Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 01-11-2020, 10:19 PM   #1
Guru
 
porman's Avatar
 
City: Duvall, Wa. USA
Vessel Name: Beach Music II
Vessel Model: 2003 Mainship 430 Trawler
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,039
Free Pumpouts Ending

The state of Washington has decided to end their grant to Terry and Sons for free pumpouts in the Puget Sound area. They decided it was not a good use of federal grant money. The service will be ending on February 29th. Terry is referring his customers to Pumpout Seattle, a for profit business. They can be reached at pumpoutseattle.com, or by calling 206-717-4997. I've known Terry for many years and this is a big disappointment for him. He has put his heart and soul into his business and this will be a huge loss for many boaters in Puget Sound. If you would like to comment to the state you can do so at the following: Contact the State Pumpout Program via:
boatpumpouts@parks.wa.gov
Rob Sendak
Rob.Sendak@parks.wa.gov
Cell:360-628-1876
Desk:360-902-8836
porman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 08:43 AM   #2
Guru
 
CaptTom's Avatar
 
City: Southern Maine
Vessel Model: Prairie 36 Coastal Cruiser
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,714
Right. The government only needs to subsidize pump-out facilities long enough to prove there are enough to satisfy the requirement to get a NDZ established.

Once it's established, there's no reason to ensure that those facilities remain in service.
CaptTom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 09:20 AM   #3
Guru
 
Pau Hana's Avatar


 
City: Seattle, WA
Vessel Name: Pau Hana
Vessel Model: 1989 PT52 Overseas Yachtfisher
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,676
Any reason why the business can’t be flipped to a for profit operation?
__________________
Peter- Marine Insurance Guru at Novamar Insurance Group (206-350-5051) & tuna fishing addict!

1989 52' PT Overseas yachtfisher
Pau Hana is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 09:30 AM   #4
Guru
 
oscar's Avatar
 
City: Bethlehem, PA
Vessel Name: Lady Kay V
Vessel Model: 1978 Hatteras 53MY
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,098
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pau Hana View Post
Any reason why the business can’t be flipped to a for profit operation?
People won't pay what it takes to stay in business?
__________________
https://ladykay.blog/
oscar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 09:34 AM   #5
TF Site Team
 
Larry M's Avatar
 
City: Jacksonville
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 11,670
Quote:
Originally Posted by oscar View Post
People won't pay what it takes to stay in business?
When we were living in Shilshole (Seattle) we had SSHead pump us out weekly in the slip. At the the time, it think it was $50/month. They’ve been in business since 1990.
Larry M is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 10:04 AM   #6
Guru
 
Pete Meisinger's Avatar
 
City: Oconto, WI
Vessel Name: Best Alternative
Vessel Model: 36 Albin Aft Cabin
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 3,145
My home marina offers free pump out to slip holders. Most marinas I have visited charge only a very modest fee, some as low as "free" with a fuel fill , some around $5.00 or $10.00.

I flush my heads with tank water and use very little per flush, much less than pumping in lake water. My 20 some gallon holding tank can last us for several days to as long as a week if we tie up at marinas and use their facilities occasionally. Not so long when we are on the "hook".

BTW, buy and read Peggy's book. My bilge used to reek occasionally until I took her advice to heart, mostly regarding venting. A full or nearly full holding tank does not have to smell.

pete
Pete Meisinger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 11:42 AM   #7
Guru
 
firehoser75's Avatar
 
City: Nanaimo
Vessel Name: former owner of "Pilitak"
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 37
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,703
In my opinion, if a Government wants to enact "strict" legislation that is "responsibly enforceable", then they have to ensure that it is easy (or even possible) to follow it!
For example, Singapore has very strict littering laws, but there are street garbage containers every half a block for public use. The law (and penalty), coupled with the ease of complying has resulted in no litter on the streets.
No discharge zones are often a good idea, however, the rules must be relatively easy and inexpensive to follow, or the "temptation" to "come up with an alternative" is there, at least for some.

There are a lot of boats on the water that only have relatively small holding tanks (like Pete for example), and most have no real way to add capacity. If pump outs close, or additional ones are not added where needed, what is the solution? Stop boating? A silly solution when pleasure boating adds so much to the overall economy directly and through "spin off" business, especially when the overall amount of pollution caused by pleasure boating is very small in comparison to other sources of pollution that are mostly ignored or not adequately addressed by Government.

