holding tank need to be closed in marina?

[Dave22q]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I have a large holding tank that takes Toilet discharge (Black Water) + Shower/Galley discharge (Grey Water) so they mix together

Both toilets and holding Tank have macerater pumps for discharging, so nothing lumpy in the soup.

Holding tank hull outlet is below the turn of the bilge, so about 2 ft under waterline.

For marinas, there is a deck fitting to connect to for pump out to their own sewage system.

If no pump out and if their shore toilets are disgusting, I pump out late and night so it does not offend.

It certainly offends me and is a serious violation in the US. If the head is disgusting move to another, probably more expensive, marina.

[Dave22q]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

What about the parts of the world where boats have no holding tanks and getting three miles from land takes a day of motoring?

carry a bucket with a screw lid and poop before you go.

[Dave22q]

Originally Posted by FlyingScot

Tridents, and presumably all modern submarines have '**** pumps' to pump out black tanks. Positive displacement piston pumps. Did it many times. Back pressure on the pump was easy to convert to ships depth.

Gray tanks were pumped with large impeller pumps.

We had two **** pumps on board, one fore and one aft. Had to take them apart a few times.

I seriously doubt you used those pumps in port and subs generally spend very little time within the 3 mile limit.

[Dave22q]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

It is 100% legal in the US if there is a provision for a deck pumpout ( may not be legal for inland waters though).

The US Coast Guard accepts any reasonable locking method that prevents your switching from holding tank to discharge. A zip tie on the 'Y' valve or discharge shutoff is acceptable. Not having some kind of device is a violation.

[steve77]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I have a large holding tank that takes Toilet discharge (Black Water) + Shower/Galley discharge (Grey Water) so they mix together

Both toilets and holding Tank have macerater pumps for discharging, so nothing lumpy in the soup.

Holding tank hull outlet is below the turn of the bilge, so about 2 ft under waterline.

For marinas, there is a deck fitting to connect to for pump out to their own sewage system.

If no pump out and if their shore toilets are disgusting, I pump out late and night so it does not offend.

I understand that your holding tank combines gray and black water, so it will fill as you wash dishes, shower, etc. But to empty this tank in a marina is not acceptable. Late at night or not, I was shocked to read that this is your practice.

It is just not acceptable.

Steve

[emcmia]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

It is 100% legal in the US if there is a provision for a deck pumpout ( may not be legal for inland waters though).

That statement may not be accurate. There are many “no discharge” areas, which provide no exceptions, such as in Florida Keys. And USCG/EPA regulations very closely follow IMO MARPOL.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by emcmia

That statement may not be accurate. There are many “no discharge” areas, which provide no exceptions, such as in Florida Keys. And USCG/EPA regulations very closely follow IMO MARPOL.

If you have a tank with an overboard option, you simply lock the overboard option while in NDZ. There a a few exception like lakes that require that there be no option for overboard discharge. However in the spirit of the original question....,these exceptions shall be ignored.

[gamayun]

Remember ecology 101? When you're in a semi-enclosed system (like a bay), an enclosed system (such as an inland river or lake) or a coral reef area (which is only there BECAUSE it's naturally low in nutrients), then direct discharges (whether you macerate or not) put a lot of nitrogen into the water. It's basic chemistry and it can't handle the excess nutrients. This means there is an overgrowth of algae, which smothers coral, it will shade out seagrass, and the process causes eurtrophication (i.e., Google "dead zones"). I'm sure there will be plenty who might say that the birds and fish are pooping in the water, too, and they are; but add hundreds of large mammals (humans, elephants, whales, whatever) that haven't been naturally part of that system, and it's going to get out of whack. It's also quite interesting to be diving somewhere in clear gin water and see a brown "cloud" floating past. More cruisers should put their heads under the water...

BTW, I don't mean to imply that Dead Zones are caused by cruisers; they occur from large amounts of nutrient runoff, typically fertilizer from farms.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by steve77

I understand that your holding tank combines gray and black water, so it will fill as you wash dishes, shower, etc. But to empty this tank in a marina is not acceptable. Late at night or not, I was shocked to read that this is your practice.

It is just not acceptable.

Steve

Happy to hear your alternative solution.

[Bill Seal]

What about a few hundred sea lions laying on the docks and pooping into the bay? Are we going to equip them with holding tanks?

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by Dave22q

I seriously doubt you used those pumps in port and subs generally spend very little time within the 3 mile limit.

Tanks were plenty big enough to never dump within 3 miles. More like 20-50 miles would be more typical. In port we did use the pumps, but the overboard discharges were hooked up to shore based facility.

My post was to correct the misconception that submarines still use air pressure to empty the tanks.

Air pressure method requires sealing off the tank and ensuring no one flushes while pressurized.

[steve77]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Happy to hear your alternative solution.

Look, some things are such bad practices that I don't need to offer an alternative. Dumping fecal matter in a marina is a bad idea.

However, here are some suggestions, and I'm sure there are others. If your holding tank system needs to be redesigned to separate gray and black water into separate tanks, then that's an alternative. Perhaps you need to take your own toilet paper and some disinfectant to the shore based toilet before using it. Maybe you can leave the dock when the holding tank is full and go out beyond the limit to empty it.

But don't just dump it in the marina. That's just an incredibly poor practice.

Steve

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I never heard of that so thanks for the explanation. I'm not sure that would be entirely legal in the USA.

90% (my estimate) of the Beneteau's, Dufour's, Jeanneau's, Hanse's and Bavaria's you see in North America are built this way.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

It is 100% legal in the US if there is a provision for a deck pumpout ( may not be legal for inland waters though).

Only if the discharge port can be (and is) locked to prevent discharge.

The law says nothing about a deck pumpout.

[DumnMad]

Originally Posted by steve77

Look, some things are such bad practices that I don't need to offer an alternative. Dumping fecal matter in a marina is a bad idea.

However, here are some suggestions, and I'm sure there are others. If your holding tank system needs to be redesigned to separate gray and black water into separate tanks, then that's an alternative. Perhaps you need to take your own toilet paper and some disinfectant to the shore based toilet before using it. Maybe you can leave the dock when the holding tank is full and go out beyond the limit to empty it.

But don't just dump it in the marina. That's just an incredibly poor practice.

Steve

The 'Bad practice' you talk about is an invention of bureaucrats to placate the squeemish.(I can't figure out how some people get round to wiping their bottoms.)
If there is a study that proves black water stored putrifying in a tank then discharged in a large volume is better and more healthy for the environment than quick discharge of fresh mascerated soil please give us a link to it. ???

There are few places in the world where boats are moored in places where tidal currents don't deal very efficiently with mascerated discharge.