First...this is your first boat and you can take comfort in knowing that NONE of us were born knowing anything about how systems on boats are supposed to work!
From what I understand through what the former owner told me when we bought it 2 months ago (this is my first boat so I'm still learning a lot) was that this pump can be used as an alternative to using a pump out house for when offshore.
Aha! The operative phrase in that is "this pump can be used
as an alternative to using a pump out house for when offshore." That's true, but each function--pumpout and (for lack of a better term) "dump out"-- are two separate functions that use separate plumbing.
Follow me thru-this: Holding tank plumbing starts with a hose from the toilet (inlet hose), a hose from the tank to the pumpout fitting (tank discharge hose) and a vent line that provides an escape for air inside the tank displaced by incoming waste and a source of air to replace contents as they're pumped out or dumped.
There can be a diverter valve (aka "y-valve") in the tank discharge line It creates an "intersection" that allows you to choose between pumping out or dumping. If you look at the photo, you'll see it has an inlet fitting and two outlet fittings...the hose from the tank connects to the inlet fitting, a hose that goes directly to the deck pumpout fitting goes to one of the outlet fittings, and another line that goes to a thru-hull comes off the the other outlet fitting...and it's in THAT line that a pump belongs. Ideally there'd actually be TWO tank discharge lines, which eliminates the need for a y-valve.
That should be enough to completely confuse you till you've read it several times. Once you've managed to sort it all out, it should explain why you couldn't pump out. I'm available to answer all your questions, here or one-on-one if you'd like to send me a PM.
And btw...yes, you do need to replace that pump...and all the hoses...and I can't see how much else.
Happy New Year!
