Neeves
Well-Known Member
Ours is similar (but not sexist)
"anyone blocking the toilet is promoted to Head Cleaner"
Jonathan
Unblocking a bog tip.
- Thread starter burgundyben
- Start date
Ours is similar (but not sexist)
"anyone blocking the toilet is promoted to Head Cleaner"
Jonathan
shortjohnsilver
Well-Known Member
yup, that’s what we do. Everyone is given the lecture and til date no problems.
coopec
N/A
I haven't read all the posts but it males compost toilets look pretty good surely?
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R.Ems
Well-Known Member
I think they are misnamed, surely a fresh Richard III would take months to be broken down into harmless, inoffensive compost? A few weeks' cruising with a few crew could easily generate 100 kilos of human poop.
I think a better name might be, 'sailing sround with a box of earth and carp on board until you can dispose of it'.
Unless I am missing something?
graham
Well-Known Member
No1s and no 2s only in our loo.Paper and any other man made stuff into nappy bags provided thank you.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Years ago - when I lived in UK - wife and I decided to buy and bury in the garden - a Dog Poo composter. Supposedly - the poo would break down in the large 'bucket-like' container in the ground that had special fluid in. Did it work ? NO.
I was away and when I got back home from the trip - wife described how she had to dig this thing up and dispose of the whole .....
Refueler
Well-Known Member
My Royal Blake - only cheap bog paper that breaks down easily is provided on board - which goes through the bog without any problem at all. As long as people observe the "wipe - flush - wipe - flush ..... " its fine. But I have to admit that the original Blake has a powerful pump ... it can be used to pump bilges etc. - by having a pipe + rubber bung to fit the lower part of bowl ... I don't think a Jabsco or other can do that ...
lustyd
Well-Known Member
Which is it, your toilet is hard to block, or you have unreasonable rules to avoid blockages? My well maintained Jabsco doesn't block and we use Charmin quilted paper.
R.Ems
Well-Known Member
My full-size Blakes never blocks, and it will pump the thickest, most luxurious, quilted, textured and scented toilet tissue available.
A yacht which can't flush toilet paper isn't seaworthy, and needs alterations to rectify the fault.
A yacht which can't flush toilet paper isn't seaworthy, and needs alterations to rectify the fault.
coopec
N/A
Obviously you haven't had any experience with compost toilets ? (Maybe do some research before commenting)
"Composting heads offer several big advantages for sailors: They require no through-hull fittings, no plumbing, and no separate holding tank. They have few moving parts. The solids are reduced fairly quickly, and take up less space than the mixed sewage, urine, and flush-water of a holding tank. On the negative side, the toilets themselves take up more space in the head compartment, they require a through-deck fitting and vent, and they need a constant supply of electricity (in very small to moderate amounts) to perform at their best. "
Composting Marine Heads - Practical Sailor
Yes I think you are missing something.
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Refueler
Well-Known Member
Gor Blimey Guv !!
Think of it like this.
If I ask people to "Wipe - Flush - Wipe - Flush ...." am I playing it safe and avoiding possibility of a blockage (highly unlikely on a 'proper Blake') ??
The reasoning is simple. The out pipe run is not short on my boat ... so I want the 'solids and paper' to be out of that pipe and not in it to sit. It also means that the total is broken up into parts - easily passed through that pipe. The choice of paper is also an addition to that philosophy ...
Pal of mine in Tudor Club - had a crew use their bog ... tried pumping ... found it hard - so gave it a really hard solid pump ... burst the out pipe and sprayed the cabin.
So having seen the mess it made of his cabin - I do not want the same.
As to Jabsco .... I have seen, experienced, heard many problems with such ... - but each to their own. My Blake is ~50yrs young and works a treat .. and I wish it to continue so. In the 25 odd yrs I've had the boat - all I have ever done is to keep the little greaser cups full .... never needed to dismantle / replace anything ....
lustyd
Well-Known Member
My point was that a recommendation from someone who doesn't really use the item the way it's designed isn't really a recommendation, quite the opposite. Most issues with Jabsco are down to scaling in the pipe which is easily sorted by maintenance. You're quite free to have any crazy bathroom routines you like as skipper of your own boat, but don't suggest that your toilet is better when you're not actually using it!
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Blimey .... someone rattled your cage ?
Where did I say I don't use It ?
Please post the "use the item the way it's designed" instructions.
I am not only boater who advocates the "Wipe - Flush- Wipe - Flush ...." system .... please scroll back through thread ...
As to which bog is better ... over 60 odd yrs of boating - I've seen more 'mishaps / blockages / failures' of Jabsco and its copies than any other bog ... in fact I would say that I could add together all other bogs and still not get close to the 'total' of Jabsco !!
