Bahamas and T&C Discharge

[a64pilot]

My tank has two outlets, one at the top and one at the bottom, The hose from the heads goes by a thru hull with a valve in the thru hull, open the valve and it direct discharges, close the valve and it goes up hill and into the top of the tank.
The one outlet at the bottom is connected to the pump out fitting in the deck.

How can I put a macerator in this without another thru hull and keep the capability of pump outs?


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[redsky49]

For anyone who has retro-fitted a macerator pump/overboard discharge, I would appreciate a schematic diagram or photo of the valving arrangement.This is in regard to utilizing the existing thru hull fittings.

I currently can only empty my holding tank at a pump out. Very inconvenient.

I can see possible Chernoble-like outcomes if all doesn't go as planned

[Ocean Girl]

Just about every big port in the exumas has a way to pump out. Many area are no discharge areas. I will try to find the link you (op) asked for. My internet is spotty.

[jeepbluetj]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

My tank has two outlets, one at the top and one at the bottom, The hose from the heads goes by a thru hull with a valve in the thru hull, open the valve and it direct discharges, close the valve and it goes up hill and into the top of the tank.
The one outlet at the bottom is connected to the pump out fitting in the deck.

How can I put a macerator in this without another thru hull and keep the capability of pump outs?

(Also in response to Redsky)

Of course the trick there is "without another through hull." I had several through hulls that were no longer used, so I just used one.

My system is pretty close to:


I do not have the Y valve (#8) in the diagram. It serves no real purpose. If you're macerating, the cap is on the deck plate and it should seal pretty well. The thru-hull is closed if you're pumping out of the deck plate. Works great. Macerator is connected to a tee from the bottom outlet on the tank. Macerator is ideally below the level of the bottom of the tank or as close to it as possible. Yea, you may want some way to shut off the tank to macerator for service. I really didn't have the room so I figure if I need to replace it I'll visit a pump out first.

I also tee'd the saltwater intake valve into my head's sink drain line. We use freshwater to flush 90% of the time. (just run water into the sink) This would be a good place to free up a thru-hull for the discharge - use either the sink drain or the head intake. (whichever is rearmost ) Then you get freshwater flush/saltwater flush and the ability to pump out when offshore.

I could have used the direct discharge thru-hull, but it wasn't as close to the pump as the one I did use. If you don't mind losing the direct discharge, that can also become your thru-hull. You could even add another Y valve to it, but that's too complex for my tastes.

No having direct is fine by me. We're not ever going to take the boat anywhere we'd be at sea long enough to matter. All the harbors/anchorages here in socal are anal about discharge - the poo police are happy I don't have a Y valve.

But it may be real important if your macerator dies and you're in the middle of nowhere. Or take a spare macerator.

[Ocean Girl]

"It is illegal to dump sewage in the coastal waters of The Bahamas. Although, there is no specific law applicable to boat sewage discharge, the Environmental Health Services Act (Chapter 232) clearly states that direct discharge is an illegal activity and persons guilty of an offence may be fined up to $1000.00. Therefore, while in Elizabeth Harbour, you are required to use your holding tank. If you do not want to leave the harbour and travel offshore to pumpout, the pumpout service is a convenient way to empty your holding tank without breaking the law and harming the environment."
FAQs | The Elizabeth Harbour Conservation Partnership

[Snore]

Ocean Girl--- thanks

[a64pilot]

jeepbluetj,
Thanks, awfully good diagram, I'm nowhere near that computer literate to do a drawing like that.
My ideal is to clean the tank out really well and just by-pass it as I expect to do a lot of cruising to where pumping out isn't an option.
I converted to fresh water flush a little while ago, and with by-pass it's not hard to keep the hoses empty of all waste by flushing out with fresh water, but if the waste has to go up hill to the top of the tank, then the lines will always be full of sewage.

To keep by-pass and to be able to pump out would require either a couple of Y valves or another thru-hull

[Tingum]

Please do not pump out in any of the harbours or anchorages! Take a short sail outside the harbour away from where folks swim off their boats. Thank you.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Just about every big port in the exumas has a way to pump out. Many area are no discharge areas. -----

Ocean Girl - Don't stop with Elizabeth harbor. I'd like to know the rest of the big ports in the Exumas with pump out facilities. Heck, I'd like to know the rest of the "big ports" lol.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by FSMike

Ocean Girl - Don't stop with Elizabeth harbor. I'd like to know the rest of the big ports in the Exumas with pump out facilities. Heck, I'd like to know the rest of the "big ports" lol.

Bahamas Pumpouts | Bahamas Chatter

[Var Korall]

Positive pressure will just blow odors out of boat through the vent, not waste.
If you valve vent and close it, will probably blow up tank or a hose, or blow hose off
tank inlet or outlet. Very messy.

[CarlF]

Not having a direct overboard discharge has a lot to recommend it - especially for boats that spend a lot of time in the US.The previous diagram is very good.

While legal with enough wire ties, the direct discharge doesn't get a CG boarding off on a good foot. They much prefer the the head going only to a holding tank.

You only open the seacock when emptying the tank not every time the head is used. This means you don't have to explain the seacock operation to guests and don't risk someone "forgetting" to close it. A closed 1.5" seacock is a safe 1.5" seacock.

When swimming off a direct discharge boat, this will happen: "Oops, I thought you were out of the water" or "Wait! I need to go before you dive in"

If you use fresh water to flush, the only salt water to make hoses smell will be between the seacock and the holding tank not the seacock and the head.

Top quality hoses are much improved. I have had Trident 101/102 for almost 10 years with no smell. I don't worry about sewage sitting in it other than giving a few extra flushes with fresh water when leaving the boat for more than a week.

[jeepbluetj]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

jeepbluetj,
Thanks, awfully good diagram, I'm nowhere near that computer literate to do a drawing like that.

I am literate enough to do one, but for full disclosure I stole that diagram off of West Marine's website.

Sorry 'bout the thread drift, it was kind of crappy to drift it like that...

(potty humor never gets old, does it?)

[Sinbad51]

As a back up to shore pump outs which I never found in the Bahamas and direct discharge, I used a Whale Gusher pump that I would attach to the deck fitting and use a flexible hose overboard. Not the most appealing job to do when you are offshore, but it served it's purpose rather than a macerator.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Sinbad51

As a back up to shore pump outs which I never found in the Bahamas and direct discharge, I used a Whale Gusher pump that I would attach to the deck fitting and use a flexible hose overboard. Not the most appealing job to do when you are offshore, but it served it's purpose rather than a macerator.

OK, something like this is what I was looking for, ideally a way to empty the tank, without knocking more holes in the boat, I didn't know that a whale gusher would pull enough vacuum to prime, we are talking at least four feet.