Rubbish and sewage on board: what are the rules for leisure boats?

At sea, rubbish is governed by MARPOL Annex V, and it applies to leisure boats as well as ships. Plastic of any kind must never go overboard, and that includes old lines, nets and packaging. Food waste may only be discharged well away from the coast, and in special areas, which include the Mediterranean, the Baltic and the North Sea, the limits are stricter. Boats of 12 metres and over must display placards explaining the disposal rules. On rivers, canals and lakes nothing goes in the water at all.

Toilet waste is where cruising grounds differ most. On many inland waters, in a growing number of harbours and on some stretches of coast, discharge is banned and a boat with a heads needs a holding tank. The rules change from country to country and sometimes from one marina to the next, so ask the harbour master or the local authority before you arrive, and use the pump-out stations in port. Grey water from the galley and shower is rarely regulated on small boats, but a gentle detergent is still the better choice.

In practice, separate rubbish on board, cut packaging before you leave, stow bags for plastic, glass and general waste securely and empty them in every port. Waste oil, filters and old batteries go to the marina's collection point. Refuel slowly, because a few drops of diesel on the water can mean a report and a clean-up bill. In your liability wording, look at the pollution clause: whether accidental pollution is included, and the usual exclusions for deliberate discharge and for oil that drips from engines or filler caps in normal use.

Worth remembering

Whatever comes aboard goes ashore again in port.