A couple of off the wall (OTW) questions about boat sanitation systems.
These questions could be considered wierd I guess, but are serious none the
less.

Regarding inside the three/twelve mile limit:

1. It's legal to urinate over the side of the boat afik. Would it also be
legal to urinate through a cabin window (port) which could be opened and
closed?

2. Would there be a problem with using a holding tank constructed sort of
like an outdoor toilet --- sliding gate valve in top of tank, sit down, open
the valve, defecate, close the valve?

3. What about a toilet seat hung off the transom? Would it be legal to sit
on that and defecate directly into the water?

1. Yes
2. Sounds like a porta pottie
3. I think so, as long as it doesn't go into any sort of container.

4. Peggie will be along shortly and check my work. :-)

chuck h wrote:
A couple of off the wall (OTW) questions about boat sanitation systems.
These questions could be considered wierd I guess, but are serious none the
less.

Not so off the wall...although I have to admit it's the first time I've
heard the first one.


Regarding inside the three/twelve mile limit:

1. It's legal to urinate over the side of the boat afik.

Yep...and also defecate, if you can figure out how to hang your fanny
over side.

Would it also be
legal to urinate through a cabin window (port) which could be opened and
closed?

Yep...and prob'ly highly entertaining to watch, from inside the boat ANd
outside!


2. Would there be a problem with using a holding tank constructed sort of
like an outdoor toilet --- sliding gate valve in top of tank, sit down, open
the valve, defecate, close the valve?

If the waste remains in the tank till it's pumped out or taken off the
boat and dumped, you've just described how a portapotty works...so yes,
such a device would be legal. But if the idea is to also open a valve
in the tank to dispose of the waste in it overboard, it would not be
legal, because it would be "a device for installation onboard a vessel
and which is designed to receive, retain, treat, or discharge sewage..."
Only waste that has been treated by a CG Certified Type I or II MSD
(i.e Lectra/San) may legally be discharged overboard once it goes into
or even passes through any device aboard intended to receive sewage.

3. What about a toilet seat hung off the transom? Would it be legal to sit
on that and defecate directly into the water?

No...because, unlike a porthole, the toilet seat is an installed device
intended allow sewage ("human body waste and the waste from toilets and
other receptacles intended to receive or retain human body waste") to
pass through it. You could TRY to split semantic hairs with law
enforcement that there's no difference between a porthole and a toilet
seat, and that the toilet seat doesn't actually receive or retain any
waste, the waste is discharged below it...but you wouldn't win.

And btw, "bucket and chuck it" isn't legal either...even if the "bucket"
is just a mason jar or even a coffee cup. 'Cuz under federal law,
"Discharge includes, but is not limited to, ANY (emphasis mine)
spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or dumping."

So as for the toilet seat, they'd argue that it leaks.

Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html

chuck h wrote:
A couple of off the wall (OTW) questions about boat sanitation systems.
These questions could be considered wierd I guess, but are serious none the
less.

Not so off the wall...although I have to admit it's the first time I've
heard the first one.


Regarding inside the three/twelve mile limit:

1. It's legal to urinate over the side of the boat afik.

Yep...and also defecate, if you can figure out how to hang your fanny
over side.

Would it also be
legal to urinate through a cabin window (port) which could be opened and
closed?


Yep...and prob'ly highly entertaining to watch, from inside the boat AND
outside!


2. Would there be a problem with using a holding tank constructed sort of
like an outdoor toilet --- sliding gate valve in top of tank, sit down, open
the valve, defecate, close the valve?


If the waste remains in the tank till it's pumped out or taken off the
boat and dumped, you've just described how a portapotty works...so yes,
such a device would be legal. But if the idea is to also open a valve
in the tank to dispose of the waste in it overboard, it would not be
legal, because it would be "a device for installation onboard a vessel
and which is designed to receive, retain, treat, or discharge sewage..."
Only waste that has been treated by a CG Certified Type I or II MSD
(i.e Lectra/San) may legally be discharged overboard once it goes into
or even passes through any device aboard intended to receive sewage.

3. What about a toilet seat hung off the transom? Would it be legal to sit
on that and defecate directly into the water?


No...because, unlike a porthole, the toilet seat is an installed device
intended allow sewage ("human body waste and the waste from toilets and
other receptacles intended to receive or retain human body waste") to
pass through it. You could TRY to split semantic hairs with law
enforcement that there's no difference between a porthole and a toilet
seat, and that the toilet seat doesn't actually receive or retain any
waste, the waste is discharged below it...but you wouldn't win.

And btw, "bucket and chuck it" isn't legal either...even if the "bucket"
is just a mason jar or even a coffee cup. 'Cuz under federal law,
"Discharge includes, but is not limited to, ANY (emphasis mine)
spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or dumping."

So as for the toilet seat, they'd argue that it leaks.

Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html

"chuck h" wrote in message
...

1. It's legal to urinate over the side of the boat afik.

Well, I saw someone get a ticket from the sheriff boat for doing that......

Of course, he was idling through a busy marina, standing on the swim
platform in full view of the sheriff as they went by!

I don't know if the ticket was for indecent exposure or polluting but there
was definitely a citation issued.

Rod McInnis

Rod McInnis wrote:
1. It's legal to urinate over the side of the boat afik.

Well, I saw someone get a ticket from the sheriff boat for doing that......
Of course, he was idling through a busy marina, standing on the swim
platform in full view of the sheriff as they went by!
I don't know if the ticket was for indecent exposure or polluting but there
was definitely a citation issued.

Whatever he was cited for, it wasn't--or shouldn't have been--for
violation of any marine sanitation laws.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327

http://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html

chuck h wrote in message
...
snip... Would it also be legal to urinate through a cabin window (port)
which could be opened and
closed?

Ouch....not while you're protuding I hope!

Don White wrote:

chuck h wrote in message
...
snip... Would it also be legal to urinate through a cabin window (port)
which could be opened and
closed?

Ouch....not while you're protuding I hope!



Sounds like the makings of a future Fox Network show, where you can
never go wrong selling humanity at its worst.


--
Email sent to is never read.

1. Yes, and probably less chance of getting a public lewdness charge. My
guess is that it might also be legal to pee in the sink.
2. That's basically what a portapotti does. Phewee!
3. The infamous Bumper Dumper? AFAIK, it would be legal because nothing ever
gets "contained". See one for legal warning.

"chuck h" wrote in message
...
A couple of off the wall (OTW) questions about boat sanitation systems.
These questions could be considered wierd I guess, but are serious none
the
less.

Regarding inside the three/twelve mile limit:

1. It's legal to urinate over the side of the boat afik. Would it also be
legal to urinate through a cabin window (port) which could be opened and
closed?

2. Would there be a problem with using a holding tank constructed sort of
like an outdoor toilet --- sliding gate valve in top of tank, sit down,
open
the valve, defecate, close the valve?

3. What about a toilet seat hung off the transom? Would it be legal to
sit
on that and defecate directly into the water?