Porta Pottis

C

Cameron

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Just a quick one re Porta Pottis which my boat has but I have never used and i'm not sure how practical these are.

Question- is it better to a) use the chemical toilet if required. b) use a bucket or c) hold on till you get to the pub. At afternoons/nights we will always be near marinas/pubs etc. Conditions will be friendly- 23' yacht.

Many thanks and apologies for posting this at Sunday breakfast time.
 
I had good sevice from one for 6 years in my 26' yacht. Used marina facilities on the occasions when I was in one, obviously. Do use the right chemicals, though.
Ken
 
I have seen one that had a skin fitting from the storage container to a dedicated bilge pump exitng via a seacock - when full it was just pump it overbaord (like a holding tank). Cleanest and nicest to use sea toilte I have ever seen.
 
Had the "Cruiser-Loo" ..... the marine cassette toilet version ....

Hated it, it emptied into the cabin one day, luckily BEFORE used - that was it - donated to local Jumble sale ....

For me it's either bucket and chuck-it, or proper sea-loo.
 
I had a Potti supplied with the boat but hated the idea of the foul mixture swilling about in close proximity. We now use a bucket for defecation and male and female plastic utensils for urinating. There is more room in the focstle for storage(having dumped the Potti). The system also has the great advantage of putting off unwelcome scroungers who nag for a sail under the impression that they will lounge on the foredeck with a G&T - a short description of the sanitary arrangements soon sees them off!
It takes a bit of getting used to but after a while it seems entirely natural and you can have a chuckle at all the people who contact the forum with their endless Jabsco, Blakes and holes-in-the-hull problems. I also use a paraffin greenhouse heater instead of the ghastly Eberspacher but that's another story.....
 
We have one instead of a guzunda while we're doing major building works and the only proper loo is across the yard. Having the rule that you go across the yard for solids and put paper in a separate bin makes emptying less unpleasant. The thing doesn't pong, but you need to make sure the blade valve is fully closed after use, especially on a boat.

At least we have a separate room for it. I'd hate to share a cabin with one being used! We used to hava a sonata the same size as yours and it had a mini Par under the head of one of the forward bunks. If you wanted to use it in the night you had to rouse the occupant of the bunk so we ended up hanging the appropriate bit of anatomy over the transom.

Now we have 2 separate heads compartments and I wouldn't go back!
 
We have a Porta Potti on our boat in a separate heads compartment. The rule is if your need to go use it unless we are near a toilet and it is not a hassle to get off the boat.

We have a proper emptying station near where we moor or else we empty it into a toilet as long as it is on mains drainage. No odours with right chemicals
 
We had 2 sea toilets in Harlequin, but had one taken out and we replaced it with an electric flush portapotti. We only use it on overnight stays (if we are just down for a few hours we use the marina toilets).

It's convenient and it doesn't smell bad (as long as you use the chemicals).

Downside is that when it's full it's quite heavy to carry and a little unplesent to empty (blue chem in the bottom, red chem in the water tank makes lurid green /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif)

Don't buy the expensive chem though, go to an online caravan shop and buy their own brand concentrated chemicals ( http://www.towsure.com/default.asp?t=160 - Toilet Fresh) as they seem just as good and last ages.

Steve
 
Another interesting Thread! Incidentally, it's not Dads only - the offshore saying "Skipper of the Heads" is one way the foredeck gorillas keep HWMBO occupied while they have a quiet pint . . .

One big hurdle before tackling inland waterways is the promise of that lock-keeper at Teddington sealing off my Jabsco flusher. Could I really replace it with a PP? And add a seacock for normal 'let's pollute the Solent' use?

Sounds the best of both worlds. Headmistress, where are you?
 
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