Sea Toilets

[Aboattime]

I’ve been looking at a boat that’s for sale,not on the broads, but it has 2 sea toilets.Would it be allowed on the broads in its present form,or would it have to be converted to holding tanks ?

[CambridgeCabby]

I believe if sea toilets are installed on a cruiser then they have to have the discharge valve wired shut 

If it’s one of those rag and stick things then all’s good 

[Aboattime]

7 minutes ago, CambridgeCabby said:

I believe if sea toilets are installed on a cruiser then they have to have the discharge valve wired shut 

If it’s one of those rag and stick things then all’s good 

It’s a cruiser so if the valve is shut ………………not sure I understand.

[CambridgeCabby]

I believe , and I’m sure someone will be along soon to state with more certainty, that you are not permitted to discharge a sea toilet on a cruiser into the broads and if you do not have the option of diverting to holding tanks then the discharge valve has to be capped so to prevent its use .

as I said though someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly 

On Cerise Lady we had the ability to divert to holding tank or to sea , not that we ever used the sea option 

[Aboattime]

Ok thank you .

[dom]

If it's a sea-going boat with a passenger capacity less than 15, you should be OK to register and use the boat.

If you get an overly officious BSC examiner, they might flag it as an issue. If so, you can either claim the toilets are only used offshore, tape the toilets up, or wire the sea-cock shut.

Obviously, all of this relates to registration and use only. Actually using them on non or low tidal waters is illegal pollution and damaging to the environment.

One quick fix might be to remove and replace one with an Elsan type, which needn't cost much more than £50.

[Smoggy]

Sea toilets are allowed on some inland waterways and bss is not a broads specific thing so shouldn't be a bss issue at all.

If there's room for a holding tank just fit one with a diverted valve, sea toilets work the same with a tank and the old manual ones rarely give any trouble.

And if you ever visit the great ouse you'll need it.

[Vaughan]

This comes back to the fact that there are no specific construction regulations for inland waterways boats in the UK.  Nor in the whole of Western Europe.

So we have to rely on ERCD regs, category D.  This is a sea-going regulation, so it does not mention toilet tanks!

Holding tanks are therefore a matter for local bye-laws, as they are on the Broads.

[annv]

Hi Aboattime Don't tell anyone as long as it isn't a hire boat. John

[Polly]

No . If your boat comes in to be registered it can’t have a sea toilet. Even old boats formerly registered can’t come back without a holding tank. 
I checked once

[dom]

2 hours ago, Polly said:

No . If your boat comes in to be registered it can’t have a sea toilet. Even old boats formerly registered can’t come back without a holding tank.

Can you cite a byelaw or regulation to confirm this?

From what I've seen, BA's application is permitted to ask for confirmation whether sea toilets are fitted (Vessel Reg.6(2)h) but I've not been able to find anything which allows them to refuse registration.

It also seems to contradict the large number of sea going vessels which are registered, particularly around the southern rivers.

 

[Smoggy]

I'm fairly sure some of the saily types are permitted as well.

[Cheesey69]

The whole passage is really about granting registration for use on the broads. So you tell them, they decide, if the vessel is a new registration.

Heres the but. These regulations for toilet discharge are part of the larger inland waterway regulation structure that require sea toilets to be sealed shut when inland or divert to a holding tank 

[Polly]

Sorry I can’t cite a bylaw. I’m repeating what I was told by the BA when I was thinking about buying off The Broads and bringing in.