holding tank discharge questions again!

[Robin3]

On the surreptitious chuck it principle for liquids only of course we have a kids beach bucket on the stern deck where we store the hanging zinc anode 'fish when away from our slip, this could easily double as a 'go-along john'. we had one similar on our last UK sailboat for the helmsman to use, it had a line attached long enough to allow it to reach over the rails and when not in use hung on the stern rail.

[Suijin]

I have never understood the USCG requirement regarding locking. If you're the captain, you're the one with the key. You're also pretty much the only one who's going to be futzing with the Y valve. It's not like guests are going to go poking around in your plumbing looking to circumvent the holding tank.

Perhaps it is simply to try and ensure that you cannot quickly flip the valve over while you're being boarded?

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by CarlF

An option that is somewhat expensive but offers other advantages is to replace the head with one that uses less flush water. Our Raritan Elegance seems to fill the holding tank about half as fast as the head on our last boat.

I only just bought a brand new Jabsco Twist N'lock manual toilet which is the direct replacement for the older now originally installed that had the electric conversion added to it and which leaks, hence starting off this revamp of our inherited system. We have as I said earlier a Y Valve to select either direct overboard or go to tank option. This valve has places built in to thread a cable tie or lock to prevent the handle being moved from the route selected. The outlet thru-hull valve to which both the direct overboard pipe and the tank discharge pipes finally exit the hull has a large lever that could easily be locked in place with a simple bit of rigging wire with a swaged loop either end, wrapped around the pipework and padlocked and/or as this and the Y valve are both in a locker t we could easily add a simple lock arrangement to a the locker doordoor an added defence.

As we are nearing the end of a post purchase refit we were thinking too of taking advantage of a free Coastguard safety checkover visit to make sure we are complying with the rules there, this might also make a good tester of whatever arrangement we end up with.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Suijin

I have never understood the USCG requirement regarding locking. If you're the captain, you're the one with the key. You're also pretty much the only one who's going to be futzing with the Y valve. It's not like guests are going to go poking around in your plumbing looking to circumvent the holding tank.

Perhaps it is simply to try and ensure that you cannot quickly flip the valve over while you're being boarded?

I think they were required to "do something", so they came up with this regulation as it's not very hard to accomplish and does require the owner / operator of the vessel to show complience. Prior to this regulation I'm sure you could leave the Y valve anywhere you wanted and if caught with it open all you had to say was you didn't use the head.
I'm happy some rule that would require some expensive equipment change wasn't incorporated.