Heads Up: Toilet advice please

[Romeo]

I am looking at buying a small displacement motor cruiser for use next summer, pootling about the west coast of Scotland for about 8 weeks. I am not sure what sort of bog I should be looking for.

I have extensive small open boat cruising experience, where facilities are basic, consisting of a bucket supplemented by the ability to pee down the centreboard case when the boom tent is up. However with this boat I expect to have ladies on board, and a certain amount of decorum will be called for.

However I am not sure that I am happy just having a sea toilet. I intend to be in shallow water and sheltered special places much of the time. I also intend to spend some time in the canals. So what is the best solution in what will still be a relatively small and simple boat? Dry composting toilet, holding tank, cassette, portapotti, or something else? I really have no idea, and would very much welcome the advice of experienced toilet users.

 

[Tranona]

The most flexible arrangement is a basic Jabsco sea toilet and a gravity holding tank. Effectively the tank is an expanded outlet hose, so you pump through the tank to the outlet seacock, but when you want to hold the effluent, you close the seacock. Open it later when at sea to discharge, plus you can have a pump out fitting if you are likely to go anywhere that has pump out facilities.

Challenge is usually finding enough space on a small boat to fit a decent sized tank. Good information of loos and holding tanks from Leesan, Tek Tanks and Vetus.

 

[LadyInBed]

First find the boat, then worry about the bog when you need a crap!

 

[ghostlymoron]

If you're gonna spend much time on canals you need a porta potty or a large holding tank (tricky on a Small boat). Another advantage with PP is that you can use it if you dry out. Disadvantage is that someone has to empty it although the modern ones are fitted with anti glug device and can be discreetly tipped over the side when at sea. You're supposed to use fresh water to flush but I've used sea water without detriment (yet).

 

[Romeo]

First find the boat, then worry about the bog when you need a crap!

Having the right bog might assist with my choice of second hand boat. I realise anything can be retrofitted, but if I have the choice between two boats, and one of them won't require me to spend time and money skinning my knuckles in the bilges it may well get the nod!

To give some idea the general type of boat I am thinking about looks like this (not this actual boat) and I am not sure how much having a fairly shallow bilge and not that much room on board will limit my options.

 

[LadyInBed]

I managed two five month circuits of the French canals using a portapotty, it worked well for me.

 

[Murv]

Having the right bog might assist with my choice of second hand boat. I realise anything can be retrofitted, but if I have the choice between two boats, and one of them won't require me to spend time and money skinning my knuckles in the bilges it may well get the nod!

To give some idea the general type of boat I am thinking about looks like this (not this actual boat) and I am not sure how much having a fairly shallow bilge and not that much room on board will limit my options.

I had a Colvic 20 until recently. Fabulous little boat, but absolutely no room anywhere for a holding tank.
Portapotti did the job perfectly, they're easy to use and empty, and although not the most pleasant task in the World is surprisingly inoffensive if the right chemicals are used in it.

Good luck!

 

[Romeo]

I had a Colvic 20 until recently. Fabulous little boat, but absolutely no room anywhere for a holding tank.
Portapotti did the job perfectly, they're easy to use and empty, and although not the most pleasant task in the World is surprisingly inoffensive if the right chemicals are used in it.

Good luck!

Thanks both. Without wishing to be indelicate about the matter, how often does one need to empty a portapottie (er, can one go for a week with four on board?), what facilities are required for emptying it?

The boat in the pic is a Northerner 26, ideally I would be looking for something a little bit bigger, but still 30 feet or less, and still with the shallow draft and capability to take the ground. Never having cruised with a toilet before, I very much appreciate all replies.

 

[Murv]

Thanks both. Without wishing to be indelicate about the matter, how often does one need to empty a portapottie (er, can one go for a week with four on board?), what facilities are required for emptying it?

The boat in the pic is a Northerner 26, ideally I would be looking for something a little bit bigger, but still 30 feet or less, and still with the shallow draft and capability to take the ground. Never having cruised with a toilet before, I very much appreciate all replies.

