Composting head?

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by dlj

I'll keep that in mind if I run out...



dj

In my experience household vinager, which is often even available scented, has the advantage to kill any lingering odours even better.

[siamese]

Anybody just use a litter box?

[Don C L]

There's scented vinegar?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

It's not a slam-dunk decision predicated on getting past the ick-factor.

I completely agree. THIS seems to be the major barrier for some. It's not the functionality, or the pros vs cons. It's that some people just can't get beyond what they perceived as ICK.

[Kettlewell]

It's that some people just can't get beyond what they perceived as ICK.

And, if you use regular flush heads and holding tanks there will come a time when you are elbow deep in ICK, whether you mind it or not! I've looked at a lot of used boats over many years, and you instantly can smell the ones with holding tanks onboard.

[mvweebles]

My partner isn't crazy about the compost head. My response is that she's not the one who had to keep the old head serviceable. If I had more confidence in a traditional wet head system, would be my preference too. Folks tell me that I gave up too soon on a wet head, that there are very reliable components these days (Marine Elegance is supposed to be very good). I spent 25+ years trying to make my wet head reliable and gave up.

I guess my point is I think the Ick Factor really distracts from an adult conversation. If the idea of a composter grosses someone out, no problem. Not for them. But there are other considerations that are more nuanced items that don't get full discussion. For example, many comments about using coir or animal bedding or peat. No one ever brings up that finding the medium in a usable form can be difficult (peat is typically sold in large bales; pet stores often have pre-hydtated coir in quantities suitable for a lizard aquarium). Or that the process of changing medium is a bit clumsy and takes a good 30 minutes after hydration and cleanup. Not a huge factor, but the type of thing that folks should know going in. Instead, conversations are derailed by Ick and hyperbole about disposing of toxic waste in trash cans.

Just venting. Would like to see more adult conversations around this. There are many good reasons to go compost and I am not sorry I did, but it's not a bed of roses either. Just better than the alternatives.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

… No one ever brings up that finding the medium in a usable form can be difficult (peat is typically sold in large bales; pet stores often have pre-hydtated coir in quantities suitable for a lizard aquarium). Or that the process of changing medium is a bit clumsy and takes a good 30 minutes after hydration and cleanup. Not a huge factor, but the type of thing that folks should know going in. Instead, conversations are derailed by Ick and hyperbole about disposing of toxic waste in trash cans.

Just venting. Would like to see more adult conversations around this. There are many good reasons to go compost and I am not sorry I did, but it's not a bed of roses either. Just better than the alternatives.

Agreed. So just to pick up on the bedding issue, I’ve only ever used compressed coir. I’ve always sourced it via various online vendors, and buy in bulk; a few year’s worth at a time. I’ve bought from a few Amazon based vendors, and most recently (2019) from a Canadian company: https://www.vgrove.com/

To prep a new brick I place it in a large ziplock bag, add a some water, seal the bag, and leave it under the dodger in the sun. After a few hours it is usually ready. I then take it apart by hand, or use a simple wedge (my leatherman blade) on the stiffer parts. It does take about 1/2 hr I suppose.

Occasionally, when I’ve added too much water, I leave the bag open in the sun. I aim for bedding that is still pretty dry.

Does this mirror your approach? Love to hear how you do it.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

No one ever brings up that finding the medium in a usable form can be difficult (peat is typically sold in large bales; pet stores often have pre-hydtated coir in quantities suitable for a lizard aquarium). Or that the process of changing medium is a bit clumsy and takes a good 30 minutes after hydration and cleanup. Not a huge factor, but the type of thing that folks should know going in. Instead, conversations are derailed by Ick and hyperbole about disposing of toxic waste in trash cans.

That hasn't been my experience for the last 6 years with mine. getting the medium has been pretty simple. either my local hardware store or Amazon, I can get coconut coir, usually comes in compresses bricks that take a bit water to rehydrate. I can carry a years supply in a 1cuft space. typically I keep the rehydrated medium in a large plastic container. really easy to deal with and its tucked away in a locker in the cabin.

[dlj]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

For example, many comments about using coir or animal bedding or peat. No one ever brings up that finding the medium in a usable form can be difficult (peat is typically sold in large bales; pet stores often have pre-hydtated coir in quantities suitable for a lizard aquarium). Or that the process of changing medium is a bit clumsy and takes a good 30 minutes after hydration and cleanup. Not a huge factor, but the type of thing that folks should know....

