I have a solution iI haven't used much lately, due to illness, I
haven't been sailing for a year and a half. I hope to be back at it by
the spring.

My head is a standard holding tank, deck pump out and port / sea
discharge valve. I can use a tire pump to pressurise the system via
the vent lines to purge it through the valve offshore. If no pump out
is available, I can purge the system via a probe inserted into the head
discharge from outside the boat at it's home anchorage in my cottage's
front yard into a floating oil drum which can be rolled ashore, dragged
to the pickup and trucked away.

The 12 volt tire pump trick is quick and cheap, especially priced next
to a macerator pump. I think it should be the essential base equipment
on any marine head system.

I was once thinking to initiate a mooring service where I could empty
several tanks and take the stuff away in the "stink dinghy." It would
be a premium service, I wouldn't want to do it cheap. Owners could
provide a vent connection to pressurise the discharge and a probe in
the discharge could allow unattended service with the boat locked up. A
special flag signal could be hoisted to request service. Coordination
could also be by cell phone appointment to accredited accounts. I
wouldn't want to maintain a vacuum extraction pump for this
application, and a properly maintained pressure system using low
pressure has been shown to work very well.

What would such a service be worth to youse all, on a commercial basis?

Seems to me that if the govt. can't enforce gas dock requirements for
pump out service, they shouldn't try to enforce use of a non existant
service.

One complaint of no pump out available should precipitate an immediate
raid by enviro-goons and a denial of gas service licence until it's
fixed. To keep operators nervous, a sign on the gas dock should be
required to provide the complaint number.

Terry K

Terry K wrote:
One complaint of no pump out available should precipitate an immediate
raid by enviro-goons and a denial of gas service licence until it's
fixed. To keep operators nervous, a sign on the gas dock should be
required to provide the complaint number.

Exactly the setup in California concerning free air supply for tires
(with purchase of gas according to the law) at all retail gas stations.
Idea is, soccer moms would rollover their Ford Explorers less if they
kept air in the tires.

Guess what, about a fourth of them are broken on any given day. Same
old story, "vandals" wrecked it, workin' on gettin' it fixed. Real
story, gas station owner ain't gonna fix somethin' that's not making
him money, to heck with the law. Guv'ment complaint number is a black
hole, as near as I can tell.