richardsnowstar
Well-Known Member
I currently have a Lavac toilet but am looking to replace it with a toilet that is more similar in size to a domestic toilet. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Toilet recommendations
- Thread starter richardsnowstar
- Start date
Seajet
...
Yes, seal the nasty holes in the hull and get a porta potti; it has a guage, doesn't smell, and comes with a holding tank by nature.
Various sizes to suit headroom etc.
Can be used in the marina without embarassment, and works when the boat's dried out.
Unlikely to sink the boat.
Various sizes to suit headroom etc.
Can be used in the marina without embarassment, and works when the boat's dried out.
Unlikely to sink the boat.
prv
Well-Known Member
Keep the holes in the hull and don't get a nasty porta-potty 
Who wants to **** in a plastic bowl and then carry their **** ashore in a suitcase?
Personally I'm a fan of Lavacs, as are many others, so I wouldn't ditch it. In particular, I'm not aware of a marine loo that's any bigger. Although there were two sizes of Lavac so perhaps I'm remembering the bigger one ("Zenith") and you have the smaller ("Popular"). Sadly the Zenith moulds got broken during an ill-fated attempt at offshore manufacturing in China, so you can't buy them any more.
I think the SL400 may have had a more conventional shape (oval rather than round) but again no longer made (and the pump always seemed worryingly overcomplicated to me).
Pete
Who wants to **** in a plastic bowl and then carry their **** ashore in a suitcase?Personally I'm a fan of Lavacs, as are many others, so I wouldn't ditch it. In particular, I'm not aware of a marine loo that's any bigger. Although there were two sizes of Lavac so perhaps I'm remembering the bigger one ("Zenith") and you have the smaller ("Popular"). Sadly the Zenith moulds got broken during an ill-fated attempt at offshore manufacturing in China, so you can't buy them any more.
I think the SL400 may have had a more conventional shape (oval rather than round) but again no longer made (and the pump always seemed worryingly overcomplicated to me).
Pete
Penton Hooker
Well-Known Member
Keep life simple, bucket and chucket.
sailorman
Well-Known Member
i have iust fitted a lavac popular from Force 4 @ £205 delivered complete with a new pump
ebayed the old bits
net result new toilet for £130
ebayed the old bits
net result new toilet for £130
neil_s
Well-Known Member
Another vote for the Portapotti - I got rid of my Lavac, the sea cocks and the nasty smells. I have a couple of extra poo-tanks so we can go for a whole week without emptying out.
Neil
Neil
sailorman
Well-Known Member
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
Stand by for a bit of a rant:
I am amazed at how, instead of answering the question. people suggest that carry the effluent ashore is preferable to a proper sea-toilet.
There also seems to be an implied criticism of holes in the hull. Get over it. The vast majority (like 99.999%) of boats have holes in their hulls with seacocks on them and there is no problem.
Secondly, the vast majority of boats have proper sea-toilets. If they smell then they are being used incorrectly. I wouldn't dream of swapping the ability to discharge effluent into the sea for the crabs and sea creatures to feast on with a porta potti that means you have to carry your effluent ashore. The last time I was sailing, we had six people on board for two weeks. I don't fancy the job of carrying their effluent anywhere - and if I don't want to do it, why should I ask them to do it!
To answer the OP, Lavacs are often cited as being the gold standard of sea toilets. personally I don't get it. I have had Lavacs and all other makes on various boats and I don't see how they are cited as being the best. They work ok, but they are not that good. I have never had any problems with our Jabsco's.
Jabsco do a large bowl size toilet that is almost as big as a normal home loo. It is big though so check it will fit in your heads compartment.
I am amazed at how, instead of answering the question. people suggest that carry the effluent ashore is preferable to a proper sea-toilet.
There also seems to be an implied criticism of holes in the hull. Get over it. The vast majority (like 99.999%) of boats have holes in their hulls with seacocks on them and there is no problem.
Secondly, the vast majority of boats have proper sea-toilets. If they smell then they are being used incorrectly. I wouldn't dream of swapping the ability to discharge effluent into the sea for the crabs and sea creatures to feast on with a porta potti that means you have to carry your effluent ashore. The last time I was sailing, we had six people on board for two weeks. I don't fancy the job of carrying their effluent anywhere - and if I don't want to do it, why should I ask them to do it!
To answer the OP, Lavacs are often cited as being the gold standard of sea toilets. personally I don't get it. I have had Lavacs and all other makes on various boats and I don't see how they are cited as being the best. They work ok, but they are not that good. I have never had any problems with our Jabsco's.
Jabsco do a large bowl size toilet that is almost as big as a normal home loo. It is big though so check it will fit in your heads compartment.
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
I fully agree with John Morris. In all our travels throughout Uk, Ireland, France, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy and Greece I have yet to see an emptying point in a marina for a chemical toilet. Completely different story on campsites, of course. So to empty your Porta-potti you have to sneak into the toilets, emptying it down a normal loo, no facility for cleaning either it or the splashes you have made down the walls and floor. Disgusting.
A marine toilet is ideal for its environment, just as a chemical toilet is ideal for its, i.e. camper vans and caravans. Seacocks inspected regularly are perfectly safe and designed for the job they do.
I also agree about Lavacs. The external pump is definitely a good point but the long delay waiting to lift the lid to clean the bowl is certainly not. Current RM69 is a good toilet, although not sure about larger bowls for them. We have Jabsco ones on both our boats, an electric and a manual, no complaints about either.