I can't answer the question from a boating point of view, ours was only ever used as a day boat but from caravanning experience, not a chance unfortunately.
With the 3 of of us, and a larger cassette toilet, 3 days was very good going. With a porta-potti it would be a daily job (no pun intended) so that might well be a limiting factor.
Would obviously depend if you can get ashore to any facilities, but it's surprising just how much waste is generated.
With these types of boats (and only going by the colvic and a Mitchell 31) I think it might be difficult to fit any type of holding tank below the heads.
Don't know how feasible it would be to fit a holding tank in a large locker that you empty a porta-potti into, and then pump out later?

EDIT: As for emptying it, it can go down a normal toilet or in to an emptying point. They all have a similar type design, screw cap and some sort of vent valve (usually) to prevent any glugging..

 

[Happy Dayz]

TBH a porta potti 165 or my preference The Royal are very versatile, I've used in caravans, while tenting and now back on canal boats. Evening ll as a building sue facility when doing my house alteration.

You can get small toilet tents for some privacy, they can be on the bank or erected on the rear open deck if needed.

Like camp sites emptying can be unpleasant, using a special waste facility costs about £0.50. We have a shopping trolley set of wheels makes toting a full one a lot easier.

Alan

 

[ex-Gladys]

On a Broads cruiser with 2 of us for a week, we had to pump out midweek....

 

[duncan99210]

Witn two on board we found a portapotty needed emptying about every four days. Down a normal toilet is one way of doing it if there isn't a proper disposal point. If you're at sea, once reasonably clear of land, I'd just dump it over the side.

 

[ghostlymoron]

There's an indicator on the PP to show when it's full. As a guess, I'd say 2-3 days max for 4 people but see how it goes.

 

[John the kiwi]

When i first got my boat and equipped it with PP (PortaPotti) I was in fear and trembling of the dreaded emptying task.
The reality is as previously said that while its not the favorite task, properly used chemicals and the design of the PP make it not too bad.
When i read of the dramas that people have with sea toilets and holding tanks and sea cocks, I appreciate the simplicity of the PP.
There is really nothing to go wrong with a PP.
The other factor is where you are going to be cruising. In the inshore bays and estuaries i sail, discharge of sewage is prohibited.
This either means toilet and holding tank with all the complexities and things to go wrong, or a PP.
On the flip side, there are often well maintained public toilets ashore and all crew are encouraged to avail themselves of these facilities which lightens the burden on the PP. Probably similar in your canals?
Gentlemen may also discretely pee in a bucket (daytime) or over the side at night which again reduces the load on the PP. ( the extraordinary phosphorescence can sometimes make this an attention getting exercise though!)
My advice with the PP is to buy and use good chemicals, and empty often rather than wait too long!
Good luck

 

[Sandyman]

Heads Up: Toilet advice

 

[gvido]

We had a portapotti on our Hartley TrailerSailor 16, and used it happily during the trips around Croatian islands. Emptying it in campings and marinas was not a problem.

Regards,

Gvido

 

[Daydream believer]

Porta potty every time. May i suggest a small batten around the base to stop it skating around during use which can cause embarrassment encouragement:

 

[PetiteFleur]

Porta potty every time. May i suggest a small batten around the base to stop it skating around during use which can cause embarrassment encouragement:

and possible a strap over the top just in case you hit lumpy water and it bounces!
I've used a PP on the Dutch canals and it's fine, over a fortnight it was only emptied once - but we did use shore facilities as much as possible.

 

[Tranona]

I had a Colvic 20 until recently. Fabulous little boat, but absolutely no room anywhere for a holding tank.
Portapotti did the job perfectly, they're easy to use and empty, and although not the most pleasant task in the World is surprisingly inoffensive if the right chemicals are used in it.

Good luck!

Won't get very far in most the English canals with that sort of boat as it is too wide. You are restricted to 6'10" to fit the 7' wide locks.

All the canals do, however have regular pumpout stations for obvious reasons.

If you do go for that sort of boat then it will be mostly coastal so a straightforward marine toilet is the most sensible thing to have - and fit a holding tank if you can. Look at the sources I suggested earlier to get an idea of what is involved in fitting a tank so that you can assess the possibilities when viewing boats.

 

[PeteCooper]

Porta potty every time. May i suggest a small batten around the base to stop it skating around during use which can cause embarrassment encouragement:

and possible a strap over the top just in case you hit lumpy water and it bounces!
I've used a PP on the Dutch canals and it's fine, over a fortnight it was only emptied once - but we did use shore facilities as much as possible.

Thetford seem to do holding down kits for most of their range.