The HEAD THREAD

10m cat, hulls 1m200 wide.

I would like some advice from you clever guys again please - which type of head to install. Still looks like a toilet to me.

There are a few different types, you guys with experience's input would help a lot.

Why is it called 'head' anyway. If I guess it's because it's always squeezed into the smallest possible place and you bump your HEAD when you get up too quickly. Could this have any bearing on like whan you call someone 'sh1thead' ?

I see there are some rinse HEAD's that uses water, the reservoir gets emptied in harbours or it seems where ever it is legal to do so. Not sure I like the idea too much.

I see you also get baggs you add some powder or liquid and the stuff gell's up and the bag is later discarded of... I kind of like this option, it seems simpler and every one cleans up behind him / herself. The 'head is portable and you can store it ie under the bed, oops, sorry berth or where ever a suitable place is.

I also have a port-a-potty where you add chemicals that breaks the stuff down and it can be discarded of as a liquid. Never used the thing though.
Also portable and can be put away after the contents has been discarded of, ie some reservoir.

 

Port-a-potty, but not the brand, I have a Fiamma Bi-Pot Portable Toilet and it is much better to use than the port-a-potty it replaced. Its cheap to replace if it breaks or wears out, simple to use, no plumbing, no hassle, no holes in the boat and its legal most areas I know of with disposal regs. I can run it on salt water and the chemicals keep it smelling sweet. Also the cassette can be thoroughly and easily cleaned on shore, something that don't tend to happen that often with plumbed in units.

I have no idea about the bags you mention, sounds a little more like a camping thing but ?!

Anyway I am a KISS portable toilet convert for the moment...

Cheers
MBz

 

Depends on use

Hello Fanie

If the head is going to get any real use for more than a weekend then plumb it in. Toilet problems are a real bummer on a boat. (scuse pun) Plumb it straight to a holding tank which gravity feeds into the sea if you are somewhere it os okay to dump. Most of the pumping stations on my lake are broken so a way to dump is eessntial. As multis are often used in shallow water and for swimming platforms a holding tank is a must. Make the tank about 100-litres if possible. Use charcoal to filter the breather hole.

Put in a proper toilet so that you and your friends don't end up cross eyed. We have had whole crews come to visit to use our dunny. Make it easy to use if you ate going to live on the boat

cheers

Phil

 

Never had any serious issues Phil, the family used a portable one on an H28 that was cruised 26 weeks in 52 for quite a number of years. However I have plenty of stories that you don't want to hear about regarding the plumbed in variety and various dramas, user caused and product caused.

 

Hi Meanz, the port-a-potty I have looks very much like the Fiamma Bi-Pot Portable Toilet, probably is the same thing too. I bought the thing some time ago and never used it, I should play with it a bit and see how it actually operates. I can just see someone asking what are you doing... Today I'm playing with the toilet

Thanks for the input there Phil, and I agree, there shouldn't be toilet problems on a boat. I also want it to be simple, easy and lightweight, especially since it will come in at secondary priority to the other on board activities (no pun intended either ) but unfortunately an important one.

The charcoal is a good idea, but a small low power 12V ozone generator could also get rid of organic smells - we make those so it's not a problem.

The port-a-potty I have uses two chemicals you mix that breaks down the ingredients and the supplier claims it is then safe and hygenic to discard.

He-he, I can imagine a through-hole with a left open valve could be fun... Could be an in-hull water feature... bring your own lilo

 

if you have significant others they will love you forever if you give them a normal toilet and i speak from experience
sean

 

The potty shouldn't smell if you keep it clean, I use Nappysan to really clean it out between trips... that keeps the crevice's clean and the whole thing smelling sweet.

Put it this way, you have the potty and it means you don't have to do a thing to the boat so its a good starting point. If it does not work for you then you can consider the more complex solutions.

I reckon more boats sink through marine toilets than any other means... its a classic.

Sean the significant others in our family prefer the potty to a Brydon Boy so? The old marine toilets are not a favourite of many "significant others", some of the things I have had to deal with to rescue Brydon pumps! Its not like marine toilets mimic their land based cousins unless you go for the electric type. I sold them in the chandlery for years and even the best where not much chop on average... its lucky most boats don't see that much use really.

The Lavac was the most reliable pump system I ever used and it even gave you a backup bilge pump, that would be the first fitted type I would consider if I had to install one.

Cheers
Mbz

 

I phoned someone I know who are members of a cravan club. They said the port-a-potty is fairly standard and the females are happy using it too. It also flushes like a bona fide toilet.

I would just make a few minor mods to the system so you can flush, rinse and recharge with an electric water pump so you don't have to run around with filled containers.

My caravan friends said the port-a-potty type thing last at least for a weekend before you have to discard the contents. This should be long enough before you get to where you could discard the contents. Alternative there could be a seperate septic holding tank. I'll see how space and everything works out.

 

More research

http://www.naturesheadeurope.com/component/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,38/lang,en/vmcchk,1/

http://www.shewee.com/

http://www.jacksons-camping.co.uk/general/toilet.htm

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/60430/377%20710%201515/712/Marine%20Sanitation/Primary%20Search/mode%20matchallpartial/0/WMPrice|0?N=377%20710%201515&Ne=712&Ntt=Marine%20Sanitation&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&page=CategoryDisplayLevel1&isLTokenURL=true&storeNum=11&subdeptNum=209&classNum=715

Regards,

Perry

 

Thanks Pericles, many toilets there...

The pic is the simplest one I've seen. Seems it's the same one as your looooooong link.

 

I live i the Great Lakes region in the US which is a zero discharge area so boats have either porta pottie types or plumbed in marine toilets with holding tanks.Inmy experience which is considerable as i work on boats every day most holding tank systems stink,its a discusting smell worse than the sum of the contents.now they dont have to but most do.We had a customer with a Cherrubini 44 who didnt even like going down below so he did the research an found the Airhead composting toilet which we installed about 4 yrs ago an he loves it,no smell at all and i think he only empties ita couple of times a season and is easy to use,i bought one and installed it in my Macgregor catamaran but never got the opportunity to use it.To me it is the best solution,the only drawback for me is its height which is about 19",its footprint is quite small.Its a bit pricey but probably less tan a conventional marine head and holding tank and related hoses valves etc.Google it.
Steve.

 

a head / toilet is one of the big convieniences on a boat and they come cheap
head it was called becouse in early days it was located in and flushing from the head / bow
porta potty can do but i liked a manual ( always works ) sea water flush pump on a normal seat best
( does need a trough hull, still thinking of a U haul ) electric mercarators ok but only recently whispering silent
fishers use to fish around the shithole but nowaday's there's the holding tank, guess you even have to use it for the sink?

o yah, when your manual pump breaks down its usually the circumclip, replace it with a stinless steel one that holds up some years

 

+1 on the holding tanks, sooner or later they seem to get rank.

I read about that thing, I have trouble getting my head around the idea that it works well! I will take your word for it, sounds to good to be true!


MBz

 

http://www.airheadtoilet.com/advantages.html

 

I agree with simplicity. I'm using a porta potty I picked up on e-bay for harbors and at sea, I'll be using the "bucket and chuck it" method.