cure for 22' wasterwater while boaterhoming

B

B~C

New member
I always felt odd about dribbling water over the side while staying in campgrounds or nice marinas and there was a discussion about others having that same feeling earlier last summer.
After spending considerable time in the pluming department of the local hardware store scratching my head, I can now route the waste water out the through hull fitting or, flip a valve and route it into a suitable jug to be dumped later.

criteria- easily used, not bulky or clunky looking, doesn't waste any precious space under sink, light weight

here's what I purchased:
1/2 PVC 90 street L pipe fitting
1/2 to 3/4 PVC pipe thread bushing
plastic garden hose Y valve
(2) 5/8-3/4 plastic female garden hose repair ends

here's what I did:
*removed sink drain line and fitting from sink base
*plastic fitting from sink base where the hose was clamped is not threaded but it will screw nicely into the female 1/2 pipe threads of the 90 fitting, added a little epoxy to ensure that it stays threaded
* install 1/2-3/4 bushing on male threaded end of 90
* install garden hose valve
* trim 3" off old drain hose and install female hose end and attach to valve, attach other end to through hull fitting
* add second 3/4 ID hose with female garden hose end to valve with other end in jug.

the contraption hasn't been field tested yet but I thing it will work nicely. parts where under $10 so if it doesn't work I aint out much
 
Hi Folks,

In that I do not want to drill any more holes in my "yacht", I drain the sink into a large container, presently a large used laundry detergent jug. When it get about half full, I empty it in a marina bathroom, or in the ocean. Legal in that it is gray water.

I do believe that some time in the near future, gray water will be a "no dump" item. There is a group of people trying to outlaw any form of soap going into Nantucket harbor.

Fred
 
You know what they say about great minds, Ken? I picked up a fitting that can be stuck in the sink through hull opening at the boat stuff place at Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham. Hook a hose to that and the other end of the hose to a special made RV sewer attachment that I found at an RV place not far from the factory (south on Auburn Ave). That is the only place I've ever seen an attachment for a garden type hose to fit to an RV sewer opening. Since there is no pressure on this line, it shouldn't be a problem. I still haven't "field tested" ours, though.

Many RV parks require some sort of "positive attachment" to the sewer hookup (you are not allowed to dangle a hose in there or pour anything), even for gray water. Many pop-up campers drain their sinks into a 5 gallon bucket, so I don't see what the difference would be. There have obviously been some less than consciencious RVers who haven't been careful with their sewer situations for campground owners to state this in their rules. Some states also require RVs to use a "sewer donut" (rubber connector at the end of the RV sewer hose) to provide a positive seal to the sewer hookup. The attachment I mentioned above is exactly that: a male hose fitting attached to the large RV sewer fitting/donut.

HTH

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
wellll, I don't know about "great minds" mine falls more into the warped or twisted catagory. :)
that fitting to hook into the through hull would be just the ticket for extended campground stays...note to self, keep eye out for fitting.

The set up I have now gives us the Fred jug option...or..FJO, we generate very little grey water, just don't want to splash any on Bill Gates's yacht:)
 
Ken,
Tell us more about the fitting which can be stuck in the boat thru hull?

It is farily easy to make a short drain pipe which has a hose bib fitting from RV "stuff" Many RV dump drain camps have a hose bib fitting on the discharge--and this can be fitted several ways, if one can not find the fitting for the septic system as Ken describes. Also there is the option of the blue containers--some of which have wheels--most of these have a screw top with a hose bib fitting.-and drain into the blue tank.

The doughnuts are for long term setup (overnight in some ares)==but one can do single "dumps" without the seal--and many campgrounds have a "dump" station--which has a concrete aprin, a foot opening top and a hose for washing down the "stuff"
 
me no got fitting to mate with through hull, Jim have fitting, me gots valve under sink to direct waste to either, stock through hull fitting and out, or, into a jug under the sink
 
Nice Tonto impersonation, Ken. Dr. Bob, the fitting that I have has a 3-ribbed barb. Not sure of the exact outside diameter, but I did take the first one back and got the next larger size. The plastic fitting is also a 90º turn and then has the male threads to fit into a hose.

It may be easier for me to take a photo of this, 'cause my description is even confusing me. :crook Give me a couple hours and I'll post something.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
OK, here's the photo...