End of rant and I don't boat in Washington waters much anymore so this has little direct impact on me.
__________________
Tom
Nanaimo, BC
firehoser75 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 12:12 PM   #8
Guru
 
porman's Avatar
 
City: Duvall, Wa. USA
Vessel Name: Beach Music II
Vessel Model: 2003 Mainship 430 Trawler
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,039
One of Terry's employees, Katie, started Pumpout Seattle in Lake Union, where Terry was not permitted to operate. He is hoping that she will take over Lake Washington and Portage Bay for any customers that want to use a for profit service. The Duwamish waterway, Gig Harbor, and Liberty Bay (Poulsbo) will lose out as well as his future plans for Tacoma.
Terry's grant did not cover the full operating costs of the business. The rest was made up by donations from yacht clubs, marinas, and individual boaters. He started his business when as a liveaboard in a marina with no pumpout facilities he would have to move his boat every week to the only pumpout in Lake Washington. He bought a used pumpout boat for his own use. Soon he started taking care of his neighbors and found the need for a real service. He discovered he could get a state grant and it grew from there. He was operating 4 or 5 boats when the state pulled the plug. Very sorry to see this end.
porman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 12:23 PM   #9
Scraping Paint
 
City: Lake Stevens, WA via Honolulu
Vessel Name: 'Au Kai (Ocean Traveler)
Vessel Model: C-Dory 25
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 450
What is hilarious about this is Seattle and the Puget Sound region is rife with homeless who literally defecate/urinate anywhere they want and untold doper RVs that dump out their tanks into storm drains, which empty into The Sound. Yet boaters get screwed. How typical of the feckless “leaders” in this state.
localboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 12:28 PM   #10
Guru
 
Alaskan Sea-Duction's Avatar
 
City: Inside Passage Summer/Columbia River Winter
Vessel Name: Alaskan Sea-Duction
Vessel Model: 1988 M/Y Camargue YachtFisher
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 8,046
Quote:
Originally Posted by porman View Post
The state of Washington has decided to end their grant to Terry and Sons for free pumpouts in the Puget Sound area. They decided it was not a good use of federal grant money. The service will be ending on February 29th. Terry is referring his customers to Pumpout Seattle, a for profit business. They can be reached at pumpoutseattle.com, or by calling 206-717-4997. I've known Terry for many years and this is a big disappointment for him. He has put his heart and soul into his business and this will be a huge loss for many boaters in Puget Sound. If you would like to comment to the state you can do so at the following: Contact the State Pumpout Program via:
boatpumpouts@parks.wa.gov
Rob Sendak
Rob.Sendak@parks.wa.gov
Cell:360-628-1876
Desk:360-902-8836
So when Puget Sound is turned into a NDZ and the State stated they would "add" additional pump-outs.....

I sent the above info to RBAW.(Recreational Boaters Association of Washington)
Alaskan Sea-Duction is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 01:12 PM   #11
Scraping Paint
 
City: Lake Stevens, WA via Honolulu
Vessel Name: 'Au Kai (Ocean Traveler)
Vessel Model: C-Dory 25
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 450
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alaskan Sea-Duction View Post
So when Puget Sound is turned into a NDZ and the State stated they would "add" additional pump-outs...
Puget Sound is already a NDZ.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production...nd_ndz_map.jpg
localboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 02:04 PM   #12
Guru
 
Alaskan Sea-Duction's Avatar
 
City: Inside Passage Summer/Columbia River Winter
Vessel Name: Alaskan Sea-Duction
Vessel Model: 1988 M/Y Camargue YachtFisher
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 8,046
Quote:
Originally Posted by localboy View Post
A new NDZ. The State of Washington told the EPA if they approved the implementation of a NDZ, the State would continue with and add additional free pump-outs.
Alaskan Sea-Duction is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 02:05 PM   #13
Guru
 
Alaskan Sea-Duction's Avatar
 
City: Inside Passage Summer/Columbia River Winter
Vessel Name: Alaskan Sea-Duction
Vessel Model: 1988 M/Y Camargue YachtFisher
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 8,046
RBAW Response

Received this from RBAW via email.

Thanks Thomas! We have already reached out to Rob and are awaiting his response. We will update our membership as soon as we understand the whole story. Best, Bob

Bob Wise, President

Recreational Boating Association of Washington (RBAW)
www.rbaw.org

408.218.4900

bobwise98110@gmail.com
Alaskan Sea-Duction is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 02:16 PM   #14
Enigma
 
