Sailing Education Adventures

If you see or accidentally spill oil into the marine environment, immediately, call the National Oil Spill Hotline at (800) OILS911 (424-8802). Also, notify your marina manager or dockmaster. They may have an emergency oil spill response kit on hand.

No one is perfect and accidental spills are bound to happen. For this reason, always keep oil-only absorbents handy to wipe up spills. Remember, saturated oil-absorbents are hazardous wastes and must be disposed of at the marina, the fuel dock, or at a hazardous waste disposal facility. These days, there are hundreds of oil absorbent exchange sites in California. Check if there is a location near you and drop off your spent absorbents in exchange for a new one.

If gasoline is spilled during fueling, notify the fuel attendant and immediately step away from the area.
Never apply soaps to disperse the sheen. Soap may appear to clean up the mess, but this is far from the truth. Soaps merely break up the oil into smaller droplets and sink below the surface,  making it more difficult, if not impossible, to remove. It's also illegal and violators are subject to heavy fines and penalties. If possible and safe, stop the source of the spill and extinguish all ignition sources.

To prevent spills from occurring, spill-proof your oil changes and recycle your used oil and oil filters.

If you change the engine oil yourself, use a closed system such as a portable vacuum oil change pump drained into a container that can be closed to prevent spills during transfer of oil. These pumps are available at most marine supply stores.Do not mix used oil with other waste. Keep it segregated for recycling. Recycle used motor oil, oil filters, and fuel filters at aused oil recycling facility.

For recycling locations for used oil, oil filters, and oil absorbents, visit www.Earth911.org or call 1-800-CLEANUP for a collection site near you.

Mobile Sewage Boat-to-Boat Services

Mobile boat-to-boat services for bilge and sewage pumpout, steam cleaning, and oil changes provide an alternative to bilge sewage pumpouts and oil change services at fi xed locations in marinas. There are numerous environmental benefi ts from these services when they are conducted appropriately, including using spill-proof oil extraction, soapless bilge cleaning, and proper waste management and disposal techniques.
Where available, these services can be more convenient for boaters, since they may reduce the need to have boats hauled out for service, to bring boats to fi xed facilities, or to conduct their own maintenance and then transport the wastes to recycling or disposal facilities.
Mobile sewage boat-to-boat services are in several areas of our state. The following list will assist you in fi nding a mobile service to support your clean boating practices*. If you know of any additional mobile services, please feel free to let us know!

Mobile Services Phone Number County(ies) or Geographic Areas Served

• BayGreen Marine Sanitation Services (415) 621-1393 San Francisco, San Mateo, Contra Costa and Alameda
• Marine Service Corps (510) 629-4185 San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Marin and Santa Clara
• Head Honcho Mobile Marine Pumpout (925) 429-4490 Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Sacramento and Solano Counties

• MT Head Marine Sanitation Service (650) 483-5689 Alameda, Marin (Richardson Bay) and San Mateo

• All Bay Marine Service (619) 298-4568 San Diego
• Bay Pump LLC (619) 523-1167 San Diego and Mission Bay
• Diesel System Marine Service (800) 799-9121 Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego
• Dolphin Marine and Pump Out (714) 296-8531 Huntington Harbor, Los Alamitos & Shoreline Marina
• Happy As a Clam Enterprises (805) 674-5820 Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties
• Honey Bucket (310) 316-6861 Redondo Beach and Marina del Rey
• Mobile Pro Marine Services (619) 342-4477 San Diego San Diego Bay and San Diego County coastline.
• Pepe La ‘Poo’s Pumpout (619) 272-8052 San Diego Bay and San Diego County coastline
• Popeye’s Pumpout Co. (310) 822-8312 Marina del Rey, Port of Los Angeles
• Royal Flush Pumping Service (888) 656-2551 Orange County to Los Angeles County
• Rusty Bucket (805) 278-0268 Ventura Harbor and Channel Islands Harbor
• Septic Brothers (209) 329-7771 Contra Costa and San Joaquin Counties (Antioch Bridge through Walnut Grove)

* The California Department of Boating and Waterways and the California Coastal Commission, the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation and the Keep the Delta Clean Program do not certify the business practices employed by these companies, nor does it endorse any business or service listed herein

To print a list of mobile boat-to-boat services for boaters visit:
www.coastal.ca.gov/ccbn/sewage.html#pumpout