sailboats and bay water safety

Great question I’ve often wondered the same thing as I never see them leave the anchors. I sure hope putting waste in the Bay isn’t the answer you get. If so there need to be some discussion about this. I know lots come for sailfest but at what cost to the Bay?

I love the vibe of all the sailboats that have been hanging out lately. But this morning I wondered about how they handle their waste when they are in the bay for extended periods. I don't see them going out of the bay periodically to dump somewhere far away... are they dumping in the bay or is there a way for them to have someone come empty their tanks and dispose of it?

I realize there is a reality of waste in the ocean when living on a boat, but it seems like dumping in the bay would be a big problem considering all the water activities and food sources here.

You would think it would be in our local interest to offer moorings and facilities for sailboats and yachts. But no. Our politicians have zero grasp of our tourism, how to treat them, how to attract them, how to keep them coming back. Our own fishermen and charter boats still have to get their gasoline from the local gas stations for cars. Unfortunately for our local politicians it's all about satisfying their own ambitions that have little-or-nothing to do with the general welfare, and much less with tourism. The marina in Ixtapa is NOT convenient for most cruisers. Zihuatanejo's bay is their natural destination, especially after seeing what happened to the yacht that got stuck in the tiny channel to Marina Ixtapa a few years back. But we don't have ANY facilities for boaters in Zihuatanejo Bay. There have been attempts to build a marina in Laguna Las Salinas, but that is an inappropriate place for numerous reasons. We had some docks and even a marine gas station, but everything was half-assed done and simply not maintained. I believe an earthquake ruptured the poorly built marine gas station and it has sat there leaking whatever they couldn't suck out ever since, and there have never been facilities for receiving the waste from visiting cruisers. The problem seems to begin and end with unscrupulous politicians. If someone wanted to invest in building a decent marine facility in Zihuatanejo Bay, they would first have to grease so many greedy palms they would run out of investment capital.

I wish I could make a more positive prognosis, but as long as Zihuatanejo voters continue oooing and awwwing over painted cement and faux-brick streets (also made with painted cement) there isn't much room for sensible solutions to our problems that don't enrich local politicians and their compinches. There are no politicians on the horizon of our foreseeable political future who appear any better than the ones we already have, and that doesn't auger well for our future.