Toilet pumping protocol?

M

Maggieiscrazy

Well-Known Member
Oct 14, 2016
964
Northern Wisconsin
Boat Info
240 Sundancer
Engines
5.0. Bravo III
i trailer my boat and pump out my toilet when I get home. I would like to start pumping my toilet at a marina before I load the boat so I don’t have the unpleasant job at home. What is the proper protocol for using the marinas pump out station can I just pull in and use it I understand that if you buy fuel you can pump it out for free but I have never bought fuel on the water either.
 
IMG_4230.JPG
Most pump outs I have seen and used are services that you buy. So pull in and use it. Pay the fee and leave.
 
Pumping out the vacuflush toilet is pretty simple.

I normally start out with a good cleaning of the toilet and flush copious amounts of water through the system before heading over to the pump out area.

There're some good videos online to show how everything works to give you some idea.

I would go visit the dock and look at their system before boating over and ask the person running the dock to show you how their system works.
 
Many pump out stations were originally installed with aid of federal grant money with the understanding that the pump out station would be open to the public free of charge. Those stations also get an annual reimbursement from the federal government to maintain the system. This is the case at my yacht club.
 
Ours has a fee for non members, free for us. The staff has to turn it on though.

Pretty simple:
find the fitting that goes on your pump out deck fitting. usually threaded
Attach the hose from the pumpout
Turn on pump and then open the ball valve at the deck fitting

Make sure any overboard valves are closed or you can suck up seawater

I don’t flush our tank because we use noflex, but a lot of members here fill the tank up with water and empty it again
 
Thanks for the info guys. It was helpful. Sometimes the amount of time we can spent out on the water is limited by the capacity of our holding tank.
 
All pump out facilities (shore stations or boats) on Long Island Sound are free. As mentioned, many get federal funds, or are just plain operated by local governments. LIS is a no discharge zone so there’s no other legal option. Improving water quality in the Sound is a big topic here.

So it’s free. But if I get help I’ll tip who helped me. $5 to the college kid that drives the pump out boat, for example.
 
We have 1 pumpout station in our pool and they lock up the hose when they aren't there. My understanding is it is $25 for members of that marina and $50 for non members. They own the only fuel dock too but it's at their other marina a mile upriver so they are operated separately so no deals there. We have never had ours pumped out yet (don't use it much). Not sure what others have done.
 
Plenty of free ones on the south shore of Long Island.

If they charged $25-$50 for a pumpout around here, one would think that the water quality would definitely suffer.

During the busy months, the pumpout boat makes the rounds, as said before, a $5-$10 tip for them and your all good to go (haha)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,172
Messages
1,427,839
Members
61,084
Latest member
AntonioJamm
Back
Top