Latest scare about Turkey and grey water

catmandoo

catmandoo

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We understand that a boat has just been fined 7000YTL (£2900) for discharging soapy water overboard in Marmaris. In making representations to the Coastguard (on which they got nowhere) they were also advised that from 1st November a new law requires all boats to have a grey water tank. From this date Marmaris Coastguards will be inspecting boats and any without will be fined.
 
wankers.................. in no way do I condone putting rubbish in the sea but surely this is ridiculous. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
IMO it's another case of the thin end of the wedge. Once they're fully integrated into the EU they can show off about how clean they are and some bright spark busybody on a quiet afternoon will suddenly decide everybody has to do the same.

Ten years from now it will be the accepted norm and people will find it incredible that boats once dumped their grey water overboard.
 
In Turkey most marinas do not have pump out facilities for the black water holding tanks. You just go out to sea and discharge them! Same for grey water obviously.
Has this story been verified, or is it just another scare?
 
Cruising Association mass email...

from a member was how I heard about it.

The Greeks do this in some sensitive areas such as the islands of Santorini and Mykonos (the ones on all the calendars) and the retreat of government ministers, Kastellorizon. Nobody wants to see these beautiful clear water/white sand locations spoiled and if you're going to pump out your shower making a cloud of grottiness, then some eco-enthusiastic Port Policeman ( a species generated to fill a job creation scheme if ever there was one)seeing this right under his nose emanating from a "selfish foreigner" will react to protect his beloved Hellas. However in a filthy spot like Kalymnos Town harbour or Gouvia Marina nobody gives a damn.

In many US harbours, such restrictions already exist yet my neighbour ( actually "ex -" as we've moved a few slots up the pontoon now) in Gouvia who's boat is registered in Charleston S Carolina has been pumping out directly for several months now both toilet and grey waste. Is it OK to Shiesen in someone else's backyard or swill your dermatological substances into the water his daughter swims in?

We need to watch this though as the Turks have been somewhat silent on the subject for a long time. However, don't fool yourself - we will got no support on this, like licences for boats, a poll of the great unwashed* will come out against anyone owning a boat and any of their activities.

Steve Cronin

* perhaps that's the answer!
 
From someone who lives and sails in Turkey, this is news to me. We hear lots of gossip and scares all the time, although the story is probably true, but what the bible has to do with anything I really don't know.
 
I think the "EXODUS" referred to voting with your feet. If the turks get too onerous with their petty regulations and heavy handed penalties move your boat somewhere else.

If enough did it they would start to realise they were killing off a huge source of income.
 
If your boat has a decent bilge capacity, an option is to put a Y-branch in the shower or basin outlet so that the sudsy water goes into the bilge in harbour. Once offshore, turn the lever the other way and man the bilge pump to pump it all into the sea. A bonus is that this will keep your bilge pretty clean too. However, definitely not an option for AWBs with no useful bilge space.
 
Aha! I understand now. I'm a bit fick this morning, sorry. Think that blood test has drained me of my irony detector.

Much as I love the Turks they really don't think too far ahead. They think with actions in the now without considering possible consequences. Take, for example, the hundreds of holiday homes they are throwing up all over their beautiful countryside. An absolute eyesore but done for instant monetary gain. Even within the one year I have been there I've seen beautiful, idyllic, secluded bays being ruined by this senseless property development.

Unfortunately for us to make an imapct on the sailing tourist industry it would take years before they take any notice.

One of my friends (a Turk) works for the British government in Ankara within the tourism sector. Her job is to convince the Turkish government and corresponding local authorites that a long-term strategy needs to be adhered to in order to produce a strong and successful tourism industry. Unfortunately business just doesn't work like that in Turkey, and this is its downfall. I really hope for their sake they pull their finger out and look at the whole picture.
 
Re: Cruising Association mass email...

Gray water holding is not required in any US harbors. There are a very few inland lakes where gray water holding is required, but the only place where gray water holding is required in coastal waters is in a couple of very small--and clearly marked--parts of the FL Keys National Marine Sanctuary directly over reefs where even the discharge of bilge water is prohibited. Since no anchoring is allow in these areas either, it's not much of a problem for boaters.

While the discharge of raw untreated sewage (black water) directly from the toilet or dumping a tank is illegal in all US waters--inland AND coastal within 3 miles of the coast, only about 10% of US coastal waters are "no discharge" (holding tanks only)...except in those few "no discharge" waters, boats may use either a holding tank or a USCG certified Type I or Type II MSDs (treatment device).

So if your friend in Charleston is flushing raw untreated toilet waste directly overboard, he's doing so illegally...but theres nothing illegal about sending his gray water directly overboard.
 
Latest information regarding this....

has been received from the Cruising Association Med Section Secretary Peggy Manton.

It reads:- <span style="color:red">
""Hasan Kacmaz, our HLR in S Turkey, has responded to the report from Jim
Symmons:

On 22nd October 2005 (the date is not confirmed yet), US registered boat,
S/Y "FRESH START TOO", was fined 7.000 New Turkish Lira ( 5.185 US$) due to
discharging polluted water while the boat was in the bay in Marmaris region
(the coordinates are not confirmed yet) and the discharging was noticed by
Turkish Coastguard helicopter from above and pictured.

As I have received several verbal reports from Turkish Coastguard stations
and from Harbourmasters in Antalya region there is NO such inspection
campaign on the private yachts (foreign or Turkish) whether they have grey
water tank or not and there is no such regulation that every single foreign
yacht should have a grey water tank in the boat while they stay in Turkish
waters. The written reports will be prepared during next week hopefully
before Bayram ( National Holiday in Turkey) and we will make one more
announcement for the details.

This is kind of misinformation created by an angry boat owner and I will
give you full detailed report as soon as possible.""</span>

Steve Cronin
 
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