Composting Toilet - Catalina 28 MKII 1996

[amandak]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Sure hope it works out. NH is a great head. The hardest part of any installation (aside from making sure it fits), is removing all the old plumbing and crap from the existing standard marine head. Installation is a breeze.

Consider though, and as Chotu points out, you can custom-make your own for a lot less. There's nothing technically difficult about these heads. All you need is a couple of holding tanks, a diverter, a way to agitate and a vent (and even a vent isn't essential).

thanks for that. i might do the old 5 gallon bucket and buy a bucket toilet cover from Amazon for $20 til i remove this old pooper.

I don't mind the cost - i want to do it right.

[Phantom Jim]

A copy of the composting toilet articles in Good Old Boat can be obtained from the editor Michael Robertson.

michael_r@goodoldboat.com

[Phantom Jim]

Our personal preference is the sawdust toilet because it is a one tank toilet. There is no temptation to dump urine overboard from a jug and we think the authorities will agree with this. We empty the toilet on the same schedule we empty boat trash. It is simple this way. Our marina prohibits dumping a porta potty in our restrooms and we respect this rule. We are also very discreet dumping the waste and bag it securely so it will not get torn open.

As a couple we need to empty the toilet every 3 to 4 days, depending on how much shoreside activity we participate in. The toilet has a double bag liner with some plain newspaper in the bottom with the sawdust. When this is about 3/4 full we add a tablespoon of calcium chloride pool bleach granules (optional) to the contents as a disinfectant. The bag is tied and the entire bucket is removed to take ashore to an appropriate dump site.

If we are not near a dump site, a lid is snapped on the bucket until we can properly dispose of it. The buckets are inexpensive "Homer" buckets from Home Depot, but hardware stores have different color buckets that look so much nicer.

Using pine pellets from Tractor Supply Co., we use about 50 pounds a month, about 1.25 bags, maybe $6-7 US. We do not live aboard so storage of the bulk pine pellets is not a problem.

A single person living at anchor would use about one 40 pound bag, 8 qallons, of pellets every two months.

As seen in previous posts, the single bucket sawdust toilet can be a clean installation.

We think the other composting toilets are great too, but they do not meet our preferences as well as the sawdust toilet.

[friz]

Originally Posted by peghall

If your heart is set on a composting (actually dessiccating) system just 'cuz you've decided they're cool, ok. But if you've just had it with maintenance that the plumbing, holding tank and a marine toilet require, there's a simpler and much less expensive alternative worth considering.
On any boat much smaller than about 30' a self-contained system—an "MSD" portapotty--makes a lot of sense. The "MSD" designation in the model name/number means it has fittings for a pumpout line and vent line, and is designed to be permanently installed (actually just sturdier brackets than portables, so you could still take it off the boat if you absolutely have to), which means that although it's still called a PORTApotty, you don't have to carry anything including urine jugs off the boat to empty it.
A 5-6 gallon model is household height and holds 50-60 flushes...you'd need at least a 30 gal tank to hold that many from a manual marine toilet and I'm not sure a "composter" can hold that much poop and organic material needed to absorb the liquid in solid waster (which, btw is about 75% water). No plumbing needed except a vent line and pumpout hose--so no new holes in the boat...and -0- maintenance needed except for rinsing out the tank--which you can do with a bucket while it's being pumped out. Total cost including the pumpout hose and vent line is about $200--a fraction of what you'd spend for toilet, tank and all the related plumbing needed. And the best part is, you have all the advantages of a toilet and holding tank without giving up a single square foot of storage space.
If this idea appeals to you, check out the Dometic/SeaLand 975MSD
Peggie

The MSD sounded good until you got to "at least 30 gallons". The original system on my boat had a 10 gallon holding tank. The toilet, macerator, plumbing and holding tank are gone. The space where the holding tank was now has a 37 gallon water tank. So I traded "at least 30 gallons" of sewage for 37 gallons of water and a C-Head. I have no idea where water was stored when I bought the boat. Possibly a plastic tank in the engine space but gone when I bought the boat. I live an hour north of Astor Fl where the C-Head is made. Went there several times.

[peghall]

The MSD sounded good until you got to "at least 30 gallons". The original system on my boat had a 10 gallon holding tank. The toilet, macerator, plumbing and holding tank are gone. The space where the holding tank was now has a 37 gallon water tank. So I traded "at least 30 gallons" of sewage...

I think you misinterpreted "at least 30 gallons"... A 5 gal MSD portapotty holds 5 gallons of sewage. They use so little flush water that it takes 50-60 flushes to fill one up. Most manual and electric marine toilets use about .5 gal. of water/flush, requiring at least a 30 gal holding tank to hold the same number of flushes that a 5 gal MSD portapotty holds.



--Peggie

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Originally Posted by amandak

oooooh this is interesting! It's really hanging over the edge of the platform... it might fit on my boat if i do this!!

Fyi, my boat is a Pearson 367 and the head dimensions are identical to the 365, I believe. Like him, I had to build a platform (marine plywood) for the Nature's Head to be mounted on. I painted the platform, but if I had it to do over, I'd apply a formica (or similar) surface, but it's been fine as is; it's just that formica would be an absolutely flat, even surface.

