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Old 11-09-2018, 04:46   #1
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Are any boaters following the law?

I’m not looking for admissions of guilt, but in your experience, how many boaters comply with sewage discharge laws?

I ask because for the last two weeks I’ve been in a marina in Tampa Bay doing some upgrades and requested a pump out from the marina. They seemed really put out by my request, despite advertising free mobile pump outs. It took four days of daily requests to make it happen. Then I noticed that during the last two weeks I never saw the pump out cart servicing any of the dozens of live aboards in the marina. As I started asking around, most of the live aboards indirectly admited to just pumping overboard, many claiming that maceration is treatment enough.

Is this normal? Do most boaters ignore the discharge laws, even when inside the marina?
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Old 11-09-2018, 05:05   #2
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boat Named Sue View Post
I’m not looking for admissions of guilt, but in your experience, how many boaters comply with sewage discharge laws?

I ask because for the last two weeks I’ve been in a marina in Tampa Bay doing some upgrades and requested a pump out from the marina. They seemed really put out by my request, despite advertising free mobile pump outs. It took four days of daily requests to make it happen. Then I noticed that during the last two weeks I never saw the pump out cart servicing any of the dozens of live aboards in the marina. As I started asking around, most of the live aboards indirectly admited to just pumping overboard, many claiming that maceration is treatment enough.

Is this normal? Do most boaters ignore the discharge laws, even when inside the marina?

Frankly, I find it unlikely that many would do such a stupid thing but there are invariably some who feel that the rules don't apply to them. This (small) group accounts for much of the dislike of live-aboards in marinas, particularly in Florida.


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Old 11-09-2018, 05:14   #3
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

What marina are you at?
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Old 11-09-2018, 05:39   #4
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

I don't know your location, but perhaps it is a matter of enforcement driving compliance? In the fresh waters that I've cruised in, the various waterborne law enforcement folks just love dumping dye markers down the heads and looking at our plumbing. I sometimes think that they only know three laws: plumbing, PFD's, and drink-boating. Since you have to live down-stream of your neighbor's toilets, why not make an anonymous call to the local coasties or state wildlife folks and ask for an inspection?
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Old 11-09-2018, 05:50   #5
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

While you are making calls, perhaps you can get the the city of st pete to stop dumping millions of gallons of raw sewage into Boca Ciega bay every time it rains hard! No penalties for them though. That's just a case of s--t happens!
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Old 11-09-2018, 05:54   #6
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Are any boaters following the law?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boat Named Sue View Post
I’m not looking for admissions of guilt, but in your experience, how many boaters comply with sewage discharge laws?



I ask because for the last two weeks I’ve been in a marina in Tampa Bay doing some upgrades and requested a pump out from the marina. They seemed really put out by my request, despite advertising free mobile pump outs. It took four days of daily requests to make it happen. Then I noticed that during the last two weeks I never saw the pump out cart servicing any of the dozens of live aboards in the marina. As I started asking around, most of the live aboards indirectly admited to just pumping overboard, many claiming that maceration is treatment enough.



Is this normal? Do most boaters ignore the discharge laws, even when inside the marina?


Hmmm

Can’t be the Muni as they have a pump out BOAT.

Could you clarify or better explain “the cart”? Vinoy has a hose cart that is used to bring the waste to the vacuum system pipes that run along the dock. I thought that the Harborage had a vacuum system also.

Given St Pete’s past fines I know folks are OCD about water quality in the bay. So the odds of a marina being lax is low.
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Old 11-09-2018, 06:54   #7
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

I followed the law 100%.

I had a boat that I couldn’t discharge overboard.

Two things happened. I killed a day in Martha’s Vinyard onboard waiting for the pumpout boat and in Marion, MA the girl hooked up to pump the tank to pump it out but didn’t get a suction and got very little of the contents of the tank.

From then on I installed an overboard discharge.

I always went to or beyond the 3 mile limit.
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Old 11-09-2018, 07:10   #8
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

I know in a lot of marinas the culture is to put urine in the waterway on the theory that it’s sterile and to use the marina restrooms for ones daily constitutional.

I’ve never been to a marina where the culture was to not hold and pump out, and I would not stay at one where I knew that was the case.
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Old 11-09-2018, 07:27   #9
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

While berthed at Wentworth by the Sea in New Hampshire, I witnessed many boaters using a pumpout station. That’s been the only place in the US, Mediterranean, Canada or California that I’ve ever seen one being used. Very few places outside the US even have a pumpout station.

So my answer is no.
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Old 11-09-2018, 07:36   #10
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

the hardest thing for me in georgetown bahamas is to step out of my dinghy at the beach and step into knee high water....knowing that hundreds of boats there are simply dumping while at anchor
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Old 11-09-2018, 07:38   #11
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

Where I am now, there are no pump out facilities. And I know few boats get beyond the 3 mile limit before letting go.

I’m a compost head user, so I mostly follow the rules .
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Old 11-09-2018, 07:42   #12
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

Some marina's with pump outs, maintain records, date of pump out and approximate volume pumped.
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Old 11-09-2018, 07:48   #13
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

I am told, in the Great Lakes system, they have a well defined state-run and private mariana free pump-outs.
Supposedly, in the GL system, one can almost see from one state-run or private marina to the next.
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Old 11-09-2018, 07:49   #14
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

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the hardest thing for me in georgetown bahamas is to step out of my dinghy at the beach and step into knee high water....knowing that hundreds of boats there are simply dumping while at anchor
There’re many more important things to worry about. The same thing happens at ALL public beaches everywhere in the world, only there you have thousands dooing it.
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Old 11-09-2018, 08:04   #15
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Re: Are any boaters following the law?

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While you are making calls, perhaps you can get the the city of st pete to stop dumping millions of gallons of raw sewage into Boca Ciega bay every time it rains hard! No penalties for them though. That's just a case of s--t happens!
If you and everyone else in St Pete agree to triple your taxes to pay for the upgrade and vote into office politicians who promise to triple your taxes, the problem will be solved.
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