Where are you located? I've found the easiest thing for me is to simply buy about a years supply or more when I'm in a location where I can easily get what I want. If I were to be considering a trip of greater time than that, I would buy enough for that entire time frame, plus a safety margin.

The downside of doing it this way is I have no experience sourcing in remote places. I have a storage location on my boat that is quite hard to access and is large enough for probably 2 or 3 years of medium. So that's where I store the extra and when I need more, I go through the exercise of moving things to access the stored supply taking out say 6 months supply that I store right next to the head for easy access.

dj

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by Don C L

There's scented vinegar?

Every household shop in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy has it.
It's a standart cleaning product.

[jcapo]

Originally Posted by siamese

Anybody just use a litter box?

Does this count as a litter box? It was a test before we installed a C-Head 7 years ago.

[smj]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

My partner isn't crazy about the compost head. My response is that she's not the one who had to keep the old head serviceable. If I had more confidence in a traditional wet head system, would be my preference too. Folks tell me that I gave up too soon on a wet head, that there are very reliable components these days (Marine Elegance is supposed to be very good). I spent 25+ years trying to make my wet head reliable and gave up.

I guess my point is I think the Ick Factor really distracts from an adult conversation. If the idea of a composter grosses someone out, no problem. Not for them. But there are other considerations that are more nuanced items that don't get full discussion. For example, many comments about using coir or animal bedding or peat. No one ever brings up that finding the medium in a usable form can be difficult (peat is typically sold in large bales; pet stores often have pre-hydtated coir in quantities suitable for a lizard aquarium). Or that the process of changing medium is a bit clumsy and takes a good 30 minutes after hydration and cleanup. Not a huge factor, but the type of thing that folks should know going in. Instead, conversations are derailed by Ick and hyperbole about disposing of toxic waste in trash cans.

Just venting. Would like to see more adult conversations around this. There are many good reasons to go compost and I am not sorry I did, but it's not a bed of roses either. Just better than the alternatives.

Maybe the lesser of two evils?

[mvweebles]

I'm in Ensenada these days headed south with Baja Ha Ha at end of October. I'm good - picked up a eight 3-packs of coir from Chewy for about $2.50 USD each. I may get more as we're headed on an open ended cruise and could be gone for well over a year.

My point was not that I was having issues finding media, but rather the general difficulty if you're in a non-first world location. Proponents of compost heads talk about finding coir (or peat or whatever) in suitable size/quantity as if it's easily available anywhere and everywhere. It's not. Amazon or similar is needed which isn't always an option for a cruising boat. Certainly not a deal breaker, but something that should be noted when folks ask general opinions on compost heads. There are other limitations and issues with compost heads - don't scale well beyond a couple for full time usage Mike O'Reilly mentions this frequently); flies are not uncommon and are a PITA; I suspect they work better in drier, cooler climates than hot humid climates; a 'bad shrimp' episode can mean extra cleanup; changing the solids compartment is a 30-minute gig and requires some forethought on disposal. All have offsets compared to traditional marine head, but many seem to gloss over the challenges.

Not knocking compost heads - I'm happy with my choice. But the OP, though likely long gone, deserves an eyes-wide-open view point. There are pluses and a few minuses.

[Mike OReilly]

There are definite negatives using these heads. After more than a decade of using one, I think the biggest challenge is learning how to maintain the correct moisture balance. It's a constant quest for the Goldilocks balance: Not too wet, not too dry; something just right.

And like any boat system, there are also lots of basic challenges. Emptying the urine bucket every two to three days is a PITA. Dumping the main bin is a chore I'd happily avoid. Disposing requires some planning.

Of course, the negatives have to be weighed against the positives. Most who go this route do so because the benefits far outweigh the negatives, but there is no free lunch. We're still dealing with human effluent. No approach is perfect.

Maybe we should start a thread that only focuses on the negatives. Sadly though, I fear that would open the floodgates to all the uninformed opinionated who only operate on emotional ICK.

[Chotu]

May be a bit of a silly question, but if you are on one of these cruises in the middle of nowhere in all of those islands and stuff…

Couldn’t you just gather the stuff up on the beach? Lol

Coir, also called coconut fibre, is a natural fibre extracted from the outer husk of coconut