It was discussed a couple of times as far back as 2008.
Someone was chased away from a pond by the local Park Ranger.
The Ranger stated that there was an issue with invasive species.
The modeler was incredulous that his boat could bring something into a pond.
We reversed that idea to him, in that, perhaps the Ranger was worried the model might
"TAKE" something out of the pond that they were trying to contain.
The example I gave was regarding the Zebra Mussel issue in the Midwestern United States.
There is a huge containment problem, and there are worries that full size boats being trailered
over the mountains may carry the species Westward. Is this a problem form boat modelers?
Not a large problem no, but consider a cooling system in a model boat.
That 3mm diameter tubing that carries water from the pond into the model around
the motor, and then overboard.
Mussel larve, known as Veligers, range in size from 70-200 microns (μm).
In an 3mm" diameter cooling line, 46cm long, with the largest veligers pack in like sardines, that
would be about 16,000-17,000 mussel larva in a model boat.
Is it possible that a model could transport something biological between ponds? YES
Is it likely to happen, not really, but should there be concerns? Yes.
I took my boat to the Netherlands and sailed everywhere, including the parks, canals and rivers.
When I returned, I wiped the bottom of my model down with bleach, and used a syringe loaded
with bleach water to inject my fire monitor tubing with bleach water, and let it sit for a day.
Better to be safe than find issues down the road.
I think ducks and geese should be required to bath and shower before entering ponds.
At least walk through a sanitation tube to wash off their feet. Never know where those
fowl birds have been swimming.
edit:
(Rats,... Ian beat me to the punch...)
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