Hi All, We are currently halfway through a design/build of a race/cruiser sailing cat, and hot on the topic at the moment is the waste system for the grey and black waste systems. The vessels will mainly be based in Australia, but the owner wants to head over to the Med for a bit of a play. So basically I was wanting to produce a holding tank system that will cover the regs here and overseas. Pointers or links that someone can help with would be appreciated. Cheers Far
The EU Recreational Craft Directive is the place to start. I believe there is a very recent update with emphasis on emissions and sewage.
Pump Out We will be going to the Med next season. We upgraded our systems but did NOT put in a treatment system. Was told by Headhunter, that even is your waste is ZERO discharge, they still force you to pump out, in many Marina's, obviously for the revenue. Have no firsthand experience until next year.
rmjranch, thanks for the input. It sounds like a lot of the areas are 'hold only'. We are only running a 65lt tank so I was questioning the size of the tank too. Cheers Far
FYI, while MARPOL specifies minimum regualtions for sewage treatment plants in the Med (or any other special area, or come to think of it anywhere) these are subject to local regulations. On the Cote D'Azur, and specifically in Cannes, Golfe Juan and Monaco the local regulations dictate zero discharge and yes it is being enforced. I have heard that this is also the case on the Ligurian coast of Italy but do not know myself how rigorously enforced these regs are.
All of the Euro built yachts I've run, both the Waste and grey water tanks have a pumpout fitting, they also have a switch for OFF/Auto/ON so they can be switched to zero discharge in the ports mentioned......keep in mind the grey water tank needs to be fairly good sized so you're not getting a pumpout everytime someone takes a shower. Also even in the U.S. on Nantucket and some places in the great lakes you're not allowed to discharge grey water.
Lots of ideas floating around in my knoggin (sorry like the k on the front) lately. As it is a racer / cruiser why not just eliminate everything unnecessary... keep it simple on the down low! If you need to clean up in port just hook the wash down hose up on deck... go out to eat... and sneak on shore and potty. Just wait until you are off shore in international waters. Its just in port and near shore are people concerned about tangling with a floater while swimming... and the authorities do have lives and go home at night... and budgets that don't pay for far and wide. In the olden days at everything sea just went over the side... and showers had not been invented... for that matter indoor plumbing. Heavens even when I served in the Navy once you were in international waters you could discharge overboard a nuclear reactor core with impunity. The love of my life grew up in rural France... they had no indoor plumbing... papa would take the watering can, fill it from the outside pump and during the summer sprinkle down the kids... that's about it... Its was only after France in there efforts of modernization and reform instituted in 1958 - 1960 showers at school for the older girls before she had her first shower... everybody in her family survived.
Just because she grew up that way, won't necessarily feel she'd like to go back. Now after 54 years of showers, might have grown more attached.
Thanks for the information, and yes, we are trying to keep it a simple setup so we don't gain extra weight... we'll be over for sure . Cheers Far