Question on holding tanks

Chris Campbell · Post by **Chris Campbell** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 1:00 pm

Hi,

My Dad has just bought a boat in Rhode Island which doesn't have a holding tank - it's set up for old-fashioned straight into the harbour flushing. He lives in Saint John, NB, where this is the norm, so it's not an issue once he's gotten home (at least not yet, hopefully someday pumping stations will be common and a law will be written, but not so far). The issue is: what to do about the sail home? We don't plan to head out to three miles offshore and stay there, although there will be some of that, but there will also be some coming in to land here and there, so we would be in violation of the rules.

Does anyone know what the rules are for visiting vessels? Can we postpone instaling a holding tank until it is practical to have on in New Brunswick, or will we absolutely need one for the trip?

Thanks for any and all advice!

Cheers,

Chris

JonnyBoats · Post by **JonnyBoats** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 1:50 pm

There is no legal requirement that a vessel have a head. My recommendation is to disable the head by sealing the discharge seacock closed. Can you do this by putting a wire tie through the seacock handle so that it can not be opened without cutting the wire tie?

Of course once out 3 miles one is free to cut the wire tie and use the head. Just put a new wire tie on before coming back in within the 3 mile limit.

Inside the 3 mile limit, do you have a bucket?

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 8:09 pm

You could get an inexpensive porta-potti which would cover you for the trip home.

Or maybe just borrow one for the trip.

-Britton