I've just bought a new boat, a 46' sloop with two heads. The waste hoses appear to be quite old, and the surveyor called for replacment. The boat also has the a Y valve setup for choice of overboard discharge vs holding tank. There is no discharge pump, just a pumpout line. Here are my questions: 1) I've calculated the requirements for drain (1.5"), and its ~50'. This is a 46' boat with two heads, and the lengths add up. Is the Sealand Odersafe pipe really worth the extra money (~$6/ft street price)? 2) I'm planning on adding an overboard discharge pump, at the boat show everyone seemed to like the Sealand T-Series Discharge pump (~$300) (OK?) The idea I have is that I'm going to remove the two Y valves (one per head) and just run the heads straight into the holding tank. I can get a nice downhill slope for both hoses, 10-15' each. The forward discharge thru-hull can be reused for an inlet for desk/anchor washdown pump, and I'll use the aft discharge thru-hull for the waste discharge pump. The anti-syphon loop for the aft discharge is just above the thru-hull, about 12' from the tank. Should I try and move that loop closer to the tank in order to minimize the amount of line that is uphill from the pump and maximize the downhill run to the thru-hull so the line will drain after pumpout? Or should I just try and rise the tank after each pumpout by pumping the head to flush clear(er) water. 3) I seem to recall that the Y valve setup was common in the early 80's as holding tanks came into use. While we cruise in Canada and active waters with lots of interchange, I never think its a good idea to discharge into a bay while at anchor, so I really don't want those. I'd rather spread the effluant over a mile or two of open water, and the holding tank/discharge pump allows us to pick the times for that. Is there anything else we can do to minimize the impact on the environment of overboard discharge?
