Ok - another burning question I have - Pump Out

FootballFan

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2012
3,567
Florida
Boat Info
Marquis 59
Engines
MTU Series 60
We are coastal cruisers in FL. Either through our own boat or in the far north bare boats we have covered a large percentage of the Atlantic coast.

Our last boat we kept at a marina on the east coast - between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, a place called Aventura. While in our home marina if we needed a pump out, dockhands came to the boat with a mobile unit and they did the pump out.

Transient slips along the east coast - maybe it was just fortuitous with the marinas we stopped in - but someone always did the pump outs.

After buying our current boat we decided to keep it on the west coast of FL cause we love that area so much.

After boating for several years - all of a sudden I was faced with doing my own pump outs.

Seems like wherever we are on the West Coast of FL - we have to do our own pump out. There are a couple places that come to mind where dock hands do the pump out (Longboat Key, Boca Grande, and Pink Shell). Every place else is - we will hand you the hose - but you do the pump out yourself. In our opinion one of the nicest marinas any where is South Seas - but if you need a pump out - do it yourself.

How common is either scenario? Do you typically have to pump out yourself - or will the dockhands do it?

I prefer not to. Happy to pay/tip for someone else to deal with it.
 
We are at an inland lake in the middle of Illinois. While at the slip, they provide mobile pump outs, I just tip them. When I pull up to the gas pump, they do the pump out also, of course I tip there too
 
My marina has both. Do it yourself at the end of a dock -- you pull up and do it. The fuel dock does it as well after a few bucks for fuel. I try to keep pump outs to a minimum. I'll walk up to the bath house if in slip. And no turds allowed. :)
 
My marina has both. Do it yourself at the end of a dock -- you pull up and do it. The fuel dock does it as well after a few bucks for fuel. I try to keep pump outs to a minimum. I'll walk up to the bath house if in slip. And no turds allowed. :)
Do you know Scott?
 
In our travels I would say its more often that they hand me a hose and I do the hook up.
My least favorite was a marina near Orillia, Ontario Canada that not only did they do it all, but made both of us get off the boat while they did it. I came back to a lot of water in the cockpit, I think they made a mess and then took the garden hose to it to wash out my boat.
My preferred option is pump out at the slip using permanent equipment. Marina has a hose on a cart that you wheel to the boat and hook up and pump out. I can rinse the tank as much or as little as I want and no rush. Two that come to mind are Marina Jacks in Sarasota and Legacy harbor in Ft Myers.
 
IMG_4230.JPG
West coast of Lake Michigan is mostly full service. Places in Wisconsin and North Channel same thing. Can't OP just go offshore and pump into the ocean?
 
View attachment 72359 West coast of Lake Michigan is mostly full service. Places in Wisconsin and North Channel same thing. Can't OP just go offshore and pump into the ocean?

Yes, but he said he's on the gulf coast now, got to go out further, like 12 miles, that could be a bit out of the way.
 
View attachment 72359 West coast of Lake Michigan is mostly full service. Places in Wisconsin and North Channel same thing. Can't OP just go offshore and pump into the ocean?

Love that when we have been in the Maine and the Pacific Northwest on bare boats. Accepted practice, just get off shore and pump out. Chartered a grand banks one time in WA, the lock out for pump out was a key switch on the helm. Set the breakers, then when you were ready - turn the key.

FL is very aggressive on discharge. My understanding is that you have to have secured ties on the pump out valves.

My personal situation related to overboard discharge. The previous owner - who I am now good friends with, discussed the scenario on my current boat. I have two separate blackwater systems. The only common point is the overboard discharge. This is good - it there is a problem with one of the systems, I have a separate system.

The downside is due to the two tanks, the hoses going to overboard discharge run horizontal at times in the routing. This means when you do an overboard discharge it is very difficult to completely empty the lines. If the lines are not emptied and flushed then there is a residual odor below. I have crew quarters down below which we use for storage. Not discharging I am avoiding the odor while I am down below.

Before the previous owner placed the boat up for sale, he had all the hoses replaced. I have all of the discharge system which is new hoses - no issues. One of these days I will use discharge - but until I have too, prefer the pristine environment.

With just the 2 of us on board, and the two systems, we can run 11-13 days without emptying tanks. So far, I just pump out within that window.
 
Both.

When the fuel dock is busy the attendants assist in everything. I like that they assist in getting the hoses (fuel or pump out) over to the boat and then I take over.

I try to stop by the fuel dock when they are closed so I can do my pump out at that time so I'm not in the way of other boaters trying to top off and get out on the water.
 
We do our own, Have my own hose fittings with good gaskets and it's no big deal. Over Half the cruiser people we know just pump out in the lake and it really pisses me off that they are that lazy and inconsiderate. I wish more enforcement was done to stop this. Most think because they put chemicals in the tank that that is treatment and it is legal to dump.
 
