Newbie question

Where does the waste go? Having full timed in an RV for 15 years our unit has a blackwater tank(holding tank) of 60 gallons and a graywater tank that holds 130 gallons. Every 2 or 3 weeks you then go to a dump station and empty. Of all the books and blogs that we have read no real mention of how this systems functions on a boat. Are graywater and blackwater mixed? Overboard discharge? Electro Scan? Any education would be helpful...

Same way, except grey water goes overboard virtually everywhere. There are shore side pump outs and some harbors have pump out boats. You can pump out over board outside the three mile limit. There are treatment systems that you can then pump overboard in many areas, but more and more places are prohibiting even this ("No Discharge Zones), despite the systems being very clean.

On most boats today graywater-- sinks, showers, etc.--- go directly overboard. Gray water holding tanks are extremely rare. Blackwater can be discharged directly overboard in certain waters, not in others. The designation is generally defined by distances from shore.

Black water pumped out by shoreside facilities is sent via the community's sewage system to whatever sewage treatment plant(s) the community has.

On that note, I read a single grey whale poops three times a day. Each poop is equivalent to 1800 of a human's and that means one whale equals 5600 human dumps daily. Come to think of it, I've never seen a floating island of whale poop.

Wally said:

Where does the waste go? Having full timed in an RV for 15 years our unit has a blackwater tank(holding tank) of 60 gallons and a graywater tank that holds 130 gallons. Every 2 or 3 weeks you then go to a dump station and empty. Of all the books and blogs that we have read no real mention of how this systems functions on a boat. Are graywater and blackwater mixed? Overboard discharge? Electro Scan? Any education would be helpful...

Click to expand...

In most marinas you have to use the holding tank and have the tank pumped. Some of the marinas have a pump out boat that comes a round every week. It cost of 15/per week. Believed me that is the best 15 buck I have paid. Did it once and that was once to often. Some marinas have pump out carts that you take to the boat then to the station. Also many live aboard use the marina facilities, and/or be come very regular/timed, so it fit into our schedule. No sure what the tides are like in your area but tide also maybe a factor in your schedule. The puget Sound tide can swing 14 ft, so the ramps a steep at low tide. When the tide is step i have found is easier to walk down the ramp backwards, espccail if you are wearing heels.

I think that our politicians in Brazil, drink all the black water

weebobby said:

When the tide is step i have found is easier to walk down the ramp backwards, espccail if you are wearing heels.



What height heels do you wear Phil

Click to expand...

Depends on the day and the occasion. Most week days we wear cow boy/girl boots with 1 ½” heals. Why what were you expecting!

Anyway with a heal walking up the ramp is like walking level and if you walk backwards it look like you are moon walking I find a heel is also easier on my back, and makes me look more height weight proportionate.

Capthead said:

On that note, I read a single grey whale poops three times a day. Each poop is equivalent to 1800 of a human's and that means one whale equals 5600 human dumps daily. Come to think of it, I've never seen a floating island of whale poop.

Click to expand...

Did you google "how much does a whale poop in a day?" Or is that just some random knowledge you have been waiting to share?

Just think: not too many years ago if you wanted to know about whale poop you had to go to the library. Ain't technology grand?

You had to ask...
How much do whales poop

10,000#/day

Keith said:

You had to ask...
How much do whales poop

10,000#/day

Click to expand...

Ask the Japanese Cetacean Research Team,out harpooning and killing whales in Antarctica. Beats tagging and monitoring apparently.They`ll know.

There is a rag in So Cal called the LOG. I read that in the Log many years ago and it always stuck with me. That's was for the Grey whale so the Blue has to be more.

Wally said:

Where does the waste go? Having full timed in an RV for 15 years our unit has a blackwater tank(holding tank) of 60 gallons and a graywater tank that holds 130 gallons. Every 2 or 3 weeks you then go to a dump station and empty. Of all the books and blogs that we have read no real mention of how this systems functions on a boat. Are graywater and blackwater mixed? Overboard discharge? Electro Scan? Any education would be helpful...

