Is it biodegradable? Or is that just a marketing ploy for the more
expensive soaps at the boat stores?


Very few things are not biodegradable. That label does nothing to
impress our local envrio-Nazi's. They point out that during the process
of decomposition the soaps, etc, usually deplete the oxgen in water.

Some of them even do a pretty deceptive demonstration to prove the
point. They will put a few drops of "biodegradable" soap into an
aquarium, and within 24 hours the goldfish will be dead from oxygen
starvation. Looks impressive, until you do the math. How many gallons
of water in a 500 acre lake, with an average depth of 75-feet? I don't
know, but it would probably take several thousand gallons of soap in
such a lake to begin to duplicate the concentration of a few drops in a
10-gallon fish tank. If you covered the lake with boats, gunwale to
gunwale, and *everybody* poured in a gallon of undiluted soap at the
same time, it might begin to duplicate the concentration in the
aquarium demonstration.

Most of our local marinas actually have rules against using soap of any
kind to wash a boat. Fortunately, none are enforced by the marinas and
the "official" enviro Nazis have been told to back off.
(One batch of government officials wanted to fine the Seattle Polilce
Department. The cops were using tap water to "rinse" the patrol boat
after each shift. (No soap involved). The enviro-Nazis got all shrill
about dirt being washed into Lake Union. Of course, the same dirt would
have fallen directly into the lake if it hadn't landed on the police
boat as it fell to earth from our polluted atmosphere....but that
doesn't matter. I heard the Seattle Police told the Department of
Ecology to go and urinate up a rope following the initial complaint.
And should have).

We all need to protect the environment, but at the same time we need to
live in it. That doesn't mean that we should rape and pillage the
public landscape for the short term benefit of a few politically
favored corporations, but we should be able to make a reasonable use of
resources while bearing in mind the responsibility to leave a useable
and enjoyable planet to the next generations.

As explained to me by a PHD environmental type in my YC.

Biodegradable is correct, the soap breaks down into more basic products.
problem is the products resulting feed the weads (and we DO have a wead
problem). Best suggestion is to wash a little offshore.

wrote:
Is it biodegradable? Or is that just a marketing ploy for the more
expensive soaps at the boat stores?



Very few things are not biodegradable. That label does nothing to
impress our local envrio-Nazi's. They point out that during the process
of decomposition the soaps, etc, usually deplete the oxgen in water.

Some of them even do a pretty deceptive demonstration to prove the
point. They will put a few drops of "biodegradable" soap into an
aquarium, and within 24 hours the goldfish will be dead from oxygen
starvation. Looks impressive, until you do the math. How many gallons
of water in a 500 acre lake, with an average depth of 75-feet? I don't
know, but it would probably take several thousand gallons of soap in
such a lake to begin to duplicate the concentration of a few drops in a
10-gallon fish tank. If you covered the lake with boats, gunwale to
gunwale, and *everybody* poured in a gallon of undiluted soap at the
same time, it might begin to duplicate the concentration in the
aquarium demonstration.

Most of our local marinas actually have rules against using soap of any
kind to wash a boat. Fortunately, none are enforced by the marinas and
the "official" enviro Nazis have been told to back off.
(One batch of government officials wanted to fine the Seattle Polilce
Department. The cops were using tap water to "rinse" the patrol boat
after each shift. (No soap involved). The enviro-Nazis got all shrill
about dirt being washed into Lake Union. Of course, the same dirt would
have fallen directly into the lake if it hadn't landed on the police
boat as it fell to earth from our polluted atmosphere....but that
doesn't matter. I heard the Seattle Police told the Department of
Ecology to go and urinate up a rope following the initial complaint.
And should have).

We all need to protect the environment, but at the same time we need to
live in it. That doesn't mean that we should rape and pillage the
public landscape for the short term benefit of a few politically
favored corporations, but we should be able to make a reasonable use of
resources while bearing in mind the responsibility to leave a useable
and enjoyable planet to the next generations.

wrote in message
oups.com...



Is it biodegradable? Or is that just a marketing ploy for the more
expensive soaps at the boat stores?


Very few things are not biodegradable. That label does nothing to
impress our local envrio-Nazi's.