[lituya1617]

Here is one old guy's opinion of marine toilets: nuts. I grew up in the commercial fishing fleet in Alaska and nobody had a head on their boat. You either sat on the ship's rail or you used a bucket and threw its contents overboard when done. Those methods were environmentally friendly and mechanically foolproof. People who imagine that fecal material in the open sea is a problem to the environment simply are ignorant of the reality. The next time you pass a piece of whale feces the size of a log floating along, ask yourself if you can match that for impact! Of course those people include a lot of government officials - which is why I have a head that is never used on my boat. A composting head? Why would you want to retain crap inside your boat? Please, do not take the lead from the handkerchief in your rear pocket. That is a bad notion too. When I sail around, I have a bucket (5-gallon from Home Depot - bright orange and it floats so I can retrieve it if it goes overboard) and a big roll of tall kitchen garbage bags that say they disintegrate rapidly in the environment. I put a bag in the bucket and it catches 100% of what is waste. No need for a seat unless you plan to linger, which is a bad idea at sea. I then either put the bag in a dumpster or add a rock, tie it shut and throw it overboard. Simple. No problems. Environmentally friendly. And you can use the bucket for many other things like washing clothes or washing the deck. If you want to have endless problems with human waste, buy an expensive marine head. Me, I like to get things over quickly and cleanly. Old ways are often the best. Some people want a hot tub on their boat and others just don't want to have to clean one.

[chris mac]

Our natures head hangs over as well. The seller told us this isn't a problem and it hasn't been. We are 1 year in with it and love it.
The only issue is height. My wife is 5'.
So I added a "shower seat" from amazon to use as a raised floor. Its rated for 250lbs so it works easily as a step/footrest. It also folds up and out of the way.
Hopefully you are able to make it work

[amandak]

Originally Posted by friz

The MSD sounded good until you got to "at least 30 gallons". The original system on my boat had a 10 gallon holding tank. The toilet, macerator, plumbing and holding tank are gone. The space where the holding tank was now has a 37 gallon water tank. So I traded "at least 30 gallons" of sewage for 37 gallons of water and a C-Head. I have no idea where water was stored when I bought the boat. Possibly a plastic tank in the engine space but gone when I bought the boat. I live an hour north of Astor Fl where the C-Head is made. Went there several times.

other than the stink that is one of the biggest reasons i want to get rid of the black water tank - more room!! my plan is to put a nice big bank of batteries where the holding tank is . my macerator doesn't take up a whole lotta room, but that's going too.

[amandak]

Originally Posted by chris mac

Our natures head hangs over as well. The seller told us this isn't a problem and it hasn't been. We are 1 year in with it and love it.
The only issue is height. My wife is 5'.
So I added a "shower seat" from amazon to use as a raised floor. Its rated for 250lbs so it works easily as a step/footrest. It also folds up and out of the way.
Hopefully you are able to make it workAttachment 225068Attachment 225069Attachment 225070

thank you so much for sharing your photos... my head looks very much like yours... i am thinking the nature's head will fit... super glad about that.

[amandak]

Originally Posted by lituya1617

Here is one old guy's opinion of marine toilets: nuts. I grew up in the commercial fishing fleet in Alaska and nobody had a head on their boat. You either sat on the ship's rail or you used a bucket and threw its contents overboard when done. Those methods were environmentally friendly and mechanically foolproof. People who imagine that fecal material in the open sea is a problem to the environment simply are ignorant of the reality. The next time you pass a piece of whale feces the size of a log floating along, ask yourself if you can match that for impact! Of course those people include a lot of government officials - which is why I have a head that is never used on my boat. A composting head? Why would you want to retain crap inside your boat? Please, do not take the lead from the handkerchief in your rear pocket. That is a bad notion too. When I sail around, I have a bucket (5-gallon from Home Depot - bright orange and it floats so I can retrieve it if it goes overboard) and a big roll of tall kitchen garbage bags that say they disintegrate rapidly in the environment. I put a bag in the bucket and it catches 100% of what is waste. No need for a seat unless you plan to linger, which is a bad idea at sea. I then either put the bag in a dumpster or add a rock, tie it shut and throw it overboard. Simple. No problems. Environmentally friendly. And you can use the bucket for many other things like washing clothes or washing the deck. If you want to have endless problems with human waste, buy an expensive marine head. Me, I like to get things over quickly and cleanly. Old ways are often the best. Some people want a hot tub on their boat and others just don't want to have to clean one.

ha ha... can you imagine all the boaters crusing in Desolation Sound hanging their bare naked buttocks over the side whenever they had to go... the thought makes me laugh!

I guess mostly keeping poop on the boat is b/c of what the law requires. i also have to think of the resale value of my boat. a bucket where a toilet used to be isn't really going to help the boat sell !

[Skipperlu]

Originally Posted by Phantom Jim

What you want and what will fit may well be two different things. If you are really set on a composter, the C-Head is more likely to fit, both in foot print and height, than a Nature's Head. An even smaller footprint is the 5 gallon bucket sawdust toilet shown in the photo. This is in a Baba 30.

There are several composting toilet threads on the forum, your only option may be a custom designed one if the C-head can not fit.

C-HEAD ON MY WESTSAIL 28. Smallest footprint and, yes, ELEGANT!
If you use PEAT MOSS it is a COMPOSTING head; if you use PINE
PELLETS, etc. it is a DESICATING HEAD. (peat moss is bulkier than
pine pellets for stowage on a little boat, but if you live ashore go peat.
C-Head doesn’t advertise (that’s un-American), I think they are sort of
handmade. CONTACT: sandygraves@c-head.com or c-head.com

[arch007]

whats the cost to run a composting toilet ?

peat moss , coconut coir and best vendors ?

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by arch007

whats the cost to run a composting toilet ?

peat moss , coconut coir and best vendors ?

We order 10 bricks of coconut coir at a time. Works out to about 3-4 $ per month.
That's for a natures head

[David B]

Originally Posted by amandak

other than the stink that is one of the biggest reasons i want to get rid of the black water tank - more room!! my plan is to put a nice big bank of batteries where the holding tank is . my macerator doesn't take up a whole lotta room, but that's going too.

Seriously, there should be no stink. Our holding tanks are 8 years old - no issues at all!