Clean Boating
Engaging SoCal’s 200,000 plus registered boaters in pollution prevention makes a difference in local waterways.
Dedicated to the Reduction of the Ocean Pollution and the Upswell of Ocean Stewardship from the Recreational Boating Community
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 Southern California boating communities 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 proper sewage disposal facilities like pumpouts, dump stations, and marine composting toilets; 2) the implementation of community-based social marketing to influence behavior and 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. A collaborative partnership approach is utilized, amplifying clean boating messages via initiatives like the Dockwalker Program, California Clean Boating Network, and 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
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!
Become a Dockwalker
Do you enjoy spending time around the harbor? Do you like talking to peers about boating and how we can safeguard California’s waterways? 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!
Recycle Your Fishing Line
Recycle fishing lines to protect wildlife and boats!
Check out the Recycle Fishing Lines guide to get the simple instructions you need to make your portable recycling container and be an ocean steward. Take your responsible fishing one step further and in it, learn about Marine Protected Areas and aligned resources available to you.
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 and send in this order 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!
Become a Dockwalker
Do you enjoy spending time around the harbor? Do you like talking to peers about boating and how we can safeguard California’s waterways? 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!
