Pollution in the Solent

[anchorhandler]

Hi all
Went down to check the ropes on boat yesterday only to find the strong winds had blown every bit of rubbish/plastic shopping bags/crisp packets/wood/wheel & tyre??? in the Solent into the marina.
This made a layer of c**p so thick i could almost have walked on it from one side of the marina to the other.

Now, i know that for the most part, we are all pretty 'eco' freindly (No matter how many litres of diesel we burn per hour) but several times last season i witnessed miscelaneous bits of rubbish being tossed over the side of leisure boats into the water. This enfuriates me as not only does it take ages to degrade but also poses a potential risk to other boaters ie: fowled props, blocked sea suctions etc...

Some interesting information was compiled by the Greek agency "HELMEPA" (Hellenic Marine Enviroment Protection Agency) after completing a study into the degredation rates of marine pollution.
The study measured how long common items of marine pollution took to degrade after being thrown into the sea. The results are quite surprising.....

Paper bus ticket.......2-4 weeks to degrade
Cotton cloth.............1-5 months
Rope.......................3-14 months
Woolen cloth............1 year
Painted wood...........13 years
Tin can....................100 years
Aluminium can.........200-350 years
Plastic bottle............450 years.

Makes you realise, that empty plastic coke bottle i just passed bobbing around a minute ago is probably going to be there for some time too come!.

Anyway, sorry to be harping on about this, only wanted to share the above information if anyhting so that it can be quoted to anyone who is caught throwing stuff over the side. Might make them think twice next time.

Regards
Simon




<hr width=100% size=1>I'v got 2 ears.2 eyes and 1 mouth....if only i could use them in that proportion!

 

[Johnboy2004]

never mind pollution in the solent, what about pollution in the Irish Sea

Sellafield!!



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[ChrisE]

Whilst, I'm sure that the figures are based upon research, I find the bit about tin can taking 100yrs to go hard to believe. Any bit of non-stainless I put in the sea seems to disappear within months, it seems to go quicker if its needed for something important as well!

Seriously, I've just removed the shackle off my anchor which is considerably thicker than a can because the corrosion had all but eaten through it and that was in less than 10 years.

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[Metabarca]

I've heard cigarette butts take ages to degrade too. Can't remember how long but something in the region of a couple of years, I think. Can anyone put me right on this?
Thanks for these figures: I'll send them to my local newspaper for publication.

<hr width=100% size=1>Adriatic links here: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>

 

[anchorhandler]

Hello Chris
Yeah, i have to admit that the tin can surprised my too.
keep in mind that when they say 'degraded', they mean COMPLETELY degraded ie: nothing left.

Simon


<hr width=100% size=1>I'v got 2 ears.2 eyes and 1 mouth....if only i could use them in that proportion!

 

[boatless]

Which just goes to reinforce my conviction that yachts are made out of the wrong materials.

Hull material: glass reinforced coke bottles

All underwater metal parts from recycled tin/aluminium cans.

Water tanks: coke bottles

Log impellers: the foul tasting plastic currently used in water tanks.

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[Victorious]

I may be wrong.....
But if a tin can sinks to the bottom and is undisturbed... It will take some time to corrode without much oxygen.
The shackle on the anchor is gonna go rapidly as it has regular and alternate supplys of water and oxygen......


<hr width=100% size=1>www.victorious.co.uk

 

[anchorhandler]

Exactamundo...just think of the titanic....
Simon

<hr width=100% size=1>I'v got 2 ears.2 eyes and 1 mouth....if only i could use them in that proportion!

 

[ChrisE]

I'd resisted replying to this one but having been down the pub for lunch, I'm working from home today, I thought that I would throw in my twopenneth.

1. Your original post was about The Solent, with the tides that go up and down there the water is well oxygenated so my point still stands about length of time to rust away.

2. At the risk of being called a polluter I'm not convinced that everything that goes over the side is necessarily a bad thing. Think of all the lobster and crab habitat that cans and bottles provide until the object decays. Other countries think more creatively about rubbish disposal, making reefs out of car tyres and old merchant shipping. These create habitat for critters in otherwise barren areas.

I'm entirely in agreement about the thoughtless disgarding of anything but entirely not in agreement that anything placed in the sea is necessarily pollution.

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[anchorhandler]

Hello Chris

True, its possible that the Solent may be more oxygenated however the fact that your anchor shackle was exposed to immersion/drying cycles, vibration when not in use then severe friction forces when being used. followed by periods of incativity in a salty enviroment (sometimes even a warm salty enviroment!!) after new metal has been exposed from friction wear....then the cycles repeats itself....not surprising the shackle was worn.
Repeated vibration is probably IMHO the biggest culprit, gradually wearing away on a microscopic level until the shackle would have failed.

True also that submerged structures make excellent habitats for sea-life (just look at the hull of my boat!!!) but tin cans and aluminium cans of which the original data was refering too, should be recycled not thrown into the ocean.

Was it not the Yanks that towed a series of WW2 cruisers out to scuttle them in the hope they would encourage sea-life only to find that after they sank them ,they all rested hull side up leaving a lovely streamlined smooth hull?.....Bless'em!

Regards
Simon




<hr width=100% size=1>I'v got 2 ears.2 eyes and 1 mouth....if only i could use them in that proportion!

 

[ChrisE]

Simon,

Not wanting to get onto my high horse twice in two weeks, we have reached the point where we'll have to agree to disagree. I respect your opinons but I don't hold them myself.

Now, where did I put all those bits that have to go back on the boat this weekend?

Chris

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[anchorhandler]

"Now, where did I put all those bits that have to go back on the boat this weekend?
"


Are you sure you didnt chuck'em over the side!!!.....

Sorry Chris, could'nt resist that one!!!....
Thanks
Simon



<hr width=100% size=1>I'v got 2 ears.2 eyes and 1 mouth....if only i could use them in that proportion!