Instructors and students at the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Hadlock have come up with a unique solution for mobile pump-out services – a self-contained solar/electric pump-out unit that can be loaded onto an existing workboat for seasonal operations.
The idea came to fruition when the school constructed M/V Clean Bay, an electric boat built for Port Ludlow during Covid times for pump-out services. This 25-foot zero-emissions pump-out boat, featuring electric and solar technology, now provides free services around the bay in Port Ludlow. You can read more about the Clean Bay project HERE.
News of the success of this pilot project soon spread and the Port of Port Townsend signed an agreement, whereby the school was asked to build a removable “pump-out sled” that could be installed on the deck of the Port’s existing utility boat. Built to be removable, the sled allows for seasonal pump-out services, and can be removed during the off-season so the utility boat can be put to other uses.
The pump-out sled contains a 250-gallon waste tank, a high-capacity pump, hoses, batteries, and charging equipment. The battery-powered pump is capable of handling up to 3,600 gallons of waste between charges, and can pump at 40 gallons per minute. The battery banks are recharged overnight and augmented by solar power during the day.
The school’s Marine Systems Programs, under the direction of Lead Instructor Kevin Ritz, installed a new 140 horse-power outboard engine to the Port’s workboat, new hydraulic steering and control systems, and solar panels with a charging station for the pump.
These projects have been a wonderful opportunity for students at the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building, providing hands-on boat building experience including hull, deck, and house construction, and the installation of marine systems. The boat design for M/V Clean Bay was developed by Naval architect Tim Nolan. Clean Bay has been recognized as a model of effective zero-emissions systems for workboats.
The Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building is looking forward to similar projects in the future. The solar pump-out sled has proven to be a cost-effective way for ports and marinas to be eco-friendly.
If your local marina is interested in zero-emissions pump-out options, have them contact the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building.
Lead Photo, Courtesy of Dieter Loibner, Professional Boatbuilder Magazine
Text Photos Courtesy of Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building
