Clean Boating
Engaging SoCal’s 200,000 plus registered boaters in pollution prevention makes a difference in local waterways.
Dedicated to Advancing Ocean Stewardship and Reducing Boat-Based Pollution
With four million boaters, California has one of the highest levels of recreational boating in the United States. This large volume of recreational activity in our waterways can come at a cost. Boat-based pollutants such as sewage, used oil, household hazardous waste, marine debris, aquatic invasive species, and emerging contaminants impair our waterways. TBF’s Boater Education Program was initiated in 1996 with a Clean Vessel Act Education and Outreach grant. It continues to support the Southern California boating community by providing tools and resources to prevent pollution and protect the environment through collaboration, direct outreach, and technical assistance. Hundreds of thousands of boaters have been engaged using an adaptable strategy based on 1) the support for the provision of sewage disposal facilities like pumpout, dump stations, and marine composting toilets; 2) the implementation of community-based social marketing to influence behavior; 3) the generation of tools such as the Pumpout Nav app, Southern California Boater’s Guide, When Nature Calls sewage guide, California Boater Kits, surveys, questionnaires, educational videos, and more with key partners. Collaborative partnerships are utilized to amplify program messaging via initiatives like the Dockwalker Program, and California Clean Boating Network, as well as strong relationships with boaters, marinas, yacht clubs, and more.
Many free resources are available to support our boating friends in their efforts to keep the waters clean and full of life. Check out the resources below!
Project Highlights
Download the Pumpout Nav App
Pumpout Nav is a free app that helps users locate their nearest pumpout, dump station, and floating restroom. Users can also report when pumpouts and dump stations are out of order to help inform other boaters and help improve infrastructure across the region. The app also provides easy-to-access information on how to pumpout, what a y-valve is, and much more!
Download the Pumpout Nav app from your mobile app store today.
Consider a Marine Composting Toilet
Untreated sewage discharged into waterways can lead to poor water quality for marine life and recreators.
Marine composting toilets are a low-maintenance, economical, easy-to-use device that simplifies sewage disposal on board.
Learn from real-life users why they love their marine composting toilet systems and learn about the ins and outs of installing a marine composting toilet.
Become a Dockwalker
Become a Dockwalker and help protect Southern California’s waterways! Whether you boat, work near the water, or just love being outdoors, you can play a vital role in keeping our coast clean. Join us, and a community of over 500 of your peers, to become a certified Dockwalker volunteer.
Dockwalkers are volunteer environmental educators who engage recreational boaters to be environmental stewards. They conduct outreach and distribute valuable California Boater Kits, which are full of useful tools to help boaters prevent ocean pollution.
The Dockwalker Program is led by the California State Parks and California Coastal Commission’s Boating Clean and Green Program and is implemented in partnership with TBF. Dockwalker Trainings occur in the spring, check our events page for 2025 dates!
Get a Free Boater’s Guide
The Boater’s Guide Southern California provides comprehensive information about Southern California’s harbors from Santa Barbara to San Diego, including navigational aids, how to get a guest slip, locations of waste disposal and fueling facilities, local rules and ordinances, custom harbor maps, and ocean-minded boating tips.
Download the free digital version, or if you’d like a printed copy please fill out this form.
Receive a FREE Clean Boating Kit
If you’re a recreational boater in California, simply complete a brief questionnaire to receive a FREE California Boater Kit full of boating pollution prevention tools and handy resources. Find the 2025 questionnaire here!
Download the Pumpout Nav App
Pumpout Nav is a free app that helps users locate their nearest pumpout, dump station, and floating restroom. Users can also report when pumpouts and dump stations are out of order to help inform other boaters and help improve infrastructure across the region. The app also provides easy-to-access information on how to pumpout, what a y-valve is, and much more!
Download the Pumpout Nav app from your mobile app store today.
Consider a Marine Composting Toilet
Untreated sewage discharged into waterways can lead to poor water quality for marine life and recreators.
Marine composting toilets are a low-maintenance, economical, easy-to-use device that simplifies sewage disposal on board.
Learn from real-life users why they love their marine composting toilet systems and learn about the ins and outs of installing a marine composting toilet.
