Black Water Discharging. What really happens?

[Moody46CC]

Pump out. Operate in Chesapeake Bay, a no-discharge zone.

[Lubber4now]

I hear trillions of fish have been pooping in the water daily for billions of years.

I bet one Liopleurodon dumped more in a day than all boaters combined.

[Cadence]

At the risk of sounding like a bleeding heart liberal, if I am, Gore is right wing and far left of me. I believe 31 and 32s views are myopic.
I'm sure no one needs to read a rant on it. Just wishing people with that sort of belief would give it a second look. The impact of dumping may be small but so is the effort involved in not.

[Kenomac]

At the risk of sounding like I don't care... I actually don't. I'd like to point out that the average Bowhead whale produces around 100 tons of poop per year according to scientists who actually study this sort of feces. There are over 20,000 Bowheads roaming the oceans, (kinda like 20,000 cruise ships). Add to that walruses, seals, sealions, dolphins, whale sharks, other species of whales (Ever wonder how much poop a Blue whale produces? Answer: 8,000 pounds PER DAY!), fish etc.... I can't really see any scientific proof or evidence that what comes out of our boat during a four month cruising season, makes any difference in the grand scheme of things.

What this does indicate to me, however, is that the ocean biomass takes care of the waste problem, otherwise.... the water would be brown in color instead of blue.

[Lubber4now]

I hate to think what a a Megalodon pooped in a day.

No one should dump dooky in a harbor or the ICW - or any chemically treated waste in the ocean for that matter.

However I find the idea that human waste is somehow worse than what comes out of an Orca or alligator laughable.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Moody46CC

Pump out. Operate in Chesapeake Bay, a no-discharge zone.

The whole Chesapeake Bay is not a no-discharge zone. The only no-discharge zone I'm familiar with inside the Chesapeake is in Herring Bay, in the vicinity of Deale and Fairhaven.

Might be others, but I don't see any during a cursory glance at my electronic charts...

-Chris

[accomplice]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

At the risk of sounding like I don't care... I actually don't. I'd like to point out that the average Bowhead whale produces around 100 tons of poop per year according to scientists who actually study this sort of feces. There are over 20,000 Bowheads roaming the oceans, (kinda like 20,000 cruise ships). Add to that walruses, seals, sealions, dolphins, whale sharks, other species of whales (Ever wonder how much poop a Blue whale produces? Answer: 8,000 pounds PER DAY!), fish etc.... I can't really see any scientific proof or evidence that what comes out of our boat during a four month cruising season, makes any difference in the grand scheme of things.

What this does indicate to me, however, is that the ocean biomass takes care of the waste problem, otherwise.... the water would be brown in color instead of blue.

I think it is important to differentiate discharge at sea vs. discharge in a semi-enclosed body of water that may take many tidal cycles to empty/refill.

No one wants to be sitting in a slip in a crowded marina and see/smell their neighbors waste pass by -- much less to be down scrubbing their bottom. Beyond the 3-mile limit (in the US, at least), I agree with you that black water discharge is but a drop in the ocean.

[Ukeluthier]

Originally Posted by JStone

Whether in a marina, on hook, or coastal cruising, what do people really do with black water? What do YOU do? What are your opinions?

Please note that the OP was not talking about blue-water cruising.

The existing laws specifying the three-mile limit sound reasonable to me.

[Cadence]

Great since a large part of out seafood comes from inshore waters I can enjoy it with the veggies fertilized with human waist.

The bivalves are partially tasty.

[Lubber4now]

If SC means South Carolina then your seafood is getting flavor from gator marinade.

They eat everything from offal (floaters) to possum (and other disease carriers). They can go without eating for weeks so imagine the fun stuff growing in their guts. They cache kills in various places so they get "juicy" before dinnertime.

Copraphobia is amusing.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Lubber4now

If SC means South Carolina then your seafood is getting flavor from gator marinade.

They eat everything from offal (floaters) to possum (and other disease carriers). They can go without eating for weeks so imagine the fun stuff growing in their guts. They cache kills in various places so they get "juicy" before dinnertime.

Copraphobia is amusing.

Most of coastal SC are like me, Damn Yankees. I still would prefer my oysters without being the filter for human waist. Having been here pushing 50 years, I think your stereotype of southerners sucks.

[rwidman]

Does anyone believe that if a person routinely emptied his/her holding tank in the harbor they would admit it?

I don't think the responses here really answer the question.

[bstreep]

We just got back from a trip to the Netherlands. As far as we can tell, no one there pumps out. I asked and was told that the marina didn't have a pump out station.


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[gonesail]

speaking of animal discharge: we pulled into a marina in titusville that had several resident manatees and you would not have believed the smell and the amount of big brown floating things that were produced by these mammals. guess you can't make them use holding tanks

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by gonesail

speaking of animal discharge: we pulled into a marina in titusville that had several resident manatees and you would not have believed the smell and the amount of big brown floating things that were produced by these mammals. guess you can't make them use holding tanks

I dislike it for being an inconvenience. However I don't think the manatees where loaded with antibiotic or what ever.

Enough said. It is a pain in the ass and I probably am not eloquent enough to sway anyone.