RT Firefly's Avatar
 
City: Slicker?
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,540
Greetings,
Our home port used to be just outside of Elizabeth City, NC. The marina owner applied and received both a $$ subsidy and a state?/county? approval to install pump out facilities. Unfortunately (or so I was told), EC would not allow him to dump HIS big holding tank into the town's treatment facility, saying the formaldehyde tank treatments that boaters used would gum up their works.
__________________
RTF
RT Firefly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 08:26 PM   #15
Guru
 
firehoser75's Avatar
 
City: Nanaimo
Vessel Name: former owner of "Pilitak"
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 37
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,703
RTF,
I guess they would rather have the boaters just "dump overboard"??
__________________
Tom
Nanaimo, BC
firehoser75 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 08:37 PM   #16
Guru
 
oscar's Avatar
 
City: Bethlehem, PA
Vessel Name: Lady Kay V
Vessel Model: 1978 Hatteras 53MY
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,098
Quote:
Originally Posted by firehoser75 View Post
RTF,
I guess they would rather have the boaters just "dump overboard"??
Formaldehyde is death to aerobic treatment systems. (Literally, it kills the bacteria doing the work).

I have been running boat and RV black water systems for decades and I have NEVER added formaldehyde to my tanks. Always let the bugs do their thing. In fact on a proper RV setup I add NOTHING and never have a problem. A proper designed RV system should be odorless despite what the people making money on the products try to tell you.

On boats I will add enzyme based additives as there is so much more possibility of permeation and keeping the tank as healthy as possible is the place to start.

Some people still insist on using formaldehyde based products in spite of the science that shows it's a bad idea.

As far as the subject of this thread, there would have to be a prohibition against the use of formaldehyde and a way where the boat owner signs for the fact that there is no formaldehyde in his system and then the waste can go to the local treatment center.
__________________
https://ladykay.blog/
oscar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2020, 09:34 PM   #17
Veteran Member
 
tisado's Avatar
 
City: Duvall
Vessel Name: Beach Music II
Vessel Model: Mainship 430
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 51
Quote:
Originally Posted by oscar View Post
Formaldehyde is death to aerobic treatment systems. (Literally, it kills the bacteria doing the work).

I have been running boat and RV black water systems for decades and I have NEVER added formaldehyde to my tanks. Always let the bugs do their thing. In fact on a proper RV setup I add NOTHING and never have a problem. A proper designed RV system should be odorless despite what the people making money on the products try to tell you.

On boats I will add enzyme based additives as there is so much more possibility of permeation and keeping the tank as healthy as possible is the place to start.

Some people still insist on using formaldehyde based products in spite of the science that shows it's a bad idea.

As far as the subject of this thread, there would have to be a prohibition against the use of formaldehyde and a way where the boat owner signs for the fact that there is no formaldehyde in his system and then the waste can go to the local treatment center.
Blackwater from Lake Washington boaters will end up in same place as when Terry did the pump outs, the municipal sewage systems. Unless someone pumps directly into the lake. Too gross to think about.

Boaters will either use portable pump outs at their marina or take the boat for a ride down the lake to onshore pump out. Or call the the commercial boat that will charge big time because it is quite a run to south end of lake.

Formaldehyde was never part of the reason for discontinuing the free service.
tisado is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2020, 10:32 AM   #18
Guru
 
firehoser75's Avatar
 
City: Nanaimo
Vessel Name: former owner of "Pilitak"
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 37
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,703
Oscar,
Personally I agree with you about the formaldehyde. Never used it, never will. However, the answer to the issue you raised is not to "ban marine waste" from the treatment systems and there stop pumpouts! If that is done, where will the black water go? The answer is education of boaters (even those like ourselves who already know) about the problems of formaldehyde based tank additives. I don't think there are very many (if any) boaters who get up in the morning and say to themselves: "I am going to deliberately "screw up" the treatment plant today."
I know that formaldehyde was not involved in the discontinuing the free service. However, easy, affordable, access to pump out facilities is the only way to deal effectively with the "dumping" issue. Removing facilities is a poor decision. It must go somewhere. Just MHO.
__________________
Tom
Nanaimo, BC
firehoser75 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2020, 05:42 PM   #19
Member
 
City: Gig Harbor
Vessel Name: Eirinn Rose
Vessel Model: American Tug 41-09
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 16
Send your letters also to your local representatives, We pay a lot in Excise tax to the State of Washington general fund. With how they pushed the no pumping out regulations, they should be able to fund the program as many marinas and local governments where helping by offsetting the cost.
Mike3034 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2020, 06:10 PM   #20
Guru
 
City: Warwick RI
Vessel Name: Lollygag
Vessel Model: 34 Mainship Pilot Hardtop
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 872
Many of the fuel docks in my area offer free pump out, just tip the attendant. At block island the docks do not have pump out but the state has free pumpout just radio them and the skiff swings over, again just tip the attendant. Would like to see more of the town docks offer self serve pump out.
Lollygag1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:49 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012