Pump Out in SoF

[markc]

So, we have just spent the first week on the boat in the SoF. Yesterday, as our holding tank was full we went to the fuel station in our marina (Port Santa Lucia in St Raphael) to get a pump-out. There was a bit of head scratching from the operator there and so we called the Capintanerie. After 10 minutes one of the marina staff showed up and then spent a bemused 10 minutes trying to set things up and sort out the pump-out - this was obviously something not very familiar to him. I asked how many times the pump-out is used ... "maybe once a month or less" was the reply. So, in a marina with nearly 1,600 boats, the pump out is used less than once in a month.

That begs the question - are we moored in a big turd lake because everyone is discharging into the marina?

 

[Bouba]

There are laws about pumping out at sea. You must be more than six miles out to sea, trouble is most French people only have a boat license that allows you to go a maximum of six miles out. There are very few pump out facilities it really is a case of you don't say they don't want to know. Please don't disturb this delicate ecosystem

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

That begs the question - are we moored in a big turd lake because everyone is discharging into the marina?

Yes think of all those boats in Med marinas which spend months tied to the dock with their full time crew on board and then wonder what happens to all their sewage. Moral of the story is dont go swimming in your marina. The fish seem to like it though

As to what to do with a full holding tank, we empty our holding tank every time before returning to our marina as far offshore as we can but there's no way we do it 6 miles offshore every time

 

[mcanderson]

BSM is free for boats under 12 m. We use the pump out. I would love BSM and the surrounding beaches to achieve blue flag status.

 

[jrudge]

Same in Mallorca. I have only ever found one pump out and that was in Andraxt. Asked for them to turn it on. Bemused look. Goes and gets key. It does not work. Diabolical really given the attraction of the islands is the sea

 

[Portofino]

We or should I say wife empties the tank when we go out .
Having said that we are so called blue flagged and there's a pump out dory in the marina .Somewhere!
I,ve seen it around .
I,ve also seen while morning dog waliking on the jetties others just direct discharging -well looked like it from the position of the brown discharge relative to a ensuite window -yuk .

There's also the issue of most small yachts ,basically have no holding tank .

Marc it France ---- not wanting to ignite a Brexit bebate ,but here's a classic example of "French ness "

Kick off -identify a prob -this case marina hygiene /holding tanks ---bluster about ,introduce rules ----and wait for it
Do knack all to enforce it @ local level for fear of upsetting the locals .
Meanwhile in Paris send a delegation to Brussels and lobby every member state to follow suit .
Uk gets forced -- spends £m,s on it and sets up a rigorous enforcement regime -hitting hard none complaints .

How ever in the national parc,s Il d Lerins and Poquerolles they do loosely kinda apply /enforce .
Poquerolles have no anchor zones , distance zones and "park rangers " come by in a rib ,pointing out -asking if you have set your tank to hold -they give you a goody bag which behaviour rules .

But right next door is a FR flagged open 10 M rib with 10 pax on board ? ---and nope they don,t pack up and go home @6 pm --they doss out -go ashore and have a BBQ -etc .

Leaving us wondering how they received the info in the "goodie bag " ??

 

[DougH]

In Cala d'Or we are very sophisticated.:disgust:

The marinero brings a mobile pump out unit to the berth on a fork lift and runs a hose from the unit across the pavement/dockside to the boat and starts up a very noisy engine which attracts mass attention.

Problem is that the unit has a semi opaque tank and you can see all the contents swilling about.

Amazing how quickly spectators lose interest.

This service is very rarely used and only seems to be utilised by engineers when they have to work on the waste systems.

We're fortunate to have the 4 toilets on 2 individual pipe systems so we can use 2 loos on system 1 for 'number twos' only and divert to the black tank , and 2 loos for 'number ones' which go straight overboard. (Under boat discharge)

 

[jrudge]

I was there for years and never saw said contraption..... thank goodness!

In Cala d'Or we are very sophisticated.:disgust:

The marinero brings a mobile pump out unit to the berth on a fork lift and runs a hose from the unit across the pavement/dockside to the boat and starts up a very noisy engine which attracts mass attention.

Problem is that the unit has a semi opaque tank and you can see all the contents swilling about.

Amazing how quickly spectators lose interest.

This service is very rarely used and only seems to be utilised by engineers when they have to work on the waste systems.

We're fortunate to have the 4 toilets on 2 individual pipe systems so we can use 2 loos on system 1 for 'number twos' only and divert to the black tank , and 2 loos for 'number ones' which go straight overboard. (Under boat discharge)

 

[MapisM]

The fish seem to like it though

Indeed. And humans seem to like fishes, too.
Who said that perpetual motion is against the laws of physics...?