The Original Blake commands a high price - because it works. QED.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
I didn't say you were the only one with a crazy procedure for using a simple device. You were, however, someone advocating for your model of loo with the implication it's less likely to block. I was simply pointing out that a loo that's never given the chance to block is a poor example. I then highlighted that Jabsco loos which are used in the normal way without such procedures cope absolutely fine. The conclusion from this limited dataset is that Jabsco is the superior toilet, and that it gives confidence to owners. Your anecdote would suggest you lack confidence in your toilet's abilities to clear waste.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Your OPINION ...... and that's all it is.
What a crazy assumption you make ... that playing safe means the unit is not good ..... WOW !!
I'll leave you with your misguided 2 + 2 = 5 opinion.
Boathook
Well-Known Member
I've got a lavac on board. Only blocked twice. First time someone used nearly a whole roll of paper and the whale pump wasn't happy. Only a few minutes to remove but a messy job. Second time was after fitting a holding tank. A simple system (no pump out) with toilet always flushing through. Was in holding tank mode and waste built up in a right angle bend just before the closed seacock. Took a while to unblock but did it by pressuring the tank and opening seacock. Tank emptied nicely.
Rather than mucking around with caps on the tank I have put a valve in the vent pipe, that when closed allows the whale pump to pressurise the tank. I also replaced the right angle bend with a 120 degree one to 'smooth' out the pipework. So far no problems.
Rather than mucking around with caps on the tank I have put a valve in the vent pipe, that when closed allows the whale pump to pressurise the tank. I also replaced the right angle bend with a 120 degree one to 'smooth' out the pipework. So far no problems.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
I didn't say that at all, I pointed out that your assumption that the unit is superior is flawed because you don't use it properly. A good unit wouldn't need to be played safe, and as I said, I prefer maintenance over playing it safe and teaching gownups how to use a loo.
R.Ems
Well-Known Member
A few practical questions which many will be wondering:
How often do you empty a 'composting' toilet? (Assuming, for the sake of argument, a rough figure of 1kg per person per day of fæces etc.)
Where do you throw several cubic feet of soil, contaminated with semi-rotten fæces and urine? The sea? Marina bins (surely illegal)? Or do you keep it for your garden? How do you store it on board?
Where do you obtain clean soil to replace it?
Is the yacht fitted with an earth bunker, to replenish the toilet with fresh supplies, and how much earth would you need to carry?
How do you clean the toilet, both the seat and bowl, plus the earth-box interior, without using water and cleaning products?
A family of four on a 3-week summer cruise, to choose an example, would produce some 100kg of fæces and urine. Since three weeks isn't nearly enough to make it safe and inoffensive, would you leave it in the boat to be broken down? How long would that take? Could you you use the yacht during that time?
How many kilos of earth would be needed to safely digest 100kg of human waste?
I see that a constant electricity supply is needed to keep the earth closet at a suitable temperature for reliable digestion. Heating uses a lot of power, how many amps are needed, 24/7, at 12v? What happens if the heater fails or the supply is cut off?
I get the point about not needing plumbing or through-hulls, although most people use these all the time, with few problems.
The need for a deck vent, for gases produced, partly offsets the through hull argument.
I believe the digestion releases copious amounts of methane, a highly inflammable gas. How is this risk dealt with?
It all seems rather impractical, to say the least!
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coopec
N/A
(Assuming, for the sake of argument, a rough figure of 1kg per person per day of fæces etc.)
The average poop weighs around 1/4 pound to 1 pound
Where do you throw several cubic feet of soil, contaminated with semi-rotten fæces and urine? The sea? Marina bins (surely illegal)?
They don't use "soil"
If you were at anchor in a marina why not dispose of the compost into the sewered toilet. What do Mums do with the babe's faeces (most probably dumped in the marina/household waste bin)
Zone 3: Open
All other waters not designated under Zones 1 or 2 are considered open for untreated sewage discharge.
Sewage must not be discharged within 500 metres of land or 100 metres of a stationary vessel or person in the water.
Where do you obtain clean soil to replace it?
They don't use soil.
Composting toilet: rules, regulations, and "real life" use etc.? - Cruisers & Sailing Forums
The average poop weighs around 1/4 pound to 1 pound
Where do you throw several cubic feet of soil, contaminated with semi-rotten fæces and urine? The sea? Marina bins (surely illegal)?
They don't use "soil"
If you were at anchor in a marina why not dispose of the compost into the sewered toilet. What do Mums do with the babe's faeces (most probably dumped in the marina/household waste bin)
Zone 3: Open
All other waters not designated under Zones 1 or 2 are considered open for untreated sewage discharge.
Sewage must not be discharged within 500 metres of land or 100 metres of a stationary vessel or person in the water.
Where do you obtain clean soil to replace it?
They don't use soil.
Composting toilet: rules, regulations, and "real life" use etc.? - Cruisers & Sailing Forums
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