Alfresco "Toilet technique" ?

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alant

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Following on from the "Toilet technique" thread, in which many advocated peeing over the side, this reminded me of the demise of a friend, who sadly went overboard off South Africa a few years ago, never to be seen again. He was taking a leak off the stern of his Moody 38 & when eventually the crew managed to get back, they were unable to find him.

Wonder, how common, is it, for men (usually), to fall overboard, whilst having the most basic of bodily functions?
 
I am sure a French lady skipper fell into the drink last year. Thankfully had her mobile phone with her.
 
alant said:
Following on from the "Toilet technique" thread, in which many advocated peeing over the side, this reminded me of the demise of a friend, who sadly went overboard off South Africa a few years ago, never to be seen again. He was taking a leak off the stern of his Moody 38 & when eventually the crew managed to get back, they were unable to find him.

Wonder, how common, is it, for men (usually), to fall overboard, whilst having the most basic of bodily functions?
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Isn't that what happened to Robert Maxwell?
 
Very common. It's called 'Fly open syndrome' by the USCG as the trouser flies are open when the body is recovered. I think the Canadian Red Cross says it accounts for 10% of all water connected deaths and the state of Washington has banned men from urinating over the side to try and cut deaths.
 
Allegedly it happens 'all the time' and it's often stated that most men found in the drink have their flies undone.

I've never seen any evidence or study on this though, just hearsay so I remain skeptical. Undoubtably it happens from time to time though.
 
Well, having established (see a previous post) that I need to pump 40 to 50 times, after using the loo, I'll be peeing over the side whenever practicable. I will, and do take care. Not being outrageously endowed, I can manage with one hand free to hang on with.:D
 
Just use a pee jug or wide( awight, massive)necked orange juice bottle.
Jeez, you guys over complicate everything ..( smilee)
 
I use a plastic toilet/pee jug pan like hospitals use. Buy them at chemists. Have a flat bottom so they sit on cabin steps or cockpit seats etc. Cord tied around neck and the other end inside cabin to the hatch handles. Cord is just long enough to throw over the side to clean.
 
There is a fair few men who, because they have something between their legs often go over the side. It is not usually in a boat though and when caught there really end up in the brown sticky stuff.
 
fishermantwo said:
I use a plastic toilet/pee jug pan like hospitals use. Buy them at chemists. Have a flat bottom so they sit on cabin steps or cockpit seats etc. Cord tied around neck and the other end inside cabin to the hatch handles. Cord is just long enough to throw over the side to clean.
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Presumably the cord is tied around the neck of the jug, rather than the user?;)
Also applies to people with "flat bottoms" as well!
 
BERT T said:
Drink a pinta milk a day!!!!
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Mention of milk bottles reminds me of when HMS Gambia was having a big refit in Rosyth dockyard in 1957-58. There was nothing to do in Rosyth of an evening so most of us used to go over to Edinburgh by train and, after a drunken evening, we slept in a seamen's mission. Next morning there would be a mad rush to get to the station in time to catch the little steam train back over the bridge to Rosyth, stopping only to buy a pint of milk each to combat the dehydration. It was a non-corridor train so, after drinking the milk, we would pee in the empty bottles and, as the train passed over the Forth Bridge, we simultaneously chucked all the bottles out of the window. There must be hundreds of bottles under the bridge. I wonder how some future Time Team boffin might explain it.
 
alant said:
Wonder, how common, is it, for men (usually), to fall overboard, whilst having the most basic of bodily functions?
Click to expand...
Very common. Leaning over the side and holding a shroud with one hand - it doesn't take much to make you topple over.

Very sorry to hear about your friend.

erbster said:
My boat has no heads. We "bucket and chuck it".
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When we had a Hurley 19, we improvised some cockpit toe straps to save having to clean out the bucket.
 
parsifal said:
Mention of milk bottles reminds me of when HMS Gambia was having a big refit in Rosyth dockyard in 1957-58. There was nothing to do in Rosyth of an evening so most of us used to go over to Edinburgh by train and, after a drunken evening, we slept in a seamen's mission. Next morning there would be a mad rush to get to the station in time to catch the little steam train back over the bridge to Rosyth, stopping only to buy a pint of milk each to combat the dehydration. It was a non-corridor train so, after drinking the milk, we would pee in the empty bottles and, as the train passed over the Forth Bridge, we simultaneously chucked all the bottles out of the window. There must be hundreds of bottles under the bridge. I wonder how some future Time Team boffin might explain it.
Click to expand...

Glad someone saw the link, very handy in the middle of the night.
 
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