Adding waste deck plates and improving pump out

[Ayb]

The procedure for pump out on my boat is a bit... Unconventional. I would like to fix it but I need some advice.

There's a black water holding tank for the forward head and this has a hose that leads to the aft head location through the engine room. In the engine room there's a valve to direct black water to a through hull (if I were well off shore) or to a "pump out hose". Either way there's a pump I can actuate that will pump the black water out to where that valve is pointing.

Then there's the aft head itself. This one was originally designed to go straight overboard but the previous owner made it compliant by adding a small bladder style holding tank as well. This tank has a pumpout hose and a valve that can be opened to allow flow to that hose.

The boat did have one deck plate for pumpout and it's decomissioned in that it sits on a vertical panel, not flat on the deck, near that aft head, and the hose connection to it is smaller diameter than the hoses I have now.

Anyway my pumpout procedure is pretty frustrating:
1. Open a port hole that leads to aft head
2. Retrieve the holding tank pumpout hose and feed it through the port hole. Connect the pumpout cart or system there.
3. Go into the engine room and turn the valve to pump out via hose
4. Turn on the pump so the suction from the cart outside doesn't have to reach the tank
5. Turn on the pumpout cart or station
6. When that's done, shut pump off, disconnect everything, turn the valve again, snake the hose back for storage, consider my life choices and so on
7. Aft head time! Snake that hose through the port hole and connect the pump station or cart
8. Turn the valve on at the bladder tank
9. Turn on suction
10. When done, disconnect and snake that hose back in, close the valve

I find this a bit insane but that's how the boat came.

I can drill a hole in the deck and put a deck plate in that would allow me to run the pumpout hose to the plate right there in the engine room, rather than to the aft head. That would eliminate the port hole process and I would feel comfortable leaving the overboard valve on pumpout hose full time (if someone turned the pump on it would just pump against the closed deck plate). The deck plate would go just ahead of the port hole, where that pilot house window is in the photo on the gray deck surface.

But then there's the aft head... I could run its pumpout hose into the engine room (following where the main tank one used to enter the aft head area) and ... To a second deck plate? Would that make sense? I don't suppose there's any way to tee them together, that would mess up suction and direction of flow, right?

[peghall]

First, Welcome aboard cruisersforum.com!



If I read all that correctly, the simplest solution MAY be TWO deck pumpout fittings, one for each tank. Or, depending on the size of the boat and the distance between the two toilets, a single tank and deck pumpout fitting midway between them. Either solution will require a considerable amount of re-plumbing the system.



If you'd like some one-on-one help to figure out what to do and how to do it correctly (I don't charge anything to give advice), you're welcome send me a private message.


--Peggie

[Ayb]

Thanks Peggie, I'll pm you. I'm going to try and make a diagram of the plumbing because my description is probably a mess.

The boat is 50 LOA and the actual heads are quite far apart, the aft head is in the stern cabin and the forward head is near the bow. The main holding tank is approximately in between and the engine room is just forward of the aft head.

[peghall]

I'll watch for your PM. And after I receive it I'll reply with a bunch of questions. Meanwhile try to get photos of all the parts/sections of the system(s). Please do NOT post them in your PM. We'll swap the info privately needed for you to send them to me via text and/or email along with your drawings.



--Peggie