Northcountrygirl

We've only ever used Marina pump outs and encountered 3 different types - pause button but counter keeps going, no pause button, pause button and counter stops. All have had a fresh water supply and hose nearby. The problem we have is that we have no separate water opening to the waste tank and have to stop pumping in order to add water. Using the shower hose we can do both at the same time, once were down to the sludge.

We don't really want to go down the blue route. I think we're going to switch to Brewers yeast tablets (about £10 for 500) when we can get somewhere to buy them. Also going to flush more clean water through the system when we do a pump-out as we've discovered that our shower hose will reach the toilet bowl. I'll let you know how it goes and thanks for all your advice and time taken to write it. It's been interesting reading and please feel free to carry on the discussion - it's all useful information ... even bizzard's which made me smile :-)

I think our rinsing technique may be the problem. We may not have been rinsing enough. It's difficult when the pump is on a timer and you have to stop pumping to put in fresh water. Last night I got so frustrated with the smell that I poured the remainder of the green stuff down the loo (about three quarters of a bottle!) and today the smell has gone. So it works, but only in large quantities it seems but for how long? Talk about throwing money down the toilet! Bizzard, that sounds like a plan. I'll send you the results in about 4 or 5 days! ;-))

What do people do to keep their pump-out toilet tank smelling sweet? Our boat is just over a year old and although the toilet was fine to begin with, from about March onwards we have had an increasingly bad odour from the breather pipe. To begin with it was only when we flushed but it is there all the time now - not nice for passers by on the towpath or us if we have a window open on that side. We use Odourlos as prescribed on the bottle but it doesn't seem to be working. What are we doing wrong?

Thank you to everyone who has replied - it is much appreciated :-) We will consider all of your advice in search of a more permanent solution. P.S. In attempting to make this post, I seem to have accidentally given myself a greenie! Sorry for that but I cannot find a way to reverse it (big embarrassed smiley!)

Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed and helpful reply :-) As you say, mooring using centre lines did create a roll every time the line came under tension. I'm not sure if our fender eyes are strong enough but they will have to do until we can find a better solution. It would be a shame to leave our Marina (except for travelling) as it is so quiet and peaceful here and we love it.

Some boats are not as long as ours so don't seem to have such a problem. Some boats have a roof rail that you can tie to so they are able to run a line almost vertically from the pontoon cleat. Some boats have extra dollies and t-studs along the side to which they have attached a line. One other boat has a line to a fender eye but there is no-one to talk to. Some boats are unoccupied and sway about. We are moored stern-in and tried taking a line from our front t-stud to the pontoon but it kept pulling on the cratch cover.

Thanks Paul. Our fender fixings are the type that are integral to the gunwales, not the screwed-on type. We have implemented you suggestion and at last the boat has stopped swaying and banging into the pontoon. And that horrible creaking has stopped. Hurrah!

Thanks ... just as we suspected :-(

Hi everyone. This is our first winter living aboard and we are struggling to find a suitable way to tie up to our pontoon that doesn't result in loud creaking noises and our boat crashing about, especially when it is windy. The main problem seems to be that our boat is 60ft long and the pontoon is only 40ft long, and two of the three ropes we are using come directly from the centre ring on the top of the boat to cleats on the pontoon. Would a fender fixing be strong enough to take a line? Being lower down and nearer to a pontoon cleat, it would seem like the obvious solution but we are worried that the fixing will bend or even break. Any advice gratefully received. Jan