Hehehe. And I figured *you* for an enviro-Nazi.

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 20:09:16 GMT, "Jim," wrote:

As explained to me by a PHD environmental type in my YC.

Biodegradable is correct, the soap breaks down into more basic products.
problem is the products resulting feed the weads (and we DO have a wead
problem). Best suggestion is to wash a little offshore.

Wead?

Is that how they spell it these days?

Later,

Tom

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 20:09:16 GMT, "Jim," wrote:


As explained to me by a PHD environmental type in my YC.

Biodegradable is correct, the soap breaks down into more basic products.
problem is the products resulting feed the weads (and we DO have a wead
problem). Best suggestion is to wash a little offshore.


Wead?

Is that how they spell it these days?

Later,

Tom
Funny thing -- it passed my spell checker too -- anyhow -- the green
stuff that grows on the bottom, and fouls your prop

In article , says...

wrote in message
oups.com...



Is it biodegradable? Or is that just a marketing ploy for the more
expensive soaps at the boat stores?


Very few things are not biodegradable. That label does nothing to
impress our local envrio-Nazi's.


Hehehe. And I figured *you* for an enviro-Nazi.

Add that to the lengthy list of things "you figured."

By the time you reach a riper age, hopefully some of the things you
figured will be replaced by things you know.

jps

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 20:26:38 GMT, "Jim," wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 20:09:16 GMT, "Jim," wrote:


As explained to me by a PHD environmental type in my YC.

Biodegradable is correct, the soap breaks down into more basic products.
problem is the products resulting feed the weads (and we DO have a wead
problem). Best suggestion is to wash a little offshore.

Wead?

Is that how they spell it these days?

Funny thing -- it passed my spell checker too -- anyhow -- the green
stuff that grows on the bottom, and fouls your prop

A few years ago, I cleaned out the personal dictionary attached to my
main spell check dictionary and you would be surprised at how many
misspelled words there were in it.

Same thing with Agent's spell checker - it has a ton of mistakes.

Later,

Tom

In article om,
says...
The rumors were true! There really was a boat under all that dirt.
The water has been off at my slip since October, so today's project was
to motor over to the guest dock and scrub (for 4 hours) her clean.

I stopped and purchased a bottle of Meguire's "Gold Seal" car wash
soap. ($7.99). I've had it with paying $30 a gallon for so-called boat
soap at Big Box Marine- only be disappointed with the results.

This Meguires stuff is so concentrated that it pours like molasses.
I used half a bottle on my very dirty 36-footer, and the boat hasn't
been so clean in a long time.

If you're looking for a good boat soap, the answer may not be a "boat
soap" at all. :-)

Another in the line of efficient products is call Rolloff. It's made by
Bell Chemicals and sold by Boatersworld. Floats dirt and build up off
more effectively than anything I've tried.

I have a oxidized blue stripe and this stuff (in it's most diluted form)
washes it away immediately (I've got to repaint the damn thing). Pretty
effective on black streaks too but not quite as much as the black streak
remover.

Sold in gallons for under $20 and a bucket of soapy water takes about a
cup if I remember correctly.

Here's a link. Very satisfied, no connection.

http://www.boatersworld.com/webapp/w...roductDisplay?
storeId=10051&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&productId=13219908

"jps" wrote in message
...
In article , says...

wrote in message
oups.com...



Is it biodegradable? Or is that just a marketing ploy for the more
expensive soaps at the boat stores?


Very few things are not biodegradable. That label does nothing to
impress our local envrio-Nazi's.


Hehehe. And I figured *you* for an enviro-Nazi.

Add that to the lengthy list of things "you figured."

By the time you reach a riper age, hopefully some of the things you
figured will be replaced by things you know.


Shall I break out the archived "jps prediction" list? I didn't feel like I
needed to rub salt in the wound, but if you'd like, I'd be happy to share it
with all of the folks.

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 20:26:38 GMT, "Jim," wrote:

`` snippage ~

Funny thing -- it passed my spell checker too -- anyhow -- the green
stuff that grows on the bottom, and fouls your prop

I know why it passed wead - do you? :)

Later,

Tom