How long between pumpouts...?

[Squidd]

My plan is to keep my boat "dry slipped" on the trailer, mast up, at the yard.

I really only plan on using it every other weekend or so, two to four people, on weekender overnighters....mostly two people trips...

I wonder if I need to pump out every weekend, or can I leave it sit till I get half tank or better to pump..

Any chemical/organic treatment between pumpouts..?

 

[navigator97]

Put in K.O. after every pump out. It;s available at WM and other marine store & on line.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Depends on the size of the tank

And how fast it fills up. You shouldn't have to pump out a half full tank, but you don't want to leave a full tank. Some math might help:

The average adult uses the toilet 5x/24 hours...avg flush volume from a marine toilet: .6 gallons. So that's about 3 gal/person/day.

You don't say how much your tank holds...if you don't know, you need to find out in order to know how fast it's gonna fill up. If it's a rectangular tank, that's easy: L x W x H in inches, divided by 231 (cubic inches in a gallon). That'll give you the OUTside volume...useable capacity is typically about 5% less. If the tank isn't rectangular, you're gonna need some math skills.

All that said, a boat small enough to live on a trailer isn't likely to have a tank that holds enough to last 4 people for two days...maybe not even TWO people for that long....so I think I'd count on pumping out at the end of every cruise.

As for what to use in the tank...yes, you do need something. But not a toxic CHEMICAL product. The only two that I recommend are Raritan K.O. (live bacteria) or Odorlos (nitrates). You'll find quite a bit of discussion about tank maintenance and preventing odor in this forum. You might also consider checking out the link in my signature...it goes to a pretty comprehensive "marine toilets and holding tanks 101" manual that should help you prevent most problems instead of have to cure 'em.

 

[Squidd]

Cool, I definetly need a 101 course on operation and care, will look that up...

It's a bigger boat, not really a trailer sailer but unless I find a real good deal on a slip, I'll be keeping it on the hard between trips..

I'll have to measure, but tank is fairly large rectangular plastic.. I'm guessing in the 20 gal range...

 

[Steve Dion]

Maybe you should pump it every weekend. Who knows if you are going to miss a weekend or two and those chemicals don't last for ever.

 

[vtsailguy]

Also depends on your "got to go" policy. If you are 9 or younger and male you have to pee over the side on my boat.

 

[Warren Milberg]

As the saying goes, "you can't be too rich, too thin, or pump your holding tank too often." The longer stuff stays in the the tank, the more likely it'll create stink in either the tank or the pipes. Pump out as often as you can and flush the tank with fresh water each time. You won't regret it.

 

[Squidd]

What's the usual policy for pumping out.. Is that a transient fee, or part of your mooring/slip package..?

 

[Johnb]

Can depend on the time of the year too, bogs seem to get stinky more quickly in warm weather.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Warren, how have you managed to spend 5 years here, or johnb..for 3 years obviously reading this forum at least occasionally (you're participating in this thread), without ever managing to learn the first thing about how to keep a holding tank odor free...even if it sits for a whole year that includes a 100 F summer or even longer without EVER being pumped or rinsed?

 

[shemandr]

I remain on good terms with the local pumpout boat crew - i.e. I make sure I tip them. In return they pumpout my boat weekly - they look for me. Sometimes if they don't catch me on the water they do it in my slip. We never have the tank over about 10 gallons. I'm a big fan of early and often pumpouts. Tip your pumpout guy.

 

[seadaddler]

Not Many

There are not many if any pump out boats here in south west Florida,when I was up in Long Island,NY and Ct. and RI we did have many more pumpout boats and here in Florida we depend on pumpout at marina's.
Nick

 

[Ed Schenck]

Venice Inlet for sure Nick. Used it on our way to Tampa. Or is that not "southwest"?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I remain on good terms with the local pumpout boat crew - i.e. I make sure I tip them. In return they pumpout my boat weekly - they look for me.

If your pumpout guy doesn't do it--and most don't--you should very thoroughly flush out your tank 2-3x/season, and especially in preparation for winter layup, to remove sludge. It's easy to do and doesn't require filling up the tank. You'll find instructions for flushing the tank and any overboard discharge pump and plumbing among the discussions in this forum.

 

[Warren Milberg]

Peggy: I've owned boats with holding tanks for many years. Over that time, I've used just about every chemical product and procedure possible, many recommended by you, to keep the holding tank , and the pipes servicing it, clean and odor free. Some work better than others, some do not work at all. The idea of treating, and holding, human waste, when other options are available, just doesn't appeal to me at any level. What I have found to work very well for me and my holding tank is to pump it out and flush it out, as often as possible. If others prefer to hold onto treated waste that is certainly their choice; it is not mine. I flush my toilets at home after every use and assume you do, as well. Why would I not do the same thing on my boat if I could? If I were cruising in an area that did not offer pump-outs/flushes, that would be another story, of course. But the fellow writing this post is clearly a weekend sailor who, I assume, has a pump out facility nearby. With just about anything to do with boats, there is no "one size fits all." We all do what works for us.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Two things, Warrren

I've owned boats with holding tanks for many years. Over that time, I've used just about every chemical product and procedure possible, many recommended by you, to keep the holding tank , and the pipes servicing it, clean and odor free...

Chemicals aren't, and never have been, the solution to holding tank odor

I flush my toilets at home after every use and assume you do, as well.

Of course...but we're discussing holding tanks, not toilets. Do you also have the septic tank pumped and emptied after every use?
I'm late for the dentist, and besides I've already written volumes on this subject, so there's not much more I can add anyway. Read and learn or not...it's your boat.

 

[Warren Milberg]

Peggy: I realize you have a vested interest in the solutions you recommend and I have no problem with that. Yet you seem to have a problem accepting the idea than a different solution to the one you recommend can actually work as well. Perhaps I prefer my solution to yours because I have a free pump-out at my marina and it actually works quite well. As I have been saying all along, it all depends on the alternatives one has. I would certainly use your recommendations if I were cruising and didn't have ready access to pump-out facilities. Let's leave it at that....

 

[David in Sandusky]

Do leave our tank for 1 to 3 weeks

OK, our "tank" is a Porta-potty tank, plumbed for pump-out. We pay for the pump out in our slip fee, and the service is available 24/7, and is manned by polite staff about 12 hours per day.

Normally, we hit the pump-out on returning from a week-end or longer cruise. But sometimes (if we are really pressed for time, or we spent the last night at the slip, for instance) we do leave the boat with a half full tank. When we do that, I will dump an extra shot of Odorlos in the tank as we leave.

We have never had a problem (even during our hot summers) with this approach. I do add a half packet of Odorlos on return to start a cruise. Even with a pump and a rinse or two, there is still waste in the tank that needs the oxygen for odorless decay.

So I would endorse your plan to leave a partially full tank with a good shot of Odorlos or K.O. if that fits your cruising plan.

By the way, I don't think that smelly hoses come from waste in the holding tank. More likely they develop from waste that has stayed in the hose because it was not adequately flushed to reach the holding tank. Repeated instances of this combined with deterioration of the hose material over time can eventually result in waste odor saturating the hose.

 

[Squidd]

OK, did the measurement...comes out to about 10 gallon, little less than I was thinking...

Looks like I'll have to keep an eye on it and get it pumped a little more often, both size wise and to keep it flowing.

I'll just have to add a trip to the pump out as part of the weekends plans..