Peeing in the sea/marina

[Heckler]

Hmm interesting. As our marina is swept by 6m+ of tide twice a day, we too will do the odd sneaky pee. However, it is against the T&C of our Marina so we keep it quiet.

But it's got me thinking. According to a medical website, the average production of urine is somewhere between 800-2000 ml a day. Let's say 1500ml for the sake of argument. Our Marina holds about 300 boats. Let's say an average of 3 people per boat. So, if everybody did it, that's potentially 1350 litres of urine a day, or about 320 UK gallons. Of course it doesn't come to that, but it's safe to say there is more than a "few millilitres" involved. There is another marina just across the river and a bunch of boats moored upriver, which with no marina facilities...

And shell fish beds downstream.

Given that pee is allegedly sterile when exiting the body i dont see the prob!
S

 

[johnalison]

Urine is "sterile" in healthy people, though it will contain saprophytes. A proportion of people will have infected urine, with or without symptoms, the commonest agent being E Coli. Not all these are especially nasty and the risk from contact must be infinitesimal in seawater in common environments. I would be much more worried about faecal organisms including viruses, or sharks.

 

[elton]

I'll stop piddling in the sea, just as soon as the fish stop doing it.

 

[Sybarite]

I'll stop piddling in the sea, just as soon as the fish stop doing it.

Is this subject some sort of British thing?

 

[BlueSkyNick]

The problem I have with peeing off the side of the boat into the sea is that the water is rather cold even at this time of year

 

[elton]

Is this subject some sort of British thing?

I bet it's only in Britain that we aren't allowed to wee in the sea.

 

[prv]

I bet it's only in Britain that we aren't allowed to wee in the sea.

Actually it's the US. They're remarkable squeamish about the whole issue and reportedly very hot on enforcement.

With a handful of exceptions, not particularly enforced, weeing in the sea in the UK is perfectly fine.

Pete

 

[RichardS]

The problem I have with peeing off the side of the boat into the sea is that the water is rather cold even at this time of year

Good grief - that's a low freeboard!

Richard

 

[PabloPicasso]

People should not be swimming in marinas or harbours. After picking up lazy lines on returning a charter boat In Majoca I would not contemplate swimming in a harbour. They harbour all manner of pump outed poo related dross. Don't do it

 

[savageseadog]

Is it OK to use someone else's big motor boat as a urinal?

 

[han34]

Here in France, peeing over the side, or peeing in full public view is almost compulsery, you would probably fail to get your 'permis bateau' if you use the heads.

 

[westernman]

Is it OK to use someone else's big motor boat as a urinal?

Only if it has blue underwater lights.

 

[RobbieW]

The problem I have with peeing off the side of the boat into the sea is that the water is rather cold even at this time of year

"By 'eck this water's cold" "Aye, and deep"

 

[Tintin]

There is a frenzy from our kids when someone has a no. 2 on our boat. They are young and still find it funny to play "spot the turd".

 

[Spyro]

There is a frenzy from our kids when someone has a no. 2 on our boat. They are young and still find it funny to play "spot the turd".

When do you stop finding that funny?

 

[single]

I was in a marina last weekend.By day it looked like nice clean water.At night with the search light it revealed all the turds and mushed up loo roll. It was disgusting!

 

[jamie N]

I can recall everywhere that my penis has ever been, to a greater or lesser extent anyway, and it's always been cleaned after use. However the same can't be said about my hands where I struggle to recall all of the places that they were yesterday even. This being the case, surely it's more sensible to wash ones hands before having a pee? :-[

 

[prv]

surely it's more sensible to wash ones hands before having a pee? :-[

That's certainly what I do when I'm working on the boat or in the workshop.

Pete

 

[pmagowan]

I can recall everywhere that my penis has ever been, to a greater or lesser extent anyway, and it's always been cleaned after use. However the same can't be said about my hands where I struggle to recall all of the places that they were yesterday even. This being the case, surely it's more sensible to wash ones hands before having a pee? :-[

Washing hands after toileting is more to do with faecal bacteria. The areas where one takes their ablutions tends to be communal and thus there is a high risk of faecal bacteria contamination even if one simply spent a penny. These problems were greater in the past, especially on boats where one would climb out into a net covered in the last sailors last supper. The problem comes when the door of the facilities requires you to pull a handle. This then becomes the source of contamination from all the dirty scoundrels that don't wash their hands. So, a system where everyone washes their hands, no matter what number they have been relieved of, tends towards a healthier environment. It is the culture of cleanliness that prevents disease. Of course the diseases and their risks are rather small nowadays so one shouldn't become obsessed. When wielding the bleach ask just what harm those 99.9% of germs have ever done you and whether a toilet bowl needs to be clean enough to drink from.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Surely the turds don't exit as turds. They're macerated by the pump and non return valves. That's been my observation anyway.

I was in a marina last weekend.By day it looked like nice clean water.At night with the search light it revealed all the turds and mushed up loo roll. It was disgusting!