Help Please - Thetford Aqua Magic Toilet

[Guest]

Few questions:

Refurbishing my boat and intend to use a chemical toilet with holding tank and a macerator pump-out system.

The above model looks OK for my needs so:

1. Has anyone used one?

2. Are they OK for sailing?

3. Where can I buy one in the UK? (In America they retail for about $125 - what's the rip-off Britain mark-up?)

4. Is there something better on the market for what I want to do?

Best regards )

Ian D

 

[charles_reed]

They're actually made in the UK, in Thetford in Norfolk (or they were 25 years ago when I had one in my first boat).

If you're going to try and get one why not get in touch with them direct and purchase through your local caravan shop!!!

 

[byron]

Try looking at sites like this......
http://www.jacksons-camping.co.uk/general/toilet.htm
There must be others too

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www.education-jobs.co.uk
www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[Guest]

Charles

I thought the same and then found out on the web that they belong to the Thetford Corporation of America!!

Local caravan shop only carries standard Porta Potti (similar to the one I currently use) and Cassette types.

I'm getting too old to be humping 28 lbs of sh*te around on a rolling boat (I am truly amazed at how heavy it seems to be getting nowadays) so I'm looking forward to just pushing a button!!

Many thanks )

Ian D

 

[gus]

Make dammed sure that it is fixed down properly. Shape a couple of bits of wood to stop it sliding and some fastening system to stop it jumping up.
It's all about retaining control of the motions and your emotions.

 

[charles_reed]

try their european website

www.thetford-europe.com

They should be able to give you local distributors

 

[charles_reed]

Memories of Porta-potties

Very apposite - during the 70's I had a trailer/sailer which I kept on the trots opposite Sherry's wharf, above the swing bridge at Poole.

With a young family my sailing exploits were severly curbed, and apart from jamborees like the Round the Island and various other R Sthrn
club events we couldn't go racing.
I say we, because my oppo was a 6'6" psychiatrist, who similarly patriarchially embarrassed as myself, did most of the crewing.

This boat was fitted with a Porta Potti, fixed down by the manufacturer's patent plastic turnbuckle, in the forepeak under the forehatch.
For people of our size (I'm >6') the only comfortable way of defaecating was to open the forehatch and stick your head out - this resulted in a number of one-sided conversations in several of the French channel ports, as passers-by mistook the intent look of concentration on the emergent face as an attempt to open conversation with a view of improving the Entente Cordiale.

On one early season occasion, after an extremely good night out at the Ancre d'Or, we set out at 05.00 to make it back to Poole in time to return to work the following Monday (in those days without GPS you always allowed at least one tide spare in case you got trapped the wrong side of a tidal gate).
In view of the temperature that early April morning, the crew in time-honoured fashion wore, under his foul-weather trousers, Y-fronts, long johns, pyjama trousers and jeans.

The wind was a NW 5-6 so we were having to beat and were still just within range of Casquets light when an irresitible urge overcame the crew.
My offer to heave to was rejected and he was perched on the Porta Potti when we hit a really big one.
Needless to say the patent plastic turnbuckles were not up to 120kg of ex-St Thomas front-row at 2.2G.

My next view was of the enthroned crew sliding aft down the saloon, until the next wave slid him back again towards the forepeak.
He finally stopped his gyrations by grabbing hold of the mast support, which never looked the same again.

What still puzzles me, to this day, is how he and the Porta-Potti managed to make it out of the forepeak, both of them were wider than the entrance.

PS I ALWAYS heave to now, when I use the bog at sea.

 

[pvb]

Why???

Why would you want a chemical toilet with a macerator pump-out system? The Aqua Magic is primarily designed for permanent installation in motor caravans (or "RVs" as they're called in the States). The attraction is they need little water to flush. Well, in a boat, the one thing you're not short of is flushing water - you're floating in it!

What's wrong with a simple sea toilet? Much less to go wrong, and probably cheaper. Personally, I wouldn't bother with a macerator pump, but would install a good quality manual diaphagm pump instead - again, less to go wrong (and that's an important consideration with toilets!!!).

Now, if you have the space, why not put the holding tank above the toilet? Perhaps hidden in a locker outboard of the toilet. Then you don't need a pump to empty it - you just open the seacock. Even less to go wrong. And every time you add to its contents, you (how shall I put this) stir the existing contents up, so ensuring trouble-free gravity discharge.

 

[ArthurWood]

If you have the space available, go for a VacuFlush system; uses a little fresh water to flush and never smells if correct hoses used to plumb it. No button to press, just a pedal.

 

[Guest]

Re: Why???

Complicated "Why".

1. Hate holes in boats below the water line - have only three (prop - keel cooling out - keel cooling in).

2. Need holding tank set-up for French Canals where we may stay in a marina for 3/4 days at a time. Some of these have kiddies "swimming areas" alongside and not wishing to be anti-social ...........

3. Need "pump out" due to dislike of humping sh*te - especially on a rolling boat. Porta Potti tanks always seem to need emptying when we have guests on board - and/or - when I have drink number six in my hand and/or when we are rocking and rolling somewhere in the North Sea - and one time ALL THREE!!

4. Maybe a macerator pump is a bit OTT but have had personal experience of unblocking other devices (especially traditional sea toilets) and wish to minimise future contact.

e.g. I assumed that it was the wife of a 6ft hairy Glaswegian I called a friend who had blocked the bog on one occasion. Imagine my surprise to find out that "good ole Roy" had taken to using some product called "Wet Ones".

On the basis that they didn't block up Glasgow's sewage system at home he had assumed that "a mechanical pump would just eat them"!! This was despite a sign he had read many times before that said "ONLY toilet paper and what comes naturally goes down this toilet - OR ELSE!!"

Maybe a macerator would have coped?!?!

Having said all of that ........... I am still wondering if it is the right way to go.

That's the benefit (trouble?) with this Forum - you have what looks like a great idea and then find thirty different and sometimes much better solutions to a problem.

Still thinking - many thanks for contributing)

Ian D