How do I avoid "discharging oil"?

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by Rusty123

Depends on the boat. My shower drains to the bilge. And there is no well under the engine. If my engine was drippy (which it fortunately is not), and I used the on board shower (which I do not), I would be pumping a bit of oil overboard, just like the OP suggests.

Apparently designs/rules have changed in the last 37 years....

[Rusty123]

Originally Posted by DotDun

Apparently designs/rules have changed in the last 37 years....

No doubt [emoji16]

[CFS Klopas]

Regardless of how your boat was designed, if there is visible oil or fuel in your bilge and the bilge then pumps overboard, you're in violation.

[Bean Counter]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

It depends on the type of oil. cooking oil or oils from your own body is legal to discharge.

What does length have to do with it?

I have seen dingys that discharge oil. My own boat is 27ft, and the coast guard informed me that I do not need the oil discharge placard.

I also watched a grumpy old man pump the oil from his bilge on a 25ft boat. I told the guy it was not good to the environment. He replied "**** the environment" and then proceeded to tell me why he hates seals.

Oil seals or fur seals

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

It depends on the type of oil. cooking oil or oils from your own body is legal to discharge.

What does length have to do with it?

I have seen dingys that discharge oil. My own boat is 27ft, and the coast guard informed me that I do not need the oil discharge placard.

I also watched a grumpy old man pump the oil from his bilge on a 25ft boat. I told the guy it was not good to the environment. He replied "**** the environment" and then proceeded to tell me why he hates seals.

Actually the current version of the clean water act prohibits discharge of any oil whether derived from petroleum, plants, or animal. This includes cooking oil. The USCG has not changed the wording of the required placards, but legally all oils are now treated the same. I think they primarily changed this so that biodiesel which can be derived from plant or animal oils were covered the same way petroleum products are. The wording however does not exempt cooking oil.

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by Rusty123

Nothing to fix.

If you’ve got oil in your bilge, you’ve got something to fix.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by jsc7

...but simple logic dictates that every single boat over about 25 feet in length discharges oil.

For example, residual oil and other chemicals used on a boat will collect in the bilge, then as soon as somebody takes a shower, the bilge will fill with soapy water and discharge. Therefore, the boat will be pouring soapy water mixed with oil and other chemicals into the water.

Your "simple logic" is incorrect.

If there's oil in the bilge, something needs fixing. And that oil needs to be mopped up and disposed of safely.

Also, showers on many boats are plumbed to sumps, so shower water doesn't go through the bilge before disharge.

-Chris

[SSgtPitt]

Apparently there are a lot of boats out there that dump the sump into the bilge. That seems pretty nasty to me, cleaning the hair and spootem out of the sump is bad enough, I can’t imagine intentionally dumping that into my bilge and then having to pump it overboard.
I have a Perkins 4108, it leaks oil. Research says nothing will stop it no matter how expensive the seals are. Good thing I have a sump under the engine that doesn’t drain to the bilge.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by Rusty123

Nothing to fix.

Good luck telling that to the Coast Guard when they are writing you up for discharging oil.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

My own boat is 27ft, and the coast guard informed me that I do not need the oil discharge placard.

Just so nobody misunderstands that, you don't need the placard. You still need to follow the law. No discharge of oil from ANY vessel.

[Rusty123]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Good luck telling that to the Coast Guard when they are writing you up for discharging oil.

Originally Posted by Red Sky

If you’ve got oil in your bilge, you’ve got something to fix.

You all must have me confused with someone else. As I stated earlier, there is no oil in my bilge, and I don’t use the on board shower, so nothing is being pumped overboard, least of all oil.

I was simply confirming that there are boats where the shower drains to the bilge. Not saying that it’s a great design, but it does exist.

And while my engine doesn’t leak oil, I would be willing to bet that there are some out there that do.

So the OP is asking a valid question, IMO.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Rusty123

You all must have me confused with someone else. As I stated earlier, there is no oil in my bilge, and I don’t use the on board shower, so nothing is being pumped overboard, least of all oil.

I was simply confirming that there are boats where the shower drains to the bilge. Not saying that it’s a great design, but it does exist.

And while my engine doesn’t leak oil, I would be willing to bet that there are some out there that do.

So the OP is asking a valid question, IMO.

Your engine doesn't leak oil until it does.

I've been doing this for decades and have never been able to change oil without spilling some. Fortunately I have a drip pan.

I've also been on boats that had showers drain into the bilge. How anyone can live with the stench of rotting hair, skin and bodily fluids that are inevitable is beyond me.

[Olddan1943]

Originally Posted by Rusty123

Depends on the boat. My shower drains to the bilge. And there is no well under the engine. If my engine was drippy (which it fortunately is not), and I used the on board shower (which I do not), I would be pumping a bit of oil overboard, just like the OP suggests.

Shower discharge to the bilge? Hmmm, 'soap ring around the bilge'? Sounds messy to me. Where do the sinks drain?

Some areas forbid the discharge of gray water over the side. Must go to a separate tank. I avoid those areas.

[Rusty123]

Originally Posted by Olddan1943

Shower discharge to the bilge? Hmmm, 'soap ring around the bilge'? Sounds messy to me. Where do the sinks drain?.

Originally Posted by boatpoker

I've also been on boats that had showers drain into the bilge. How anyone can live with the stench of rotting hair, skin and bodily fluids that are inevitable is beyond me.

Yup. That’s one of the reasons why I don’t use the shower. Another being that I can’t stand up in it. And another being that I don’t have the FW tankage to support it.

In fact, I think the only reason there is a shower at all was to enable a marketing strategy. Similar to saying “sleeps six”, but only if there is nothing on board except bodies.

[Caliber40]

There are chemicals that help as well as oil absorbent pads. But in reality there’s always some “oil sheen” that’s going to get pumped overboard no matter what the experts say. And yes it’s typical to have ones “ shower water” get pumped into the bulge!