Washington Yacht Club: Charlotte's Info Page.

Charlotte's mast is 40-mumble feet tall. Since most of the bridges in the area are 41-mumble or taller, Charlotte fits under all non-short bridges. Here is my experience. Note that in tidal waters I've transited all these bridges at +14 or more. In fresh water I've transited them all in January (low) February (changing) and March (high, +2 from the low). The one questionable bridge is BNRR Charlotte cannot circumnavigate Mercer Island. Always transit a bridge at its tallest point (the center), wait and do donuts if there is oncoming traffic.

Heartstene Island - no
Tacoma Narrows - yes
Thea Foss Waterway - yes (except for the obviously short bridge at the end)
Spokane Street - yes
West Seattle Bridge - yes
I-90 fixed - yes
I-90 Floating East - no (requires Catalina 25 or smaller)
I-90 Floating West - no (requires Catalina 25 or smaller)
520 East - yes
520 West - yes
Montlake - yes
University - yes
I-5 - yes
Aurora - yes
Fremont - no (raise the bridge)
Ballard - yes
BNRR - yes when 2 planks or more showing on the north side of the cut, just east of the bridge. Do no count the scuzzy broken plank, only count the complete planks. Charlotte's steaming light leaves a very small (6 - 9 inche) shadow on the underside of the BNRR bridge when 2 planks are showing, about equivalent to transiting the University bridge. I was too chicken to attempt the BNRR bridge when only 1.5 planks are showing. Note that this is an extremely high extremely rare tide, in the vicinity of +15. But don't read the tide tables, read the current-proof rain-proof melt-proof planks like everybody else does.
Agate Pass - yes
Port Townsend - yes
Deception Pass - yes
Swinomish Channel - yes (both rainbow and hiwy 20)
Pender Island - no

Charlotte's draft is 4.5 feet. So far as I know, she has only been aground twice, once at our very own outer dock, and once on a -2 tide in Mats Mats (an overnight windshift put her on the wrong side of a mud flat). Sadly I was not on board for either grounding, so I cannot tell you what the depth sounder reads when she is aground. She has entered (hell she has sailed) Gig Harbor on a -1.6 tide. Remember to favor the breakwater (rock) side when entering Port Townsend Boat Haven on a low tide. Other than that Puget Sound is so deep that grounding isn't much of an issue.

Into Mast	Connector
purple	not connected
brown	brown
dk. green	lt. green
orange	orange
yellow	white
red	red
blue	tape shrouded

How to take a dump on Charlotte in Canada:
(1) Open the small gray plastic input ball valve (align it with the hose). Starboard side, just aft of the aft head bulkhead. Yes it's hard to see. (Check the tank level while your at it -- if the tank is full it will pressurize until it spurts out the hose fittings.)
(2) Twist the gray Y output valve to connect output to the large brass valve.
(3) Open the large brass valve (align it with the hose). only in Canada
(4) Set the little metal switch next to the pump to pump in saltwater.
(5) Pump in a little saltwater to wet the bowl and verify everything is working.
(6) Use the head. (Note: for solids it can help to place toilet paper in the bowl first to minimize contact)
(7) Flip the little metal switch to dry.
(8) Pump the head dry.
(9) Flip the switch to sea water.
(10) Pump the head full of water. Now you are trying to flush the pipes. Strategic use of TP to clean the bowl can be helpful at this point. Figure on about 15 pumps.
(11) Flip the switch to dry.
(12) Pump the bowl dry.
(13) Close the gray plastic input ball valve (handle 90 degrees from pipe).
(14) Close the large brass output valve (handle 90 degrees from the pipe).


If you forget steps 13 and 14, on certain tacks fresh clean sea water will enter the hull via the bowl, fill the bilge and slosh around. In extreme cases the boat could sink. Do not neglect steps 13 and 14!

To operate the head in the US, you wouldn't need to dork with the output (large, brass) valve, but it would be a good idea to verify that the valve is closed anyway. Turn the Y valve to connect head output with the holding tank. And after using the head, if you forget to close the input valve, water will slip past the head pump and enter the boat.

As for pumping out, open the waste deck fitting, ensure the pumpout hose has a good seal around the deck and a good seal around the pumpout machine (amazing how often this breaks!), and use the pump (follow instructions, ask the harbor master, etc). After a pump, it's a good idea to fill the tank full of water (either via working the head or via a water hose down the waste valve) and pump it clean again. After pumping it clean for the last time add some holding tank deoderizer .