No more plastic water bottles!!!

[dmw0214]

       All around the globe, our planet's oceans, and all the marine life therein, are being destroyed by plastic.  And one of the largest categories of plastic is water bottles.  Somehow the human race survived for millennia without them.  They came on the market only a generation or so ago, but today billions of them are sold world-wide every day.  A huge number of them end up in our rivers, lakes, bays, and oceans.  Most of them still have the cap on, so they float!  A lot of them wash up on the beach.  It takes hundreds, possibly thousands of years for them to decompose.  Till then, marine animals mistake them for food, and they die.
     Here in Galveston Bay, we can all do our part to end this horrible blight:  STOP BUYING WATER IN DISPOSABLE PLASTIC BOTTLES!
     I know, I know, they are very convenient.  When the south Texas sun bears down, our racing crews get thirsty, and it's so easy to just grab a water bottle out of the cooler and chug it down.
    The best alternative is for skippers to tell their crew:  Bring your own water, in a re-usable container.  (You can buy an insulated water bottle for almost nothing, and they keep the liquid a lot colder!)  Skippers could also have a re-usable 5-gallon water container on stand-by.
     And if this proposal is unrealistic and you simply cannot survive without disposable water bottles, at least remove the lid.  That way, they consume less landfill space, and if it does end up in the water, it will sink.
     
     

[Bee]

I agree completely.  An alternative is to drink canned beer , but then that will probably find its way to the bottom as well. 

[BrianL]

I encouraged everyone to bring their own reusable water bottle and I have several. I fill them half full and store them in the freezer. Then grab a couple out and fill the rest of the way. That way the water stays colder and helps keep the food colder too.

[Tye Dyed Gary]

  I am one that is guilty of bringing water bottles for my crew. I switched to the less eco friendly small water bottles, because I was tired having a dozen half empty bottles rolling around in the bilge. But all my trash goes into a bucket that is taken home and/or then taken to the local recycle.
  That being said, how many think about the other trash that is generated? The day after a race I go down to my boat to wash it off and general clean-up and put the cover on. While walking through dry storage, I will pick up a half dozen wads of tape, two to five empty cans and bottles and several screws, pins and tie-raps, that are left in the parking lot and grass. This all has the possibility of making it's way into the water.
  Just putting in my two cents.     
 

[ECSimonson]

My cooler would have more room for beer if I started carrying water in it's own dispenser. It would occasionally be challenging to distribute water to crew between races on heavy air days while on a small boat, but I'm willing to give it a try.  That said, in addition to reducing our use of disposable water bottles, I think the clubs and marinas need to promote and provide the means to recycle trash at their facilities.  LYC, HYC, Kemah boardwalk, WATERGATE, SEABROOK Marina, etc, I talking to you!!   All I see at these facilities are overflowing trash cans filled mostly with recyclable plastic and aluminum!  There may be isolated bins at some locations, but recycling doesn't seem to be promoted during regattas, nor are there bins readily available near most of the docks.  Who here has suggested implementing recycling programs to your Marina/club in the past; and what is being done to promote recycling today?  I believe nothing will change until enough people demand it. 

[BrianL]

two things. The various organizations need to get the sponsors to give out more water bottles as entry rewards and/or prizes. like all of the bicycle races do. We should also be able to get the Marinas and yacht clubs to use Terracycle.com and their free recycling. https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades


Brian
SV Windfall

[STuma]

Many of the bigger regattas ban disposable water bottles. I believe the youth regattas have banned them for years. I have seen where a chase boat will have 5 gallon water refills on ribs. For our events, that is not feasible, but our boats are big enough to hold a refillable bottle.

[Andrea]

For the Heald Bank Regatta, sponsor Bay Media Group has provided 16 oz. Tritan plastic insulated tumblers and lids.  LYC gave these insulated tumblers to crew members of the Harvest Moon Regatta in recent years as part of our Clean Regatta program, and we will be doing it again, thanks to support from various sponsors.
The Heald Bank Tumbler will be available as mementos of the Buccaneer Bash and Pirates Pig roast awards party that follows the race, but for any Heald Bank skipper who will provide water in a 5 gallon container (or similar) for crew during the race, we can provide that skipper tumblers for his crew at the skippers' meeting.
The  Buccaneer Bash pig roast wristbands are available to anyone who likes to party, and coordinating striped pirate shirts are on sale in the regatta store at https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_storefront.php?regatta_id=17208&clear_session=1