Click to expand...

If you're going to live on a boat, you're going to have to get very familiar with all the systems. Get some books and begin studying.

Phil Fill said:

............ Some of the marinas have a pump out boat that comes a round every week. It cost of 15/per week. Believed me that is the best 15 buck I have paid. Did it once and that was once to often. .............

Click to expand...

Seriously? What a wuss! On my previous boat, my wife manned the hose while I worked the pump. She had difficulty getting off the boat at that dock.

If you know how a pumpout setup works, you will realize that there's no reason to get sewage on your hands, face, clothing, etc. It all stays inside the hoses.

Wally said:

Where does the waste go? Having full timed in an RV for 15 years our unit has a blackwater tank(holding tank) of 60 gallons and a graywater tank that holds 130 gallons. Every 2 or 3 weeks you then go to a dump station and empty. Of all the books and blogs that we have read no real mention of how this systems functions on a boat. Are graywater and blackwater mixed? Overboard discharge? Electro Scan? Any education would be helpful...

Click to expand...

I saw in a previous post in another thread the boat you seek will be for a "Loop" trip. In my area of Northern California many marinas I have found provide valet pump out service at your slip as part of their normal level of service. Otherwise pretty much anywhere that has a fuel dock will generally have pump out services available too. Perhaps those familiar with cruising "The Loop" can chime in and see if the same is true there too.

Good luck in your research and welcome to the forum.

rwidman said:

If you know how a pumpout setup works, you will realize that there's no reason to get sewage on your hands, face, clothing, etc. It all stays inside the hoses.

Click to expand...

Very true. A number of years ago our marina installed portable pumpout carts on the docks. They are kept in "hangars" and you wheel them to your boat, pump out, wheel it back, and pump the tank into the marina's sewage system. The tank on each cart holds about 40 gallons I think.

The first pumps on these carts were big diaphragm pumps and they would periodically clog and jam. These were replaced several years ago with new carts that use a huge version of the kind of pump used for blood transfusions and kidney dialysis--- a rotating arm with rollers on each end goes around and squishes a rubber tube around the outside of the chamber and this moves the material through the tube and into the tank or wherever. We have the same kind of pump as our shower sump pump and it's great as it is virtually clog-proof. For pumping the cart tank into the sewer line the pump arm rotates the other direction.

Great system and the only problem we've ever experienced with it is bozos who pump their boat out, return the cart to the hangar, and then just leave it instead of emptying the tank into the sewer line.

The marina has a pump-out dock, too, with two pumpout stations on it. But it's effectiveness can be marginal at low tide when the pumps have to move the effluent up quite aways. Ever since the marina installed the portable carts about the only boats we see using the dock anymore are visitors.

But as Ron implied, pumping out with shoreside equipment is easy, quick, and mess-less. It's prudent to wear disposable gloves when handling the equipment, of course, but it's a very simple process. And, in the case of our marina at least, it's free.

Marin said:

These were replaced several years ago with new carts that use a huge version of the kind of pump used for blood transfusions and kidney dialysis--- a rotating arm with rollers on each end goes around and squishes a rubber tube around the outside of the chamber and this moves the material through the tube and into the tank or wherever.

Click to expand...

...called a "peristaltic" pump. Peristaltic pumps are very efficient and do not require, thank goodness, a prime!

rwidman said:

Seriously? What a wuss! On my previous boat, my wife manned the hose while I worked the pump. She had difficulty getting off the boat at that dock.

If you know how a pumpout setup works, you will realize that there's no reason to get sewage on your hands, face, clothing, etc. It all stays inside the hoses.

Click to expand...

How many times do I have to say, I am a wuzz. Most live aboard get pumped as that is one less thing to do.

They installed a pump out in our marina and they put it on the farthest finger from the gangway. That means the sewage has to go a very long way to get to the city's sewage. My GPS said 1/4 mile. That has presented a few problems but it works most of the time. The honey pot boat uses it and he will have a few hundred gallons in his boat so when he goes there it's going to be a while.