We do our own, Have my own hose fittings with good gaskets and it's no big deal. Over Half the cruiser people we know just pump out in the lake and it really pisses me off that they are that lazy and inconsiderate. I wish more enforcement was done to stop this. Most think because they put chemicals in the tank that that is treatment and it is legal to dump.
These people should be reported to the authorities. I'm pissed off about it and I am not even on your lake. Damn pissed!
 
The marinas I frequent assist in fueling. They hand us the nozzle, and start/stop the pumps.

MacRay Harbor in Lake St Clair has a Vacuflush discharge pump linked to the sewer mounted underneath (almost) every floating finger dock on the property, as well as a powerful system at the fuel dock. The individual pumps are slow, but having a system right at the dock and only shared with your neighbor is as good as it gets, IMO.

Cedar Point brings a hose/cart to your dock 10x per season during the week for an additional charge in the contract. It's nice not to have to think about it, but sometimes they skip us, or leave canvas unsnapped and they don't backflush with water at dockside.

There's a boat at the end of the pier that is frequently occupied, but never leaves and doesn't get pumped out. I'm waiting for karma to address that situation. Sinking seems appropriate.
 
Do my own as do most on our dock. Portable hose cart makes it less of a hassle. Hose end connects right at our slip. (Marina Jacks in Sarasota, Fl.)
 
This brings up another question: who has replaced waist hoses as a preventative measure or leak? Surveyor suggested I do so but the mechanical service I use is not to excited about it. He is replacing all fluids and filters next week and I asked that he look at belts and hoses (again) as well. (We have a 2005 DA.). No leaks or smells. religiously use No Flex digester. Thoughts?
 
IMG_4230.JPG
This brings up another question: who has replaced waist hoses as a preventative measure or leak? Surveyor suggested I do so but the mechanical service I use is not to excited about it. He is replacing all fluids and filters next week and I asked that he look at belts and hoses (again) as well. (We have a 2005 DA.). No leaks or smells. religiously use No Flex digester. Thoughts?
Don't fix it if it ain't broke. If you are meticulous about keeping the plumbing clean, it may never smell. Doing a full three second flush as the directions call for with each use and using Tide powdered laundry soap without bleach per the Dometic directions goes a long way toward preventing smells. Also a very thorough irrigation with each pump out is important as is the use of No Flex. When you store the boat, which may not apply to you, the tank should be irrigated and pumped to the point of clear water coming out of the black tank. My 2004 boat has no smells following this routine.
 
Out here on the left coast its pretty much 100 percent self service pump outs and fuel. Our marina charges $30 for a slip side pump out but I don't want the staff touching my boat unless they are saving it from sinking. We rarely go two or three weeks with out taking the boat out for a cruise so I just pump out when we refuel. I like to do the thorough irrigation and add treatment at the same time. Its not the most pleasant experience but neither is picking up the dogs turds and carrying around in a little bag but I cant hire anyone to do that:D
 
View attachment 72363
Don't fix it if it ain't broke. If you are meticulous about keeping the plumbing clean, it may never smell. Doing a full three second flush as the directions call for with each use and using Tide powdered laundry soap without bleach per the Dometic directions goes a long way toward preventing smells. Also a very thorough irrigation with each pump out is important as is the use of No Flex. When you store the boat, which may not apply to you, the tank should be irrigated and pumped to the point of clear water coming out of the black tank. My 2004 boat has no smells following this routine.
Thanks sbw1 !
 
I am so glad our marina has pump outs at the fuel dock and its free for those slipped at the marina. The marina crew that does the pump out gets a decent tip, because I am glad I don't have to do it.

On a related note, last weekend we were on Georgian Bay fishing in still wind conditions. My son used the head and I just about had to puke overboard from the smell from the vent hose that wafted in the cockpit. I had the tank pumped out on return to the marina and immediately replaced the carbon in the "fart filter". It was clearly overdue and I was pretty motivated to do it immediately. Luckily I had some activated charcoal left over on the boat from the last time and its pretty quick to do.
 
Last edited:
We are 100% self-serve pump out at the fuel dock. It was also suggested that all hoses be replaced on my survey. I use NorFlex Digestor and have never had a smell whatsoever. NorFlex recommends a pump out/wash out before using the product for the first time. Did that. Since, never wash out as the instructions say not washing out leaves a base of the good bacteria. Pump out consists of nothing but what looks like stained water. We use the heads for everything all year round and have never had an issue. We average pumping out 1/month and are at the boat all weekends.

Bennett
 

Forum statistics

Threads
112,948
Messages
1,422,806
Members
60,930
Latest member
Ebrown69
Back
Top