Holding Tank For Head

[Mickey Goodman]

Last week was the first long trip I took with my newly rebuilt 88 Legend 37. I sailed from East Greenwich, RI to Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard Island in Massachusetts. I must say that on the way home sailing in Vineyard Sound (with a 2 knot current) my GPS said I was doing 10.2 knots. We where flying and it was great.What wasn't so great is that on two occasions on the trip the holding tank filled up and pumped some of what was it it to the head. Boy it stank! On one occasion I had failed to close the discharge through-hull and the through-hull for the raw water in. The other time I failed to close the raw water in.Lucky for me I was past the three mile limit and I was able to pump the tank overboard using the hand pump connected to the system. It would have been hard finding a pump out station.The only time that I didn't get a back up was when I closed all the through-hulls. OK, I guess that is what I have to do to prevent the problem but the question is why does it happen? Also, I have never before had to use a pump-out station and I don't have a masserator installed on my system. Would the pump out work without one?

 

[Ron]

Peggie Warned Us: Thanks

There was a fairly long thread about proper installation of y-valves and macertor pumps about 2 weeks ago. I started it. As one of the posters, Peggie warned that the water pressure from sailing at certain heel angles, speeds, etc.,can force water in past the vented loops, the head, macerator pumps, etc. Thus, the need to keep the thru-hulls closed when underway. Having just replumbed mine 2 weeks ago, and and since I have kept the thru-hulls closed while underway, I haven't had the problem described. But the warning of your experience, makes for a big: "Thanks Peggie". My conclusion: All thru-hulls kept closed when boat is left, or when underway, unless actively in use at the time.

 

[Jay Eaton]

Add to Contaminants by Flushing

We have decided to refrain from adding to the holding tank problem by not using Chesapeake Bay water to flush rather we use a controlled amount of fresh water. By so doing, we never open the seacock for flushing; therefore, we eliminate that as a cause for back flushing and possible sinking.

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

It's called "ram water"...

And the name fits, because water forces underway literally ram water up any hose that's open and isn't going out the transom. And in a following sea, a transom location isn't immune from it. You've just experienced first hand why all seacocks should be kept closed except when whatever is connected to the other end of the hose is actually in use.