Beyond Discription! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

SHIP'S LOG:

How to describe it? Describe what? The malodorous fragrance wafting from the openings in the holding tank. If the bilge was bad, this was far worse.

I spent Sunday moving the holding tank from the aft cabin toward the port side locker in the forepeak. Sounds a simple thing but it was more involved than you might think. First of all, the holding tank was secured by four(4) straps to the bulkhead in the aft cabin. Those were removed and the tank rested on the bunk with three(3) hoses - inlet, outlet, tank vent. I removed the vent hose first and the smell was incredible. It was beyond "gag-a-maggot" quality and intensity. I taped the vent closed but "the genie was out of the bottle" so to speak. I hit it with "SIMPLE GREEN," "FABREEZE" and "LYSOL" and at best the problem was moderated.

The Inlet and Outlet connectors really couldn't be tape as they were way too large but the "kit-to-reposition-the-connectors" came with screw-in plugs that with a little bit of silicone sealant were sealed quite nicely. There was about 4 gallons of . . . . .er . . . noxious brew? . . .in the holding tank and there was still some contained in the hoses that led to each. Disconnecting each hose required the that the hoses be sealed in some way to prevent them depositing what they contained on the bunk or the deck. Using a baggy and some duct tape took care of the hoses and the screw in plugs that connectors on the tank. The smell wafted through the cabin and I got used to it sort of . . .as long as I didn't think about it as it made me want to puke.

After everything was plugged and sealed, the next part of the procedure, the worst part, was next. . . . . emptying the tank. Had I crashed earlier in the fall ( for the second time that is), when I got to Captain's Cove Seaport they would have pumped out the tank. By the time I got there, their pump out system was closed down for the winter and so the best they could do was pump the system with holding tank anti-freeze which could also neutralize "the smell" and "deodorize" the system. That was what they did . . in theory anyway. They did pump the anti-freeze into the system but they didn't pump it enough as the anti-freeze remained in the hose and never made it into the tank. As a result, the "brew" fermented" for the entire winter and produced a foul soup with an incredible "bouquet"which had to be removed because of the weight(fitting the tank to its new location would require a lot of handling and shifting) and less it be dispersed by accident throughout the boat.

For this procedure, I had purchased a couple of 5 gallon buckets with lids. I poured a whole bunch of holding tank solution into one bucket, unscrewed one of the plugs and emptied the tank. There was about four(4) gallons of "brew" in the tank. Mixing the "brew" as it was poured into the bucket made the stench even worse. Made my eyes water. It wasn't a methane smell, it was way beyond that, like I said, "beyond description." Sloshed the tank with everything I could think of to get the "brew" out of the tank and kill the smell. I was able to get about 98% out of the tank and into the bucket. Poured the rest of the deodorizer in the bucket and sealed it. I hauled it up to the cockpit and lowered it over the side for alter disposal. With all the hatches open, I went around and it hit every surface with "Simple Green, Lysol, and Fabreeze" and pretty much removed the "fragrance."

Tanking the holding tank to the forepeak, it appears that the tank will fit easily into the locker . . .once i can get it in. The opening of the locker has to be enlarged to get to tank in but it "should be a simple procedure" - how often have I said that! I will have to cut a new inlet and a new outlet port for the connectors. I will have to cut a new waste removal deck plate hole on the foredeck and a new hole for the tank vent. The outlet hose will have to run to a diverter valve so that the "waste" can be discharged overboard when appropriate and be pumped out the rest of the time. The old vent hole and the the old deck plate aft were sealed and now all that is necessary is to re-connect the aft head to discharge directly overboard.

It was an interesting afternoon as the wind was gusting to the 50's, enough to "move" the boat on her stands. A couple of times I actually felt that maybe, just maybe, she would be blown over. Somebody had shown up on his motorcycle and it got blown over. He was not happy about it!

O yes, . . . . the bucket of . . .er . . ."brew." There was no place to to empty it in the yard. Even though the local sewage treatment plant borders the yard, there is no place to dump a 5 gallon bucket of "fermented human effluent." So the bucket went into the car, with the lip carefully sealed, and got hauled to a locating where there was a public port-a-potti. Would you believe, the port-a-potti smell better that the contents of the bucket?!? I was so happy that I didn't get into a accident as the scene would have really been a mess. The thought of an accident that ruptured the bucket, flinging the contents around the inside of the car, curdles the blood! ! ! ! ! !

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

There was some actual work done on the forward edge of the keel. IT had been ground down, filled and faired. It looks pretty good. Now there is only the back edge and the bottom to do. Of course, the weather is going to be less than perfect this week. Such is the way it goes. Maybe by the 4th of July! ! !