boarded yesterday

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giolic

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USCG boarded us yesterday for inspection at the mouth of the CT river.

I was on my buddies boat and we passed all audit points. 5 young guys on the CG vessel doing their job. Nice bunch of guys. They said they were out of the Groton area.

Mark
 
What were they inspecting for? Did they want to see your pump out thru hull valve to see if it were locked or not?
 
Locked? Not required. Secured shut with an electrical wiretie will do just fine.
 
I was thinking about installing a key lock for my macerator switch. So the key would have to be inserted and turned to the on position to pump. I have heard by some this would be accpetable
then a few have said it would depend on the CG individual who was inspecting.
 
Sounds like a great idea. Can you email the CG and find out?
 
Not sure, guess that may be a smart thing to try and do before I get the drill motor out.
 
We have a key operated macerator switch, but the CG still requires the wiretie on the seacock.
 
Adrift, who at the USCG told you that they require a wiretie ? The regs are pretty clear in this regard allowing a number of acceptable methods :

http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/fedreqs/equ_sanitation.htm
"When operating a vessel on a body of water where the discharge of treated or untreated sewage is prohibited the operator must secure the device in a manner which prevents any discharge. Some acceptable methods are: padlocking overboard discharge valves in the closed position, using non releasable wire tie to hold overboard discharge valves in the closed position, closing overboard discharge valves and removing the handle, locking the door, with padlock or keylock, to the space enclosing the toilets (for Type I and Type II only)."

a key switch is considered an acceptable method which is used by many builders. I have never heard of anyone being cited for a key switch.
 
And you obviously can't leave the key dangling in the switch.

I had this setup installed on my last boat an did not have any issue on inspection.
 
Clarification, this macerator thing has me puzled, since I have never actually used mine. I have a fuse switch on my power panel that controls operation of the macerator, so can someone tell me what does the USCG inspect in this regard??
 
To the best of my knowledge, no lock is required if you have a holding tank and then a electric pump/macerator to discharge overboard. The locks are required for any system that discharges directly overboard.
 
afaik the lock rule applies to Y valves (direct discharge) AND macerators (holding tank discharge)

a breaker on the panel isn't enough although my previous boat, a 98 maxum, had a pair of spring loaded switches; you had to hold both to run the macerator. i thought that was enough, I can't believe brunswick woudl be delivering boats that cant' pass inspection and with above WL discharge there was no SC to lock. i don't think rules have changed since 98...
 
"To the best of my knowledge, no lock is required if you have a holding tank and then a electric pump/macerator to discharge overboard. The locks are required for any system that discharges directly overboard."

That"s what I have and I"ve always been a bit concerned when venturing onto Lake Ontarion. I have a Holding Tank and a Macerater that"s never been used connected to that. So I guess I"m okay?

By the way Les....Another Complainer about Boatfix a few threads up.
 
Phew Mark, thought you sold the homestead and bought a boat all in one week. Glad to see you are out on the water - albeit with a friends boat. And especially with a tied up discharge valve.
 
Thnx Spike and I wish did ! I might be about that fast though when the time comes.

The fresh caught fluke was stuffed with sea food stuffing and is baking as I type. My buddy Bob and I enjoy fluking in LIS and get out there into October.

Those CG guys had a very rough ride on the way back to Groton. The sound chop was as big as I've ever seen it not counting being in a thunder storm. They were all young guys so maybe they just wanted to beat the crap out of their boat for a couple hours :)
Mark
 
Here's the appropriate page

http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/regulatory/vessel_sewage/vsdmsd.html

The regs for type III (holding tank) are applicable if you have a Y valve permitting direct discharge. If you don't have a Y valve, everything goes into the holding tank, you have nothing to lock.

Pascal, my boat had the same set up - you had to push two switches. Those are required, I believe, to get the certification.
 
quote:
Originally posted by giolic

...
Those CG guys had a very rough ride on the way back to Groton. The sound chop was as big as I've ever seen it not counting being in a thunder storm. They were all young guys so maybe they just wanted to beat the crap out of their boat for a couple hours :)
...

Click to expand...


I assure you, young guys get just as beat up as old guys - especially in, I'm guessing, a 25 (aluminum boat, small cockpit fwd of the house, red sponsons?).
 
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