Quote:
Originally Posted by vpbarkley
1. Is a zip tie adequate to secure the diverter valve or is a padlock required?
2. Do the toilet and holding tank seacocks need to be closed?
3. Do those seacocks need to be secured and what's required?
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1. Yes. A zip tie is specifically spelled out in the
regulations as an option.
2. No. The system has to be "locked" out of
service such that
overboard discharge can't occur without some effort. Securing the seacocks with a zip tie is one option. It's convenient and since it's right there in the regulation as an example, there would be no discussion.
However, any method of effectively locking out the system works. I have a key switch to run the macerator, and the key is hidden or in the master's possession.
3. No. See above.
Also, these are federal
regulations. While states can and do add additional requirements for their sole-state, inland waters, they do not apply to vessels transiting federally "navigable" waterways (essentially, anything an ocean-going vessel can navigate, plus waterways which straddle state boundaries.)
There is a grey area where states can require their own state-registered vessels to comply with additional standards while in that state (see: NY and VT on Lake Champlain) but that technically doesn't apply to vessels transiting those waters. Not all LEs understand this, however.