Coming To A Head
Environmental awareness, federal waterway cleanup funds promise to open new markets from marine pumpout boats and floating restrooms.
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Floating bathroom boat makes waves
11-12-2006, 08:50 AM
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/15995646.htm
HILTON HEAD - Complete with air conditioning, hot-water showers, four toilets and two sinks, it's an unlikely candidate for Hilton Head Island's newest tourist attraction.
But the small yellow building surrounded by a white picket fence is fixed on a 30-foot catamaran hull. That's right, it's a floating bathroom boat - thought to be the first of its kind on the S.C. coast.
It's generating a lot of interest at its new location tied to the pier at Broad Creek Marina.
"Everybody walks by and says 'What in the heck is that?'" said Jeff Quinn, operations manager for the marina. "It's pretty unique, and it's really getting a lot of attention."
The floating restroom will spend most of its time tied to the docks at Broad Creek Marina, but it's capable of being towed out into area waters for regattas, fishing tournaments and other events. Use of the facility is free of charge.
Powered by a solar-panel-charged battery to run the lights and heat the water, the bathroom boat doesn't have an engine, but small vessels can tow it easily.
The bathroom was bought through an $86,000 grant from the state Office of Ocean and Coastal and Resource Management as part of the federal Clean Vessel Act program, said Dan Burger, an OCRM spokesman. The act aims to educate the public on the importance of proper waste disposal and providing the equipment to help them do so. Broad Creek Marina is pitching in money for operating costs. Another grant was issued to the marina for a pump-out boat to transport waste from the floating restroom's two 750-gallon tanks into a sewer system. Both vessels are manufactured by DeFuniak Springs, Fla.-based PumpOut USA.
"The grant program's focus is promoting water-quality protection," Burger said.
11-12-2006, 08:50 AM
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/15995646.htm
HILTON HEAD - Complete with air conditioning, hot-water showers, four toilets and two sinks, it's an unlikely candidate for Hilton Head Island's newest tourist attraction.
But the small yellow building surrounded by a white picket fence is fixed on a 30-foot catamaran hull. That's right, it's a floating bathroom boat - thought to be the first of its kind on the S.C. coast.
It's generating a lot of interest at its new location tied to the pier at Broad Creek Marina.
"Everybody walks by and says 'What in the heck is that?'" said Jeff Quinn, operations manager for the marina. "It's pretty unique, and it's really getting a lot of attention."
The floating restroom will spend most of its time tied to the docks at Broad Creek Marina, but it's capable of being towed out into area waters for regattas, fishing tournaments and other events. Use of the facility is free of charge.
Powered by a solar-panel-charged battery to run the lights and heat the water, the bathroom boat doesn't have an engine, but small vessels can tow it easily.
The bathroom was bought through an $86,000 grant from the state Office of Ocean and Coastal and Resource Management as part of the federal Clean Vessel Act program, said Dan Burger, an OCRM spokesman. The act aims to educate the public on the importance of proper waste disposal and providing the equipment to help them do so. Broad Creek Marina is pitching in money for operating costs. Another grant was issued to the marina for a pump-out boat to transport waste from the floating restroom's two 750-gallon tanks into a sewer system. Both vessels are manufactured by DeFuniak Springs, Fla.-based PumpOut USA.
"The grant program's focus is promoting water-quality protection," Burger said.