Gross problem

[AjariBonten]

I honestly feel for you; I hope you didn't misread me. You have had a really $#itty run of luck (NO pun intended, just NOT funny).

I had a crewmember who I would not allow in the pilothouse. Anything electronic he came within 3 feet of would totally whack-out.

I hope you can turn things around.

Best luck, ets. etc.

Originally Posted by HoffaLives

Are you kidding? People might think I'm a whiner, but without resorting to hyperbole, I don't think we have gone longer than a week without something major going wrong. Most of the time I just have at 'er and keep my mouth shut.

I've never heard of anything like this, and while I'm not superstitious, it's like there's a curse aboard. Seriously. I'm a rational dude, but I don't know how to explain the continuous series of disasters/near disasters/problems that have followed us onto this boat. It's not like I haven't owned boats before and I know the work they require, but for every day I fix something, tomorrow two more things will go wrong.

I've never experienced anything like this. We all go through unlucky patches but this one has lasted 4.5 months, thousands of dollars and I'm running out of money and stamina. Since last Friday my power cord gave it up, my NEW depth sounder gave up the ghost, my internet connection no longer works, and my plumbing discharge system is plugged (just as the holding tank filled).

People laugh and I try laughing with 'em but it's damned hard.
Anyway, you brought it up. Just had to get that off my chest.

[xort]

Stick a 10' long hose down the deck pipe, all the way into the tank. Then apply suction to the hose with your mouth to get the stuff flowing. This won't work, but it will take your mind off the clogged pump.

[Lion35]

You've probably already checked this but just to make sure you basics are covered: Have you checked the voltage at the pump under load? and does the pump get hot when you try to run it?

The idea that it runs and then slows makes it seem like a vent problem (as suggested above) or a clog in the line outboard of the pump. The back flushing idea is a good one to try. I once heard of a guy who had a mussel in one of his 1.5 inch lines, it would flow when the mussel was closed and not when it was open (maybe folklore, maybe true).

I empathize with your ongoing problem. Hang in there, really, sometimes the boat hits you with everything at once and then backs off for a few years to let you recover!

[Boasun]

Use a stripping pump to clear out your holding tank. Then you have the dubious duty/pleasure of taking apart the M. pump & associated hoses. Use something for a catch basin underneath to catch all that is leftover in that tank & hoses. Then you can repair or replace the faulty parts.

Have fun...

[HoffaLives]

Originally Posted by xort

Stick a 10' long hose down the deck pipe, all the way into the tank. Then apply suction to the hose with your mouth to get the stuff flowing. This won't work, but it will take your mind off the clogged pump.

Hey Zort, sounds like you know all about suction; why not bring those lips over here and help me forget all about my problem.

Dragged my arse over to the pump out, I crossed my fingers the whole way across the harbor, wondering if the engine would catch fire, we would be attacked by sharks, or the Russians would invade and shoot me as a spy.

Amazingly, they managed to suck out whatever evil thing was in there (they must have a Zort) Maybe it was a cat or something. I DID wonder if it was a voltage problem and so reconnected the maceratot to the 4 gauge cables that used to be for the old lectrasan; it sure wound up better but still plugged up. I think I'll leave it connected that way just in case.

Sigh. Here's hoping for a better future, but the Y valve is looking awful good to me right now. SO tempting...

[sailingdog]

BTW, there's a good reason I went with a manual diaphragm pump instead of an electric macerator pump for the holding tank discharge system on my boat. The pump isn't going to jam from anything that can make it out of the head and through the head's piston pump.

[tdw]

Point One - Get that Y Valve installed. Plenty of places still around where HTs are not required and if you don't have to use the HT then don't.

I'm a card carrying greeny and proud of it but I make a couple of points here - when it was the good old days of pump it over the side the reality is that pollution from pleasure craft was a very minor problem. In reality a decent macerator was about all that was required, particularly in crystal clear water where you could see the blind mullet resting on the bottom. On Raven we have a macerator but at the moment no tank. When we pump overboard it has completely dispersed inside a minute. If we are at a marina then we usethe onshore toilet facilities.

Now, when we were out sailing last weekend we constantly came across slicks of discharge from other craft who where emptying there tanks in the middle of the harbour. Last summer when cruising in a popular area just north of Sydney it was dead common to motor out of an anchorage only to see the stinker ahead of us empty their tank as soon as they cleared the bay.

In this Wombat's humble opinion HTs for pleasure craft combined with a dearth of pump out stations has created a far worse pollution problem than existed before the HT regime was introduced. Reality is that maritime pollution was always more a problem from commercial vessels than pleasure boats and nothing really has changed.

[Boasun]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

BTW, there's a good reason I went with a manual diaphragm pump instead of an electric macerator pump for the holding tank discharge system on my boat. The pump isn't going to jam from anything that can make it out of the head and through the head's piston pump.

Hmmmmm! Maybe we should all have both methods of pumping out the holding tank. Along with the attendent extra valves and piping. Make it a regular pumping maze below decks.

[sailingdog]

Boasun-

That would not be my recommendation, but if you want the additional complexity in your boat...go for it.

[xort]

Originally Posted by HoffaLives

Hey Zort, sounds like you know all about suction; why not bring those lips over here and help me forget all about my problem.

Them's fightin words boy, and to think I stuck up fer ya in yer other sh*tty thread. Gul durn it anyhu. I got kin in nanaimo, have ta see if their pick up truck isa runnin.