To even ask this question you cannot have ever tried to use forward heads when in a tricky seaway. Bloody nightmare. Down the steps, turn right or left back on yourself and you are almost on the fulcrum of any pitching motion that the boat has. Yesterdays paper and you are sorted even in a F8!
Depends what you call midships. What I want to do is come down the cockpit stairs, and find the loo door either to port or starboard. Anything else is a real pain, especially on a wet night, as you can take off your oilies and dump them straight in the loo without dragging them through the boat.
In the bow is fine if you don't mind going upwards while G-force tries to sink your bottom into the small hole at base of bowl and then going down while having to hang on to the base of the loo to find it is meeting you on the way back up. No amidships is the place.
I worked on fishing boats and some had the heads in the bow, they were as new due to what I said above. A bucket has to be the best of all and compulsory for men whose mothers did not toilet train them properly and that is the vast majority.
i have placed the head in the bow after removeing it and the chart table from midships and replaceing that area with a U shape lounge, the whole bow area has become heads,shower, vanity,wet weather locker and etc.with a water tight door this enables me to hose the entire area down if need be.i have considered the sea worthy aspect of the arangment and decided it should work and most cruisers in oz choose there weather and only sail when the weather is right. so the only times u would use the loo in bad weather would be if u where caught in unexpected gale which in that case u would be heading for shelter. well its done now hope it works.
Just for once I'll give a straight answer
Keep the head aft of the galley.... who wants to pump seawater into the sink after someone has been on the " bog" ?
BrianJ
A big yes on the toilet outlet being aft of the seawater suctions!
Also, even in a 12 ton boat in a big steep chop I shudder to think what sitting on a toilet up forward would be like.
Reminds me of an insurance case I was once involved with. A big power boat suffered structural damage in steep seas and the owners were suing everyone (builder, surveyors, etc). One of the tame witnesses of the owner stated in his evidence that it was so calm that he was able to stand up and pee when he went to the toilet (despite the fact that the seas damaged 2 other large MoBo's the same day such that they were structural write offs /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
Remember doing a round Britain trip on a RIB to raise funds for an inshore life boat - the group was based in a pub in the Pennines, about as far from the sea as you can get. We raised funds for three boats, all called Holme Team. Anyway on the way round we called at lifeboat stations to say hello. At Gravesend we were having a beer with the lads when they got a shout. Their paramedic was off so I was volunteered to help. We set off upriver (after getting permission to exceed the speed limit - the lads said there were always complaints when the yotties G+Ts were spilt when they went by, even if the blue light was flashing).
We arrive by a 26' boat with hysterical wifey and unconcious hubby. Only trouble (and relevence to this thread if you have survived this far) was that he was stuck on a primitave bog in the forepeak. The suction of his buttocks made removal almost impossible. We decided that I would distract wifey whilst the lads applied maximum force. There was a nasty noise of suction breaking, a bang as his head hit the decking and a muffled curse from the lads as the contents went over their boots.
We retreived hubby and transferred him to the lifeboat. I sewed up the gash on his head and fortunately he came round spontaneously as we docked.
Moral of story - if you feel you might get stuck on the bog dont put it in the forepeak
Cutter, you are making this up a bit aren't you? I thought it was only three fat ladies who got stuck in the lavatory. If you're not and your experience of surgical practice has allowed you to think of incidents of this nature in a matter of fact way, then I should put away the scalpel and head straight for the publishers.... there's gold in them reminiscences!
Don't want to sound like a plutocrat but I have two loos. One is in a palacial "bathroom with shower" in the port bow (catamaran) and the other is in a sort of cupboard just aft of midships port. (The galley and watermaker are both starb'd) The forward one is NEVER used at sea. Draw your own conclusions!
Its absolutely true - the awful sound of his head hitting the deck whilt I was 'listening' to the wife still lives with me. His buttocks were an interesting colout too but lets not go there.