Small Holding Tank

[Aird]

This winter will be our third time to sail to the Bahamas
We only have a 6 gal holding tank and I do not see much chance of enlarging the capacity.
Please do not beat me up but we are new to cruising. Do we just by pass the tank after we cross the 3 mile limit, even in the great anchorages of the Bahamas, or can we use our holding tank and then pump it out as we head to a different island.
How would we pump it out while underway.
Thanks

[Kenomac]

Pump it out when full or before, and let nature take care of everything... just like the fishies.

[Sailmonkey]

You can pump it out underway if it's plumbed to do so. If it's not then it should be. You'll not find many if any pump outs once away from congestion.


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[Terra Nova]

A 6-gallon holding tank seems an exceedingly poor choice for a 37' cruising boat. Hire a pro, if necessary, to correct this.

[peghall]

You may not be able to fit a larger tank into the space your 6 gal tank now occupies, but that's not the only place to put a tank...nor do you have to be limited to the off-the-shelf rectangular tanks in the marine catalogs. Ronco Plastics Ronco Plastics Marine Catalog (no relation to the VegoMatic Ronco) makes TOP quality thick-walled water and waste tanks for a very reasonable price and has more than 400 shapes and sizes, over 100 of which are non-rectangular (which means you actually might be able to fit a larger one in the same space), and they install fittings in the sizes and locations specified by the customer when they make the tank. So before just assuming that 6 gallons is all the holding capacity you can have, check 'em out! They're great to work with.

[Mike OReilly]

Or you could install a composter, and get rid of the tiny tank and all the problems.