 

[markc]

Indeed. And humans seem to like fishes, too.
Who said that perpetual motion is against the laws of physics...?

:-D :-D :-D

 

[MapisM]

Hiya M.
I'm rather envious when I see that you are already using your new toy, while I'm onboard mine but still stuck in a shelter...
Not wanting to teach granma to suck eggs, but just in case you didn't notice yet, I believe that the setup in your F165 should be similar to the one described by DougH, i.e. each loo has a T valve and you can choose individually which to send to the tank or overboard.
Newer Ferrettis don't allow that, but I'm 80% sure that yours does.

 

[markc]

Hi

Yes, it's great to be using the boat - we even went out! You are correct with the original plan for the toilets, but this one has been modified - both forward toilets are now routed directly to a holding tank (the T valve has been removed) and there is a different discharge pump that utilises one of the original toilet seacocks, rather than via a long pipe to the engine room. However, the discharge pump ( a Vetus diaphragm pump) is not priming so that needs a service kit before I can do it the 'French way' and discharge 6 miles offshore.

Also, whilst I think of it - do you happen to know what macerator pumps are used for the toilets? I didn't get a chance to look - I think I need to remove the SS toilet bowl to see them. They could do with a service too (my favourite job)

 

[Bouba]

In Cala d'Or we are very sophisticated.:disgust:

The marinero brings a mobile pump out unit to the berth on a fork lift and runs a hose from the unit across the pavement/dockside to the boat and starts up a very noisy engine which attracts mass attention.

Problem is that the unit has a semi opaque tank and you can see all the contents swilling about.

Amazing how quickly spectators lose interest.

This service is very rarely used and only seems to be utilised by engineers when they have to work on the waste systems.

We're fortunate to have the 4 toilets on 2 individual pipe systems so we can use 2 loos on system 1 for 'number twos' only and divert to the black tank , and 2 loos for 'number ones' which go straight overboard. (Under boat discharge)

Four toilets!

 

[Hurricane]

In Sant Carles, we just ask in the office or over the VHF and they send a mobile pump on a trailer attached to the back of a Golf Buggy.
The only problem is that from the beginning of this season, they charge 5 euros for the service - a bargain.
But thinking "yachties" they will probably not pay the 5 euros and just discharge,
However if you take the boat over to the boatyard you can pump out for free.
We are always issued with a MARPOL certificate after each pump out.


When away from our home berth, we always pump out at sea.

 

[MapisM]

I didn't get a chance to look - I think I need to remove the SS toilet bowl to see them. They could do with a service too (my favourite job)

No idea, I'm afraid. Anyway, since you mention s/s bowls, I assume that even if the pipes routing was modified, you still have the OEM setup in the bathrooms, with a custom bowl and bidet integrated inside a GRP moulded block.
Which is a nice solution aesthetically, but less so from a functional viewpoint.
In fact, I'm aware of several boats (both F165 and F175) where the whole moulded block was removed, replacing the WC and the bidet with "normal" Tecma parts.
Allegedly, when the original system and its pumps start creating troubles, it's better to replace the whole thing - getting rid also of the sea water flush, in the process.
But sorry, I didn't investigate that further, once I decided to go for the DP instead of the F175, which was my (very close!) second choice...

 

[Andy Bav]

Yes think of all those boats in Med marinas which spend months tied to the dock with their full time crew on board and then wonder what happens to all their sewage. Moral of the story is dont go swimming in your marina. The fish seem to like it though

Think of us poor bugg3rs underneath the swim platform trying to put bin liners around our legs to stave off growth. Not sure what is more unpleasant the cost of a lift and scrub or a throat and ear infection :disgust:

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Think of us poor bugg3rs underneath the swim platform trying to put bin liners around our legs to stave off growth. Not sure what is more unpleasant the cost of a lift and scrub or a throat and ear infection :disgust:

A throat and ear infection is the least of your worries; you want to make sure you are very up to date with your hepatitis jabs before you go splashing around in any Med marina...

 

[DougH]

Four toilets!

Yep, en-suite to each cabin and en-suite to crew cabin.

Crew cabin does not see any action (other that maintenance) as it serves as a storage shed.

 

[pan]

Same in Mallorca. I have only ever found one pump out and that was in Andraxt. Asked for them to turn it on. Bemused look. Goes and gets key. It does not work. Diabolical really given the attraction of the islands is the sea

There is one at Rapita marina, which seems to be regularly used, knowing how precious Port Adriano are about any sort of discharge I would expect they have one in operation.

 

[Bouba]

How long can everyone last with their black water tank? With just two of us three days is all we can manage