No Discharge Shutoff

Take the handles off and duct tape them (and the attachment scew) to the hose itself. That way, if you need to use them in the future the handle and screw are right there.

Greetings,
How about Ty-Wraps instead of duct tape? No residue when removed.
Peter

the point is to have the handles off the sea cock... use whatever storage method works for you. in a bind, wisegrips can be used anyway.

aren't you required by law to have locks on your valves? I was told it was to prevent someone from turning the valve to overboard discharge accidentally, and that the Coast Guard will check for locks if you are inspected.

Different States have different rules that may or may not be more restrictive than federal law. Some lake jurisdictions may even require complete mechanical blocking of through-hulls. Don't ask a general question here for an answer that may be very specific to your location, ask the local authority.

For example, here is a quote from Massachusetts:

When traveling in NDA waters, boaters with Type I or Type II MSDs must do one of the following:

1. Close the seacock and remove the handle.
2. Fix the seacock in the closed position with a padlock or non-releasable wire-tie.
3. Lock the door to the space enclosing the toilet with a padlock or door handle key lock.

When traveling in NDA waters, a Type III MSD (holding tank) must be secured in one of the following ways:

1. Close each valve leading to an overboard discharge.
2. Padlock each valve in the closed position.
3. Use a non-releasable wire-tie to hold each valve leading to an overboard discharge in the closed position.

All of these methods of securing MSDs while in NDA waters are approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.

On my boat, I sank a 1/2" eyebolt into a 4" long piece of 1"x4". I used 3M 5200 to adhere it to the hull. Then you can run a zip tie through the bolt and the handle.

Sorry for not being specific Marmot. I didn't realize different states had different rules, but then, if I had known that I wouldn't have asked the question

I assumed (in error I guess) the Coast Guard used the same rules up and down the coast.

dont' be sorry... the rules are pretty much the same for all coastal waters and
the rules Marmot quoted from Ma. apply in other states as well.

another acceptable way of securing overboard discharge from your holding tank is to use a key switch for the pump and keep the key somewhere else...

indeed, during a boarding the USCG will check your valves.

Overboard

I understood any keys for overboard discharge pumps had to be under the masters control only.

The locking of a discharge is largely symbolic. Whether it's a zip tie or a bolt and pad lock nobody is going to throw the Y-valve except for the order of the person in charge (usually the wife). If she wants to, she'll be quite capable of getting a key or a scissor. Any reasonable effort should be sufficient. For those areas less trusting, your boat can't have the ability to pump overboard.

I have also seen where someone cut the hose in 2 pieces going from the macerator pump to the seacock and blocked off both ends. In addition to disconnecting the wiring going to the macerator pump and shutting the seacock and taking the handle off. This was a boat in or rather from Canadian waters.

No Discharge

had of been Great Lakes...here in BC we are supposed to go on to "no discharge"
in certain sensitive ares but...sad lack of pump out stations and lots of boats with small holding tanks..will take a while to fully implement no discharge in reality. No enforcement as yet.

Thats where the problem lies. If it's cheap and easy to get a pump out at a marina, I would say most all yachters/boaters would do one instead of pumping overboard. But when pumpout stations are few and far between such as in the Bahamas also, people who would normally prefer to pump out will pump overboard because they have to. The holding tank is jam packed and nothing else to do with it.

Marmot, I believe you have a typo in #1 above. From the USCG site, it should read as below:

(c) When operating a vessel on a body of water where the discharge of untreated sewage is prohibited by the Environmental Protection Agency under 40 CFR 140.3, the operator must secure each Type III device in a manner which prevents discharge of sewage. Acceptable methods of securing the device include—

(1) Closing each valve leading to an overboard discharge and removing the handle;

(2) Padlocking each valve leading to an overboard discharge in the closed position; or

(3) Using a non-releasable wire-tie to hold each valve leading to an overboard discharge in the closed position.