1167862606.jpg


The piece on the left (rubber donut around the hose connection)goes into the campground sewer hookup; hook the hose from here to the through hull. The piece on the right is what goes into the through hull (and then connect the hose). This is ONLY for the gray water from the sink. On the CD25 and TC255, the shower box and macerator pump through hulls expell the effluents under pressure, and I don't think this set up will work - i.e. DON'T try it with the shower or the crapper... and if you do, don't come whining to me that you, your boat, and the gazillion dollar motorcoach next to you are covered in excrement or your soapy shower water. :shock:

So, in review:
* I have NOT field tested this set up, but believe it will work ONLY with the sink
* DON'T try it with your poop tank or showerbox. DON'T even think about it.
* I got the plastic fitting on the right at LFS in Bellingham (and also bought several other pieces, trying to make something work).
* The RV sewer hookup connection came from the RV place south of the factory on Auburn Ave. (sorry, I don't remember the name).
* You still have to have a hose to connect the two pieces.
* If you've read this far, I don't have to tell you to NOT use it on the poop tank or showerbox, right? It's for the guys who don't read this far. From our attorney: "Jim B., his family, heirs, and anyone he's ever met disavow their endorsement of the above water disposal arrangement, and use of any such item, however similar or different, is at your own risk."

Having said all that, I don't see why it won't work if you find that you are in a campground for any length of time and want to use your sink.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Thank you--that is a very standard hose barb fitting. I'll have to try that.

I have not seen one of the "doughnut" fittings with the hose barb, nice.

Certainly agree about shower and black water! Another question is it possiable to threat the inside of a thru hull fitting to accept a standard pipe thread? The material is certainly thick enough. It might also be possiable to make a fitting with an "O" ring, assuming that the inside of the thru hull is smooth enough to avoid leaking. Initially I had thought of some expansive plug--similar to what one uses for the stern bilge drain tube--but with a hollow tube center---but even then, I would not risk septic material!
 
I asked one of the guys at the factory about threading the inside of the through hull and was told that a threaded fitting does exist (they weren't set up to do it, though). The only thing I could find in a search was an RV fitting... and that would stick out of the side of the hull. Aesthetically not pleasing, so I didn't persue it. Since we are just talking about sink graywater, it just isn't that much of an issue. However, when we saw that sewer fitting at the RV dealer in Auburn, I bought one... with all the miles and all the RV stuff places (long time Camping World President's Club members) we've visited, I have never seen one of those.

Joan and I have brainstormed the whole graywater/blackwater situation on the CD25, and just can't come up with an elegant solution for the shower/potty in a campground. I offered this: "Put a donut on both ends of the RV sewer hose, put one end in the sewer hookup, hold the other end over the macerator through hull, and I'll turn on the macerator pump." She said, "No, YOU hold the sewer hose and I'll turn on the pump." :mrgreen: We dropped that discussion immediately. :wink

In my opinion, the boat just works better in the water as a camper. It's a good place to sleep on land, but the water/potty situations are best done with the campground's shower house... something that we haven't done since our motorcycle/tent-camping days many years ago.

And a side note: if one intends to cook onboard while on land, be sure that the Wallas exhaust isn't covered by a trailer upright bunk (ours was). A small detail that could have disastrous results.

We also bought the electrical connections that allow the boat's 30 amp system to be plugged into a campground's 30 amp.

Even with our limited land camping with the C-Dory, we have run into campgrounds that didn't want or wouldn't allow camping in a boat. We are long-time members of FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association) and life members of Good Sam; we own in a couple membership parks. Many years and over 250K miles of motorcoaching. We know how to do it. And still there is some bias when you pull in with a boat as your camper. Dribble a bit of water in a campground and there will be a problem.

Sorry if I got off on a tangent.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
We also have been 45 year plus RVers--and stay away from high end camp grounds for several reasons. But so far we have never had a place which refused one of our boats as a "camper"--But I have heard of some places which won't allow RV's over 10 years old (my Road Trek is 15 years) and others which won't allow Class B's--so go figure. I can see that boats may not be "in". One place didn't really have room, but put the C Dory in between two tent campsites.

We will carry the porti potty (which we use on our 18 foot fishing boat) along in the Excursion for any serious sanitary use if necessary, and take showers in the RV facilities when necessary--We even do this sometimes with the Class A, if the showers are nice....which many are not.
 
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