On Tue, 23 Mar 2004 16:41:44 +0000, Peggie Hall wrote:

I may be mistaken about the San Juans (although when I had my boat in Pt
Roberts and sailed there extensivesly, I was TOLD it was NO DISCHARGE (ie you
MUCH lock your thru-hull closed, even if you have onboard treatment). I know
the entire Puget Sound IS "no discharge".

Nope...it's not. See the EPA list in my previous post. There's only one small
"no discharge" zone in the whole state of WA--and it's only one marina, so
recently made one that it may not even be on the EPA list yet.

I also know that most harbours and bays in the Canadian Gulf Islands and
Georgia Strait ARE "no discharge". I would love to use onboard treatment like
the Lectra-San, but it's not legal in the waters I boat in.

http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/epd/epdpa/mpp/boat_sewage.html

(not up to date: most of the "under review" have been designated)



This IS an up to date list, showing those that actually have been
designated...not nearly as many as were proposed:

http://www.pacific.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/obs...as/index_e.htm

But even had the entire proposed list been designated, note that the first 12
bodies of water on it are all inland lakes, not coastal waters...and if you
plot those in coastal waters, you'll see that they're all very small harbors
and/or very limited areas off federal parks...not nearly as extensive as the
first appear by just reading the headers.


Yeah...but those "very small harbours" are where we spend all our time (and
therefore use the head!) I might flush once when crossing the Strait, but how
many times do you think we flushed when we spend 3 days at anchor in Squirrel
Cove? Basically, any destination worth going to is designated "no discharge".

There's also the "voluntary" list...

Remember, Peggie: not everyone boats in waters controlled by US law.

I know...and because in your part of the world, many US boats travel in and
out of Canadian waters, I keep up to date on what's happening in Canada too.


Did you notice that Canadian Law REQUIRES that a holding tank "be designed so
that the level of sewage in the tank may be determined without the tank being
opened..."? So I'm glad I went for that Tank Tender!

Because there are some "no discharge" harbors that are also very popular
anchorages, it would not be wise to replace a holding tank altogether with a
Lectra/San...but having both usually means you can get by with a much smaller
tank than would be needed for full time use, while offering increased freedom
from having to find a pumpout while cruising in waters that don't limit your
choice to holding only.

I don't understand you here. In Canada, there's no "Type I/II/III" designation:
it's just "sewage". So it's either a "no discharge" area, so I can dump
NOTHING, or not, and I can dump ANYTHING. I don't see how a Lectra-San would
give me any freedom. It's too bad - I suspect the Lectra-San is better than a
lot of municipal treatments where you do the pumpout! BTW: I have yet to get up
to 1/2 full on my new 35-gal tank!

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36 - adequate tankage