Pump out location

[Coopersboat]

Just picked up my 83' classic 36 and have been searching for a pump out location. Tracing the heads into the engine room lead no where. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Capt Scott

 

[HeadMistress]

There should be deck pumpout fitting marked "waste" (embossed on the flange). It should look exactly like the fuel and water fill fittings. But first you need to find the tank. The pumpout line to the deck comes off of it, most likely at the bottom of a vertical tank wall, but could be on the top with a pickup hose inside the tank. Once you've found the tank, it shouldn't be that hard to follow the hose from it back to the toilet. There should also be a hose from the toilet connected to the tank at or on the top of it and a smaller vent line coming off the the tank at or on the top.

If you can't find the tank, I suggest you contact the previous to owner to find out if there is one on the boat. It may have been removed.

--Peggie

 

[SteveK]

What year did holding tanks become mandatory, or even suggested?

 

[hmason]

Check on the starboard side, forward under the rub rail. It's a white fitting with two caps. One is for pumpout and the smaller for flushing the tank. It's a horrible design and a horrible fitting.

 

[Cigatoo]

Just picked up my 83' classic 36 and have been searching for a pump out location. Tracing the heads into the engine room lead no where. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Capt Scott

Our tank is starboard side along side the engine (single). Pump out fitting is in the deck just outside the door.

 

[Cigatoo]

Check on the starboard side, forward under the rub rail. It's a white fitting with two caps. One is for pumpout and the smaller for flushing the tank. It's a horrible design and a horrible fitting.

What Howard said. I forgot about that pump out location. Ours was originally equipped that way.

 

[HeadMistress]

What year did holding tanks become mandatory, or even suggested?

They were mandated in the Federal Water Pollution (aka "Clean Water) Act of 1977, with an effective date of Jan 1 1980 which was largely ignored by most states because enforcement required enacting state legislation (fines, which state agency would be required to enforce it etc) to do it and it was low on the legislatures' priority list. Georgia became one of the first--of not THE first--state to require holding tanks on all boats with toilets on their inland waters in 1987. By 1990 most states were getting on board with it...I was a consultant to 3-AR, AL and TN.


--Peggie

 

[HeadMistress]

Check on the starboard side, forward under the rub rail. It's a white fitting with two caps. One is for pumpout and the smaller for flushing the tank. It's a horrible design and a horrible fitting.

OMG, it's what I have nicknamed the Jabsco Poop Shooter! A disaster they introduce in the late 70s that didn't last long. The larger hole was the pumpout fitting, the smaller one was the over board discharge port for their macerator pump. Jabsco originally put it on the side deck above the tank. Pumpouts were pretty much non-existent then, so it was necessary to use the macerator pump and it was absolutely essential that it be on the LEE side of the boat 'cuz there was no hose, the macerator just shot the tank contents out the hole. If the boat shifted or the wind did, the results were predictable! So Jabsco tried installing it in the hull about a foot below the rub rail. Users no longer took a bath in sewage and/or had to mop their deck but it splattered waste all over that side of the boat. Jabsco had no choice but to give up on it,, but, as I've learned over the years, not before a few boat builders installed 'em. I've seen 2 of 'em, one in the deck of a sailboat and one in side of a Grand Banks...neither still in use, neither owner had a clue what it was. The photo is of the one in the side of the Grand Banks.

He's gonna need a new pumpout fitting!
What's the tank made of?


--Peggie

 

[Delta Riverat]

Amazing.

You have to wonder "what were they thinking"

 

[Comodave]

It looked good on paper… Or was that pooper???

 

[Delta Riverat]

I can just imagine what that would look like in operation. Not to mention what it would small like...

 

[kthoennes]

Peggy knows so much about marine sanitation systems and history, and she's been so helpful to so many people she ought to be incredibly rich and living on a superyacht - where other people maintain the marine sanitation system.

 

[RichGB36]

“Poop Shooter” faceplate

Thanks for the info, didn’t know that the second smaller hole was for the macerater. That being said I’m looking for the faceplate as shown since mine is chewed up. Any info would be great. Has anyone switched to a different plate? On my GB 36 I have two of these faceplates not sure why there’s a second plate.

 

[kthoennes]

I'm still amazed that any boat systems designer ever thought that was a good idea. Prior to the days of pump outs and modern environmental regs or not, imagine closely passing that vessel in the midst of a -- discharge. Maybe you could add a garden hose and use it to repel pirates. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "stand on vessel."

 

[HeadMistress]

Thanks for the info, didn’t know that the second smaller hole was for the macerater. That being said I’m looking for the faceplate as shown since mine is chewed up. Any info would be great. Has anyone switched to a different plate? On my GB 36 I have two of these faceplates not sure why there’s a second plate.

Most likely for two holding tanks. I can't imagine why you'd want a new face plate for something that was discontinued shortly after it was introduced some 40 years ago because it turned out to be an utter disaster. I've never seen one still in use...they've all been replaced with proper deck pumpout fittings. You're not likely to find one, but if you MUST have one, make a pattern from the chewed up one and 3-D print a new one. But I wouldn't recommend using the macerator port to empty the tank.


--Peggie

 

[HeadedToTexas]

OMG, it's what I have nicknamed the Jabsco Poop Shooter!

Priceless. Sounds like a high priority item to upgrade!

 

[Mike GB32]

Just picked up my 83' classic 36 and have been searching for a pump out location. Tracing the heads into the engine room lead no where. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Capt Scott

Looking at the picture- could that be a 'Jabsco Poop Shooter' opposite the door under the rub rail? Thats the approximate location of the one on my '74 GB32.
It IS a bit of a pain in the butt. If I tie up to a pumpout dock on that side of the boat, the fitting is usually below the dock which means I have to hold the boat off the dock while leaning over to press the pump nozzle to the side of the boat to cover the fitting. The alternative is tie up on the port side and drag the pump hose across the deck.
My system has a tee off the macerator discharge (the smaller port) that leads to a seacock below sea level. I could open the seacock and pump out that way if I was off shore.

 

[HeadMistress]

I'd install a proper stainless steel pumpout fitting in the side deck above the tank.


--Peggie

 

[cks]

Capt. Scott- Fellow GB owner here….. I have a quantity of the original OEM pump out caps if you need one along with a huge qty of OEM FB parts that I acquired two years ago. Here’s a link to a shared photo file for your reference.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bZDFUWTcaf8Jquou9

Shout out to Peggy Hall. Thank you for your book(s)! I’ve modified many of my boat head systems over the years as per your recommendations with excellent results every time!