Holding tank and eco toilet roll

Gary Fox said:
I wouldn't consider sailing on a yacht which had such badly installed plumbing that used toilet paper needed to be kept on board, how utterly disgusting.
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I'm with you on this one. NZ cruising frequently involves having rubbish on board for extended periods and this is bad enough without it including crap-encrusted toilet paper. I regularly sail on boats with 7-8 crew using a single manual Jabsco toilet with a holding tank and I can honestly say the only blockages are when someone has flushed a paper towel or wet-wipe. I'm not saying that blockages don't happen, but they would seem to be a symptom of a badly designed or maintained toilet rather than an inevitable result of flushing toilet paper
A related story - when I was working in Plymouth Naval Base a few years ago, the rubbish removal contractors were shocked to find the skips next to a Mediterranean-flagged warship in the base contained bags of crappy toilet paper, and insisted these had to be classed as bio-hazardous medical waste and disposed of accordingly. The ship's officers insisted that the paper could not be flushed because the STP could not process it, which was quite surprising given that all of the RN ships with the same system had no problems.
 
Yes where do yachts dispose of it? Surely it is wrong to put human waste in marina bins? It spreads diseases. Even dog muck has special bins.
Or do the pieces of paper, smeared with urine and faeces, get carried through the yacht to the cockpit, and tipped in the sea?
Nice.
 
ashtead said:
We never put paper down the heads but we have a manual Jabsco with tank however I think the issue is blockages are caused by having a holding tank as all waste goes through the tank and out into sea and the design of the tank which seems to cause issues. In last boat without holding tank we never really had paper issues. Whether position is better with an electric heads or as between different heads I would love to know. Given the price difference between different electric heads maybe some have better chopping motions than others ? So normal comfy paper and a nappy sack if you must use heads on board seems wise but I guess if you have a techno heads or vacuum heads life might be simpler.
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...mmmmm.....chopping motions......
 
Gary Fox said:
Yes where do yachts dispose of it? Surely it is wrong to put human waste in marina bins? It spreads diseases. Even dog muck has special bins.
Or do the pieces of paper, smeared with urine and faeces, get carried through the yacht to the cockpit, and tipped in the sea?
Nice.
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Curious to know where you think the bags full of dog muck go when the bins are emptied? I assume, could be wrong, that they go into landfill with the general waste from the Marina bins. The used paper toilet goes in plastic “nappy sacs” which are tied up and then placed in the rubbish bag, also tied up before going in the general waste bin. Unlikely to be a health hazard unless someone goes bin diving in the general waste bin?
 
Gary Fox said:
Yes where do yachts dispose of it? Surely it is wrong to put human waste in marina bins? It spreads diseases. Even dog muck has special bins.
Or do the pieces of paper, smeared with urine and faeces, get carried through the yacht to the cockpit, and tipped in the sea?
Nice.
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At least one town near me doesn't have separate doggy bins - it all goes in the liberally supplied general waste bins. The town in question has quite a large number of dogs (it's one of my dog's favourite places for that reason), a regular market and plenty of dog-friendly shops, so a LOT of dog muck must go in their general waste bins.

It's a while since I've been in this position, but surely nappy waste goes in the general waste bin at home?

That said, I too find the idea of NOT flushing toilet paper away quite disgusting, and so would most of the people who sail with me.
 
AntarcticPilot said:
At least one town near me doesn't have separate doggy bins - it all goes in the liberally supplied general waste bins. The town in question has quite a large number of dogs (it's one of my dog's favourite places for that reason), a regular market and plenty of dog-friendly shops, so a LOT of dog muck must go in their general waste bins.

It's a while since I've been in this position, but surely nappy waste goes in the general waste bin at home?

That said, I too find the idea of NOT flushing toilet paper away quite disgusting, and so would most of the people who sail with me.
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I don’t think you’ve travelled much
 
My father's boat had an American Wilcox-Critenden Skipper head. The instructions claimed it could pump an overcoat. Loo paper, not a problem :)
 
RupertW said:
I don’t think you’ve travelled much
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I don't like blowing my own trumpet, but actually, I have - more than most. There is only one continent I haven't visited - and that's Africa. I actually can't count how many countries I've visited without sitting down and listing them - and I'd probably forget one or two. I've certainly been to places that most people never will. And the toilet paper in a bin thing seems to be confined to a few Mediterranean countries; it's certainly not a world-wide norm. I'd regard it as a symptom of poor plumbing and water treatment plant, and not something to copy!

Perhaps most people don't realize that toilet paper (other than the horrible old Izal stuff!) disintegrates in water more easily than normal faeces? I've certainly had more trouble flushing away some of my own products than I ever have toilet paper!
 
AntarcticPilot said:
I don't like blowing my own trumpet, but actually, I have - more than most. There is only one continent I haven't visited - and that's Africa. I actually can't count how many countries I've visited without sitting down and listing them - and I'd probably forget one or two. I've certainly been to places that most people never will. And the toilet paper in a bin thing seems to be confined to a few Mediterranean countries; it's certainly not a world-wide norm. I'd regard it as a symptom of poor plumbing and water treatment plant, and not something to copy!

Perhaps most people don't realize that toilet paper (other than the horrible old Izal stuff!) disintegrates in water more easily than normal faeces? I've certainly had more trouble flushing away some of my own products than I ever have toilet paper!
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Wrong
 
I have a saniflo at home and that is bad enough so it is liquids only on the boat with a manual Jabsco. Like in Greece any paper or wipes for drippage goes in the bin next to the loo.
 
JumbleDuck said:
I am truly amazed to discover how many people like to go sailing with a bag of shit-covered toilet paper festering in the toilet. And in Mediterranean climates at that.
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I agree with that but the issue in the med is with no tides the paper will mot disperse as quick as places with a tidal or current flow
 
JumbleDuck said:
I am truly amazed to discover how many people like to go sailing with a bag of shit-covered toilet paper festering in the toilet. And in Mediterranean climates at that.
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You shouldn’t be amazed - a small pedal bin in the loo with a bag changed daily is no less hygienic to use than covering a pristine sandy bay with paper or clogging the holding tank after a weeks worth of paper settles into the outlet pipe.
 
Our 'bin is an empty coffee tub with a tight snap on lid but in any case lined with a bio degradable odour neutralising bag


ohttps://groceries.asda.com/product/nappy-bags/asda-little-angels-odour-neutralising-nappy-sacks/910000464r
 
RupertW said:
You shouldn’t be amazed - a small pedal bin in the loo with a bag changed daily is no less hygienic to use than covering a pristine sandy bay with paper or clogging the holding tank after a weeks worth of paper settles into the outlet pipe.
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Don't you keep posting about the need for a dehumidifier to keep your boat smelling nice? Because I can't help wondering if "not keeping a bin full of shitty paper on board" might be an economical alternative. Yeugh.
 
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