I Must Be Reading Chart this Wrong

[h20man]

I would guess that it is easier to go out 3 miles and dump... then get to this pumpout...

certainly less stressful... no?

[allanpeda]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

.... It is interesting how often pumpouts are either out of service or unavailable for some reason.

Try and reach a pumpout behind a 35 ft bridge with a 44 ft mast. (Both of the near ones are situated that way BTW). There's a mobile pump out, but so far no reply, and he specializes in Jamaica bay (over a hour away for me).

[allanpeda]

Originally Posted by h20man

I would guess that it is easier to go out 3 miles and dump... then get to this pumpout...

certainly less stressful... no?

I am going to do just that, though the tank is mostly below the water line.

[h20man]

Originally Posted by allanpeda

I am going to do just that, though the tank is mostly below the water line.

The below the waterline should not be an issue...

You could always 'practice' in the harbor... (just kidding )....

On boats I have seen there is usually a seacock for the exit.

If you have an electric macerator then crank it on and make sure you hear noise as the stuff goes out.. You can hear the pitch change as it empties the tank.

If you have a manual pump then the same thing, except that you can even feel how the manual pump is now pumping nothing... (at least that has been my experience).

The only unpleasent thing could be the smell if the pumping is from a head area, and the head has not been maintained. I try to flush with some white vinegar and even do some empty flushes on the head to insure that the holding tank gets a nice rinse out....


Best of luck, and look forward to hearing a success story.

BTW, at least you have a great excuse for a good sail, so get a six pack and enjoy!

(and make sure your guests use the head BEFORE you pump out... then restrict them... )

[allanpeda]

Originally Posted by h20man

The below the waterline should not be an issue...

You could always 'practice' in the harbor... (just kidding )....

On boats I have seen there is usually a seacock for the exit.

If you have an electric macerator then crank it on and make sure you hear noise as the stuff goes out.. You can hear the pitch change as it empties the tank.

If you have a manual pump then the same thing, except that you can even feel how the manual pump is now pumping nothing... (at least that has been my experience).

The only unpleasent thing could be the smell if the pumping is from a head area, and the head has not been maintained. I try to flush with some white vinegar and even do some empty flushes on the head to insure that the holding tank gets a nice rinse out....


Best of luck, and look forward to hearing a success story.

BTW, at least you have a great excuse for a good sail, so get a six pack and enjoy!

(and make sure your guests use the head BEFORE you pump out... then restrict them... )

Yes, that is what I just finished doing. Also I rinsed it with dilute bleach which neutralizes the hydrogen sulfide (as toxic as cyanide).

H2S + 4 NaOCl → H2SO4 + 4 NaCl

[Tempest245]

New Jersey Marine Pumpout Stations

[ActiveCaptain]

Originally Posted by h20man

ActiveCaptain uses charts from 1984?

what gives?

All of the charts in ActiveCaptain were current to early 2010. The 1983 and 1984 references you find on the charts are the datums being used by NOAA for rendering the chart (NAD1983 specifically). Right below that is a 2007 table of channel depths - and again, that was the most current in 2010.

Charts in ActiveCaptain are meant more for general guidance. There's no GPS support on the website. If you intend on piloting your boat, you should be using a normal navigation system since the AC charts are over a year old.

That said, even the latest chart shows a very odd channel indication and probably weren't updated properly. It's hard to imagine that a cartographer even looked at it.

[h20man]

Originally Posted by ActiveCaptain

All of the charts in ActiveCaptain were current to early 2010. The 1983 and 1984 references you find on the charts are the datums being used by NOAA for rendering the chart (NAD1983 specifically). Right below that is a 2007 table of channel depths - and again, that was the most current in 2010.

Charts in ActiveCaptain are meant more for general guidance. There's no GPS support on the website. If you intend on piloting your boat, you should be using a normal navigation system since the AC charts are over a year old.

That said, even the latest chart shows a very odd channel indication and probably weren't updated properly. It's hard to imagine that a cartographer even looked at it.

Thanks for that input.

So what happens if someone relies on the noaa chart and runs aground.....?

And if the marina does not understand what the OP meant when he asked about the depth of the entrance, and how to arrive, who should he be asking?

ARG... so many problems..

[ActiveCaptain]

Originally Posted by h20man

So what happens if someone relies on the noaa chart and runs aground.....?

It happens every day of the year. The first time I went was stopped aground was on the ICW in Swansville, NC directly between a red and green marker. The chart showed 12 feet of water. My 6' keel said otherwise.

You are ultimately responsible for the operation and safety of your vessel. It's not about finding the right person to blame.

[ActiveCaptain]

Originally Posted by h20man

And if the marina does not understand what the OP meant when he asked about the depth of the entrance, and how to arrive, who should he be asking?

That's the whole point of crowd-sourcing. The best data comes from other sailors who have just been through an area. That's better than any book, chart, or website can ever provide. The key is in using the books, charts, and websites to collect and distribute the local knowledge as efficiently as possible.

[h20man]

Originally Posted by ActiveCaptain

It happens every day of the year. The first time I went was stopped aground was on the ICW in Swansville, NC directly between a red and green marker. The chart showed 12 feet of water. My 6' keel said otherwise.

You are ultimately responsible for the operation and safety of your vessel. It's not about finding the right person to blame.

Not looking for who to blame, just trying to understand how one can find good information... if not from a noaa chart....

[S/V Antares]

The data on NOAA charts can be very old. Over 100 years old on some of the depth contours. No agency can survey everything, everyyear. Most of the markers and bouy's are updated but obviously not the tempoary ones. I am, however, supprised that the marina that the OP called could not give better info on the entrance.

[eastendsailor]

Saw this post too late to be of any help. And that help would have been anecdotal only, since technically speaking, I don't know how to read a chart. It sure does look like 3ft to me, though! But, I visited the Atlantis Marina a week or so ago making general inquiries about slips, moorings, yard, etc., in anticipation of purchasing a boat. The woman who apparently runs the place could not have been more unhelpful. I've lived on this island for most of my life and am looking forward to the day when I can sail away from it for good!

The traffic in Great Kills Harbor was pretty light on a weekday afternoon, but the channel looked pretty sketchy. Very narrow. Tide looked a bit on the low side, and I saw only outboard powered fishing boats coming and going. On a high tide it's probably not too bad. I've only sailed in and out of there on my buddy's home-built centerboard sloop, and that was quite a while ago.

You made the right call in avoiding the place.