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