

Three of the boats in our demo kept their durable nontoxic coatings for 7-8 years. Our 2002 survey of 200 San Diego Bay boat owners found that copper antifouling paints were replaced on average after 2 and a half years. Thus, the nontoxic coatings lasted about 3 times as long as copper paints. In other words, the owners saved the cost of two haul-outs for repainting by using durable nontoxic hull coatings instead of copper antifouling paints. We are conducting an economic analysis of these long-term results and will report findings when it is complete.

For links to more information on our field demo, performance of the nontoxic hull coatings in our demo for the first 5 years, an in-depth economic forecast for costs to use copper versus nontoxic hull coatings, and a sampler of nontoxic hull coatings, visit the Nontoxic Antifouling Strategies page of our website.

Boaters paint a boat hull with copper antifouling paint and expect it to prevent fouling organisms from growing on the surface. Evidence is growing that some invasive, and even some native, hull fouling species have developed the ability to tolerate copper. Further, copper paints have come under regulatory scrutiny.

Boaters are asking for effective alternatives. This leads me to ask, “What does ‘effective’ mean?” I propose that it means the ability to keep fouling under control in a manner that is technically feasible, environmentally friendly and in line with costs for using copper antifouling paints. How do we do that?

Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, may help us to set a new course. According to the manual, IPM In Practice (by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources), the general approach is to suppress pests over the long term in the least disruptive way that is possible. It often combines biological, cultural, mechanical, physical, and chemical methods and considers the risk that pests will develop resistance to pesticides. I’d like to suggest that we start talking about IPM for Boats!

How can we apply IPM to hull fouling control? In-water hull cleaning is an example of mechanical control. Slip liners and boat lifts are examples of physical control. Antifouling paint is an example of chemical control. Less toxic and nontoxic hull coatings are environmentally friendly.

Cultural control could use the ecology of hull fouling species to guide application of other methods. We’ll be including this IPM approach in future publications and blog posts about our research on fouling control ecology.

Cost effectiveness is an issue for boaters who need to replace copper antifouling paints and want to avoid using another toxic product. We are compiling long-term costs for using durable, nontoxic epoxy hull coatings from boats that participated in our 2002-2003 field demonstration. We expect to be able to report results later this year.

Meanwhile, you can read about our 2007 check-in with boat owners from our field demo to see how the nontoxic coatings were doing five years after they were applied. Visit the Nontoxic Antifouling Strategies page of our website and click on Nontoxic Hull Coating Field Demonstration: Long-Term Performance 2007 Update.

My thanks to Cheryl Wilen, Area Integrated Pest Management Advisor in Southern California, for assistance in learning about the principles of IPM and how we can apply them to hull fouling control!

Who ya gonna call?! Although about half of boats rarely leave home, there is a lot of traffic on the coastline of the Californias. What resources are available for boaters to control invasive hull fouling species as they travel this long coast? To find out we surveyed nearly 200 providers of fouling control supplies and services on the coasts of California, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and three major boating areas of Baja California.

We found widespread capacity to provide and maintain copper-based antifouling paints. Supplies and services for zinc-based, nontoxic epoxy and nontoxic slick hull coatings are uncommon to rare. In-water hull cleaning, slip liners and boat lifts complement hull coatings in controlling fouling growth. Hull cleaning services are available all along the coasts of the Californias. Slip liners and boat lifts are uncommon to rare.

For information on policy relevant findings and cost summaries for supplies and services, take a look at the two new, supply-side fact sheets on the Aquatic Invasive Species page of our website at http://ucanr.org/sites/coast/Aquatic_Invasive_Species/

Let’s face it, maintaining a boat takes a lot of time! Are you thinking about turning basic underwater and topside maintenance chores over to a contractor? The following tips can help you find a professional maintenance service that will protect your boat and the boating environment.

Pick a Pro:

First, ask your marina manager or harbor master for a list of service providers who are allowed to work in the marina. (Some marinas may not be able to provide business referrals.)

Second, hire a professional. Ask to see the service's current business license & liability insurance. Also ask for a copy of their or their trade association's Best Management Practices (BMPs) or standard procedures.

Get three local references from a prospective maintenance service or other boaters who know their work. Ask if they were satisfied and try to see the completed work.

Obtain and verify the service's business address and telephone number. You may need to contact them in case of incomplete work, an illegal discharge or improper waste disposal.

Explain Your Expectations:

Be direct. Let the contractor know what you need and how it should be performed.

Ask the service company that you hire to follow marina requirements and use best management practices (BMPs) to avoid damaging boats or releasing pollutants into marina waters.

For guidelines on practices to protect your boat and the environment, download our fact sheet “Selecting Underwater and Topside Maintenance Services for Your Boat” or "La selección de servicios de mantenimiento para el casco y la parte superior de su bote (2007)" from our website at Boating and Marina Pollution Prevention, or Publications or Publicaciones.