Trailer Sailors and Marine Sanitation

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

A few more points.

When I was in Boot key during spring, 1981, there were MAYBE 60 boats in the entire harbor.


When I spent time ( a month) in Boot Key in March, 2010, there were ( aprox count) 460 boats either anchored or moored there. Frontal systems had kept many pinned there against their desires ( mine also).

Here's what ONE of the two dinghy docks looked like. I counted 72 dinghies on THIS dock. It's no wonder they insist on pump out, or leave. But they ARE amenable to composting heads. I don't have room for one- too tall

 

[Sumner]

.It's no wonder they insist on pump out, or leave. But they ARE amenable to composting heads. I don't have room for one- too tall

I agree completely that no one should be dumping there or any place in the Keys. I called yesterday just to see what their policy was on the wag bag deal. She said, after checking with a second person, that they understand that if you are using them you aren't dumping but the way the regs are written you still need the pump-out option or the composting deal.

Typical rule deal.....you can have your stuff in a composting toilet on-board that they aren't pumping but can't have it in bags and in a sealed container on-board :cry:.

She said that they and a few other places are in a pilot program the is being studied/implemented under Florida Statute 327.4105. I looked that up but all the links to it gave no specifics at all just said it was a pilot program.

Well I've now also have the MSD head in place in the boat so I guess I'll let someone else worry about this deal,

Sumner

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[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

I don't know for sure if it is a real requirement, but I was told you should keep a log of pumpouts. Easy to do- last few pages of the ships log. I found it gave me info when reversing course, to know where the free one and cheapest ones , were located.

Worst place I found was in Bradenton Beach at the marina right by the bridge- they wanted $25 to pump my 5 gallon MSD. I declined, went on up one more day to Madiera Beach,, and got a slip for over night AND a pumpout for $25

Also might point out- many times before I plumbed, I was made to feel like a criminal for attempting to empty a Porta Potty. One place informed me it was illegal to dump into a toilet. It's not.

Found VERY few places between the tip of Texas, and Annapolis that were actually set up to dump Porta Potty's. Could probably do it on just the fingers of one hand. Surprisingly, one was on the Potomac River, just south of DC- marina had a dump station about every 25 feet along the dock.

 

[shemandr]

I don't know if boats should keep a log of pump outs, but our town pump out boat does. Each time they pump your boat name goes on the clipboard with date and I think the approximate amount of pump out.
Someday, someway, for some reason, someone is going to get the idea to scrutinize those lists.

 

[Doc_holiday]

We use a portable head. The original one clamped down. It had a leak in the fresh water tank. I had a brand new Coleman that I like but it has no way to clamp it. I think maybe this year I'll just buy another clamp down.

We don't go out for long so I don't use it often but the admiral does. Of course she want have anything to do with cleaning it out.

I guess carrying the poop tank to the drain is the worst. We use the chemicals (like 2 ounces per tank) and it helps. I can't say odor has ever been a problem.

Someone needs to invent the bags that do like the old diaper genie which twists each "load" and when you pull out the bag it's like a string of sausages.

I just wish folks would go before we back out of the slip at the marina.

We took the door off the head along with the wall that separates the head from the v-berth. I have a curtain now between the galley and port side. This gives privacy and room.

 

[c_witch]

funny and disgusting all at the same time. Maybe save those five gallon completely full of wag bag buckets to be dropped on those ISIS guys... sort of like recycling..

If you are in one of those areas with the head restrictions, how do you get caught with the wrong head? Is if routine to have someone stop and board you and inspect?

On my boat Ive used an MSD 'Y' valve. One position leads to the dockside pumpout the other leads to the macerator and thru hull pump out. In ontario I think one needs to have such a setup locked ie 'Y' valve to dockside pumpout. This should satisfy most locales I would think.

 

[Ron20324]

I don't know if boats should keep a log of pump outs.... Each time they pump your boat name goes on the clipboard with date ... Someday, someway, for some reason, someone is going to get the idea to scrutinize those lists.

Tracking the pumps? In Annapolis the pumpout boat writes a recept for $5 with boat name and #- even though I'm in a slip. There are a half-dozen shoreside pumpouts that don't log your usuage, and you could be pumping out at another town. So, tracking your boat would be useless. I guess the city boat only does it as a way to track the money.

 

[Bad Obsession]

If they got really stupid they could require you to keep a pump out log. My smart a$$ side would call it the Log log....but I could see some bureaucrat suggesting this. Ugh.

The funny part is that companies dump more crap in the water than anything else. What flows out of the sewers of most cities and towns would be far worse than our head.

In the end, we are responsible stewards of the water because we care about it. Making people care about things and realize how much damage they could do is better than any rule. The problem is the people who know the damage that they could do, know the rules, but do the opposite because it doesn't suit them to do the right thing.