A Photo & Discussion Forum for Wharram Design Enthusiasts

Head Location

I've started building. I was amused by the bucket and chuckit toilet drawings in plans. Highly efficient, but probably illegal in most of the known world since it's discharging raw sewage into the water. Some sensitive souls might also be offended by carrying the bucket around and tossing it overboard.

If you use a portapottie, how and where did you install it?

Russell

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Andrés on July 4, 2010 at 5:56pm

This is my choice for the bucket and chuck it toilet. If I install a porta potty it will be in the same place.

Andrés

Attachments:

img_1789.jpg, 209 KB

Permalink Reply by kim whitmyre on July 4, 2010 at 6:50pm

I cut the hatch opening larger, built a floor, and a cover strong enough to stand on. This lowered the porta-potti enough to make it tolerable inside the starboard hull.

Permalink Reply by Thomas Nielsen on October 3, 2010 at 11:27am

There are many solutions. Porto potties are the square peg in the round hole issue actually in this case the triangular hole. I carry a portopottie to be legal but use the dog owner technique of using a bag to pick up after the pet. Use a bucket, a plastic liner and a little peat moss. Keep the liquids out of the bucket and be spare with the TP and a 2.5 gallon pail will last a week plus! Time your return with the garbage truck and all's good or bury it in the woods when you pull up on the beach in your T26. Ah! The adventures of sailing!!!!!!

Permalink Reply by Ron Smith on October 29, 2010 at 7:14am

a 26 foot boat is not required to comply to any onboard sewage regulations at this point here in Queensland, however

believe it or not, a bucket with a lid IS legal just about everywhere as it meets the definition of an "onboard holding tank". It can be emptied in an approved onshore location (flushed in the nearest toilet) or discharged overboard as per local and international regulations.

Only dumping overboard in harbour, near reefs and such is illegal.

i speak with experience that portapotties are not a better solution than a bucket. The bucket is actually more hygenic as there is always some leakage when you separate the portapotty to take the holding drum ashore for disposal. Portapotties take up more valuable space in a small (or large) boat. Buckets are replaceable everywhere cheaply.

You can use the chemicals for a portapotty in a bucket, too, although I'm sceptical that this is good for the environment

Permalink Reply by Jane Sewell on May 4, 2012 at 1:33pm

HI Folks

Talking of toilets, has anyone come across a composting sea toilet. I have seen them talked about on forums, but not had personal experience of them on boats. Please enlighten me!

Permalink Reply by Robert Hughes on May 17, 2012 at 10:05am

The navy experimented with a digester toilet on one of their big ships. They'd checked it all in a shore facility and all seemed to work well, then they tried it on a ship... They hadn't reckoned with the effects of the motion of the ocean. The constant stirring caused it to react much more quickly, and as a result it started foaming. It had to go somewhere, and that somewhere was up the vent pipes. They had inverted u-bends at the top, well up in the superstructure. I'm told it was quite unpleasant when poo with a consistency akin to chocolate mousse started plopping down all over the ship.

Permalink Reply by Robert Hughes on May 17, 2012 at 10:36am

I'm a great believer in keeping things simple. Have a look at pictures 25, 26 and 27 on my page, and you'll see the toilet I use when well out to sea. If you look at my profile picture I'm actually looking down that toilet..

In harbour I can fix the same seat to a bucket in the cabin, then empty it somewhere appropriate.

The simplest solution is what I used to do when anchored somewhere warm - You just go for a swim after breakfast... and do what the fishes and dolphins do...