Secret path to an ever fragrant sea toilet

I have perfected the art of keeping a sea toilet  clean and fragrant

watch carefully and do as I say.

Or make a film of your own procedure

This is about Dylan Winter's Blog.

11 Responses to “Secret path to an ever fragrant sea toilet”

  1. 28 March, 2015 at 6:41 pmJohn says:

    Absolutely fascinating stuff. This is by far the most riviting segment you have put up. I even called the wife to show her how it should be done. I am now wearing the Bog Brush around my head!
    Thanks Dylan.

  2. 28 March, 2015 at 6:46 pmdylan winter says:

    let me help you here

    it is the bit where you failed to say from here on in you will be taking responsibility for the cleanliness of the loo

    a bog brush around the head might be better than the alternative

  3. 28 March, 2015 at 10:25 pmTripper Dave says:

    Hey Dylan
    Did the Centaur have a holding tank or was it direct discharge?

  4. 28 March, 2015 at 10:26 pmdylan winter says:

    no holding tank – just as she was built in 78.

    20 foot tides

    D

  5. 29 March, 2015 at 5:31 amTed B. (Charging Rhino) says:

    No-one, not even the Norse Gods themselves, understand the arcane rules here in the States governing marine toilets and their safe and LEGAL operation. Most jurisdictions now require you to physically-lock your seacocks closed at-all-times, or face massive fines. You spend half your journey being at the mercy of your holding-tank’s capacity and where is the next available pump-out station.

  6. 29 March, 2015 at 7:50 amdylan winter says:

    No rules here in the UK – we do have massive tides. There are rules for inland places – the loos are supposed to be sealed before you enter the canals or the broads but it has never been enforced with me – although I would never use the loo inland. We do have massive tides so that helps to keep the estuaries fresh. I have been sailing up creeks for many years and never seen any loo paper. I see lots of tampons, cotton buds, plastic bags, milk containers but never loo paper. The pump shreds it up pretty fine.Loo paper is designed to fall apart and shred very easily. Kitchen roll is a different matter so that all goes in the bin bag.

    I regard loo on a boat as the bog of last resort. I would rather walk half a mile to a proper loo than use the one on the boat.

  7. 30 March, 2015 at 8:32 amPaul says:

    With your skillset D, you would be welcome crew on my boat anytime. You are indeed a clever multi skilled Mob…

  8. 4 April, 2015 at 1:50 amTed B. (Charging Rhino) says:

    What happens when you in a mud-berth or on the mud and the thru-hulls are in the air?
    Just dump water into the bowl and pump?
    A fragrant puddle (or is that a piddle) under the boat until the tide comes in?

  9. 4 April, 2015 at 9:38 amdylan winter says:

    it is the loo of last resort – so when alone and aground where I can’t get off then the bucket is the choice – but I usually like to try to go aground on sand so that we can walk around a bit. In a mud berth the boat will sink down into the mud and pumping will just pull a slug of mud up into the plumbing

  10. 4 April, 2015 at 6:52 pmTed B. (Charging Rhino) says:

    That was my suspicion. Marine heads are a pain. When you find you permanent Centaur in a few years, perhaps a modern holding-tank head is not such a bad idea.

    Here in the States we don’t have much choice, even with older boats. If I wind-up withe a larger two-person semi-liveaboard boat, I might consider one of the composting heads. They eliminate a lot of the smell issues, and there’s no pump-outs required. Even the portable porti-potties now have to be emptied at a pump-out station, and you have to keep the receipts or keep a logbook.

  11. 4 April, 2015 at 11:24 pmdylan winter says:

    I am pretty happy with the sea toilet. You do need to keep the water throughput high to keep it fragrant. I am not that keen on sharing cabin space with human ordure – although I am told the composters do not smell at all. With our 20 foot tides then the movement of water in and out of estuaries is massive. I have never yet seen any loo paper along the shore – wet wipes, cotton buds, j cloths but not loo paper. It is designed to fall apart really quickly/ If you put five sheets in a bucket and swill it around it will turn to white fibres really fast

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