I usually take the end of the hose and put it in the ocean and run it a minute just to keep things moving before and after I pump out.

They also have a unit just for porta potty dumping and at least once a month someone sticks a feminine product in it and that jams the pump. It never ceases to amaze me.

Capthead said:

They installed a pump out in our marina and they put it on the farthest finger from the gangway. That means the sewage has to go a very long way to get to the city's sewage. My GPS said 1/4 mile. That has presented a few problems but it works most of the time. The honey pot boat uses it and he will have a few hundred gallons in his boat so when he goes there it's going to be a while.

I usually take the end of the hose and put it in the ocean and run it a minute just to keep things moving before and after I pump out.

They also have a unit just for porta potty dumping and at least once a month someone sticks a feminine product in it and that jams the pump. It never ceases to amaze me.

Click to expand...

After 16 years I still prefer using a land toilet and will use the marinated for for #2 when possible. So its no surprise to me when dirt dwellers clog a marine toilet. Shoot we do that on occasion.

I don't know how this thread drifted to this, but we are in our (or a transient) marina, we use the marina facilities whenever possible. That's not to say that if we have to go n the middle of the night we walk up there, but we use them whenever it's convenient. Walking is good exercise.

rwidman said:

I don't know how this thread drifted to this, but we are in our (or a transient) marina, we use the marina facilities whenever possible. That's not to say that if we have to go n the middle of the night we walk up there, but we use them whenever it's convenient. Walking is good exercise.

Click to expand...

My boat is 1/4 mile from the marina office and showers. That's a 1/2 mile round trip. I usually do that 4 or 5 times a day. I get my exercise.

I think because I mentioned the tide and ramps so things may have to betimed with the tide. Like this morning doing the laundry and grocery shopping.

If the boat needs to be pumped as a last last last resort, I would have to do it. Since its mostly water and spray Clorox down the toilet its cannot that bad?

If you use a biological holding tank treatment (I use Ororlos), Clorox will kill the enzymes or microbes and you're just wasting your money.

rwidman said:

If you use a biological holding tank treatment (I use Ororlos), Clorox will kill the enzymes or microbes and you're just wasting your money.

Click to expand...

We get pumped so who cares. The purpose of the Clorox is to clean the hose and tank and to reduce the smell. The Eagle also has a 4 person Microphor which is sort of septic tank. All you have to do is use it, no electric power or chemicals. Of course Clorox can not be used. So when out and about we do not use the holding tank.

Phil Fill said:

After 16 years I still prefer using a land toilet and will use the marinated for for #2 when possible. So its no surprise to me when dirt dwellers clog a marine toilet. Shoot we do that on occasion.

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure, that, even marinated, a 16 year old #2, could pretty much clog anything.

Now this is the type of info I joined this site to learn about.I have been seriously considering living on board a trawler in a local marina and where else can you find out the best place to go #2.

Capthead said:

On that note, I read a single grey whale poops three times a day. Each poop is equivalent to 1800 of a human's and that means one whale equals 5600 human dumps daily. Come to think of it, I've never seen a floating island of whale poop.

Click to expand...

That doesn't pose a problem as long as the whales are at least three miles out. If a whale tied up next to you in the marina and did this, it would definitely pose a problem, especially of this whale used toilet paper!

"We get pumped so who cares. The purpose of the Clorox is to clean the hose and tank and to reduce the smell."


Backwards , read this months Practical Sailor to learn why poisoning the waste system does not reduce , but raises the stench.

I quit reading this forum but I got another notice it was still going.

I had salt water flush and they stink bad. No matter what you use. I switched to a freshwater toilet and I can say my stuff doesn't stink but I do use a chemical treatment that is biodegradable and not toxic. I always pump out at docks and not the ocean also. I did install a new thru hull for an overboard pump but I have procrastinated that job. I hate working on heads, holding tanks and blackwater.