A marine toilet is ideal for its environment, just as a chemical toilet is ideal for its, i.e. camper vans and caravans. Seacocks inspected regularly are perfectly safe and designed for the job they do.
I also agree about Lavacs. The external pump is definitely a good point but the long delay waiting to lift the lid to clean the bowl is certainly not. Current RM69 is a good toilet, although not sure about larger bowls for them. We have Jabsco ones on both our boats, an electric and a manual, no complaints about either.
Seajet
...
Some people have strange ideas about porta-potti's, obviously never tried them.
For a start, one can simply empty them at sea when suitably offshore - the chemicals are 'green' in every way nowadays.
They don't smell; the only time they will is if the seals have gone after say 10-15 years; there are seal repair kits but as the whole thing is quite cheap I just replace the unit.
As mentioned, they can be used in marinas, and when aground.
No matter what people try to say, holes in hulls are bad news; one has to maintain seacocks for a start, and there is the point that lightning strikes can blow seacocks clean out.
If emptying into a loo ashore, the only way one is going to get any waste splashed around is if dancing a hornpipe while doing it !
The holding tanks have a long swivelling spout and a pressure relief button.
In places - or the future - where holding tanks are insisted upon it's a major headache and expense fitting tanks & plumbing - with a PP it's all there self contained.
I was once on a boat where the skipper banned anyone from using the sea toilet as it had once nearly sunk the boat; he was very experienced, and also a top designer.
Sea toilets are nasty things with valves to fail and pipes to clog; clearing a blocked sea toilet, now that IS disgusting.
For a start, one can simply empty them at sea when suitably offshore - the chemicals are 'green' in every way nowadays.
They don't smell; the only time they will is if the seals have gone after say 10-15 years; there are seal repair kits but as the whole thing is quite cheap I just replace the unit.
As mentioned, they can be used in marinas, and when aground.
No matter what people try to say, holes in hulls are bad news; one has to maintain seacocks for a start, and there is the point that lightning strikes can blow seacocks clean out.
If emptying into a loo ashore, the only way one is going to get any waste splashed around is if dancing a hornpipe while doing it !
The holding tanks have a long swivelling spout and a pressure relief button.
In places - or the future - where holding tanks are insisted upon it's a major headache and expense fitting tanks & plumbing - with a PP it's all there self contained.
I was once on a boat where the skipper banned anyone from using the sea toilet as it had once nearly sunk the boat; he was very experienced, and also a top designer.
Sea toilets are nasty things with valves to fail and pipes to clog; clearing a blocked sea toilet, now that IS disgusting.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Staying manual, the larger size Jabsco will do the job - assuming it will fit your space. Most boats heads compartments don't have enough room to fit the larger size as they are designed for the standard size.
Like John and Vyv, can't see the sense of having a chemical toilet on a cruising boat. I have had bothe Lavacs and Jabscos. Both do the job with minimum of basic maintenance and addition of a holding tank helps with disposal problems.
prv
Well-Known Member
This is something that has puzzled me about Lavacs. The good bit about them is the chunky, all-consuming pump. The fact that it draws in the flush water by vacuum is clever but, as far as I can see, not really of any practical benefit and sometimes inconvenient (as well as the delay, it's hard to add just a bit of water before use for example, or empty at "half time" and then add more water to carry away the paper). So why not fit a second small pump to the flush inlet and do away with the lid seals? Complete control of water in and water out, just as un-blockable as before, no seals to replace, and you can fit a posh mahogany throne instead of plastic if you want to.
Pete
prv
Well-Known Member
Tranona
Well-Known Member
And me! And me!
Pete
Hi Pete - basis for a new club perhaps "Proper Sea Bog Lovers" - could probably apply for a warrant to have our own defaced ensign.
DanTribe
Well-Known Member
We've had Lavacs on our previous boat [13 years] and current boat [12years] and "it just works".
Never given any maintenance, apart from cleaning, and never been able to block it, despite some monumental attempts.
We do have a tee piece and diverter in the inlet side so the basin waste can go into the bowl, this can be used to break the vacuum if urgent.
When sailing on other people's non Lavac boats, the owners always seem to feel the need to explain how to work them and warn about things that block them.
Lavac, "dump & pump, simples"
ccscott49
Well-Known Member
And me! And me!
Pete
.....and me!!
sailorman
Well-Known Member
We've had Lavacs on our previous boat [13 years] and current boat [12years] and "it just works".
Never given any maintenance, apart from cleaning, and never been able to block it, despite some monumental attempts.
We do have a tee piece and diverter in the inlet side so the basin waste can go into the bowl, this can be used to break the vacuum if urgent.
When sailing on other people's non Lavac boats, the owners always seem to feel the need to explain how to work them and warn about things that block them.
Lavac, "dump & pump, simples"
as we are very near "sister ships" we have that very same set-up
prv
Well-Known Member
Ah, but I had posted before the two that Tranona mentioned, which is why I (pretended to) feel aggrieved. If everybody who dislikes porta-potties were allowed in, we'd be here all day.
Pete
rotrax
Well-Known Member
Our current boat has a Raritan. It is simple, does not smell if sensible steps are taken when leaving the boat for a while and has not blocked in over three years. I'm just touching some wood.............
Neil_Y
Well-Known Member
These are very good, metal, strong. These were on my last boat and I'd choose them again.
