Where do you dump?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Is composting suitable for weekenders? If you have to, or elect to, leave the boat for five days and the head is half full, will the boat have an odor upon return?

No.

As long as the head is being used properly, there is almost never any ugly odours, ever. Perhaps right after a "deposit" you might get a whiff for a short time, but mostly mine has no smell at all, or a faint odour of rich soil if you get really close.

Nature's and Air Heads are designed to be constantly vented using a tiny laptop fan, so there's always air moving across and to the outside. The fan takes almost no draw. Mine runs constantly, even when I'm not there. C-head's design doesn't require a constant vent, although you can use it. C-head is smaller, so intended to be emptied at a higher frequency.

[fourlyons]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

No.



As long as the head is being used properly, there is almost never any ugly odours, ever. Perhaps right after a "deposit" you might get a whiff for a short time, but mostly mine has no smell at all, or a faint odour of rich soil if you get really close.



Nature's and Air Heads are designed to be constantly vented using a tiny laptop fan, so there's always air moving across and to the outside. The fan takes almost no draw. Mine runs constantly, even when I'm not there. C-head's design doesn't require a constant vent, although you can use it. C-head is smaller, so intended to be emptied at a higher frequency.

This is my experience as well.

I recently broached the idea of going back to a wet/holding tank system (due to concerns around legality, not function); the wife said no way!

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Actually, most people ignore some rules much of the time. From driving to taxes, most of us don't follow the letter of the law all the time. If you are one of the perfect followers, the data suggests you are very much the outlier.

I'm far from perfect. Mistakes, procrastination, the occasional rock and a hard place.

Originally Posted by AA3JY

This whole Annapolis composter debate has been discussed ad nauseam back in Sept 2018..there has been no written policy, “rules” or laws preventing, or limiting vessels with on board composters other than someone’s hearsay of interpreted versions..and I’ll say again someone must be running a political agenda

The Harbormaster is enforcing it. Would you like her phone number?

[Copacabana]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Is composting suitable for weekenders? If you have to, or elect to, leave the boat for five days and the head is half full, will the boat have an odor upon return?

It's actually ideal for weekend use. The contents dry out during the week and you can go months without dumping. There is no odor at all.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

I'm far from perfect. Mistakes, procrastination, the occasional rock and a hard place.

Makes you normal (at least in this regard ). Actually, it's well established in human behavioural research. Most of us to lie, cheat and steal all the time -- but only by a little bit. So we drive a bit faster, or fudge a little on our taxes, or dump inside the 3-mile limit. But only by a little bit.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

So we drive a bit faster

I'm pretty cherubic in that regard. Heavy cruise control user to keep from going too fast. That of course means staying in the right lane(s) most of the time. *grin*

With respect to waste something I don't remember being raised here is tank size. I've delivered a number of boats with just silly small tanks. On the US East Coast, driven onto the ICW with a full (by my definition) offshore crew, progress was limited not by fuel as you would expect but by holding. Fuel docks don't open early enough or stay open late enough for good progress so stops are planned mid-day and I spend inordinate amounts of time finding places to pump out and on the phone to make sure equipment is working. *sigh* You really should not have to stop every other day for a pump out.

"Well we could stop there, but we'll miss the tide over this shallow bit. If we stop there we'll hit this bridge during rush hour and they won't open for us." Just jeepers. It's enough to make you stop eating.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

I'm pretty cherubic in that regard. Heavy cruise control user to keep from going too fast. That of course means staying in the right lane(s) most of the time. *grin*

You and me both. I'm the fellow doing the speed limit (or perhaps just slightly over), with most other cars whizzing by. My signature line isn't just aspirational .

Originally Posted by Auspicious

With respect to waste something I don't remember being raised here is tank size. I've delivered a number of boats with just silly small tanks. On the US East Coast, driven onto the ICW with a full (by my definition) offshore crew, progress was limited not by fuel as you would expect but by holding.

This was one of the main reasons we went to a composter. Where I was initially cruising (Canadian Lake Superior) the pumpout stations are hundreds of miles apart. Even with a largish tank we were still having to structure our cruises around where to get a pumpout.

A composter removes any such concerns. It's definitely one of the great advantages to these heads.

[Tetepare]

Still suspicious, what about the horror stories? Surely not every composter install was perfect, and some events must have been catastrophic. What happens when you overflow the pee bottle “I thought YOU dumped it!” or rough seas kinda jumble things? Fess up.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

A composter removes any such concerns. It's definitely one of the great advantages to these heads.

Agree. Of course you have to drag around at least a couple of refills of the coir or whatever you are using, just in case.

This brings to mind a conversation I have with delivery customers. "Why are you buying so much food for an eight day delivery?" That's in case we slow down due to weather or a boat failure. I don't want to make an unfortunate decision based on food supplies. Cheap insurance.

Don't run out of coir.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Perhaps right after a "deposit" you might get a whiff for a short time, but mostly mine has no smell at all, or a faint odour of rich soil if you get really close.

Wow, talk about someone who thinks his sh!t don't stink

(sorry, living with an editor brings out the grammarian in me...)

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Still suspicious, what about the horror stories? Surely not every composter install was perfect, and some events must have been catastrophic. What happens when you overflow the pee bottle “I thought YOU dumped it!” or rough seas kinda jumble things? Fess up.

I've had my pee bucket overflow once or twice. It's not a big deal on Nature's head because the bucket is itself in a container. So yeah... you gotta sponge it out. Not fun, but really not a big issue.

Checking the bottle level just becomes part of the standard practice of using these heads. With NH, it's a simple visual check before sitting down.

The absolute worst thing that happened to me once was when the main bin got some seawater in through the vent tube. I got into some major green seas, and forgot to close the mushroom vent. Mine is on the side deck, which is normally fine, but not when we're taking big waves. Normally I just screw is shut, but I forgot...

That was not fun to deal with, but the solution was a quick dump (out at sea), and a restart.

As for things getting jumbled, I've been in rough seas (I sail Newfoundland these days). I've never had a problem. I suppose if you have a complete knock-down, or worse, then you might spill the urine. It would probably mostly just end up in the main bin. That bin is normally sealed, so unless the whole head became unbolted from the floor, there's really not much that can happen.

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Agree. Of course you have to drag around at least a couple of refills of the coir or whatever you are using, just in case.

I usually carry about six months worth of coir with me. It all fits in about the same volume as a standard bucket. Mine is stored flat against the hull inside the head cabinet. I could easily have a couple of year's worth. It's highly compressed bricks, so it takes little space.


ADD: Please know, I'm not trying to convince anyone to get one of these things. Personally, I find it one of the best upgrades we've made to our boat. And most people who install them love them (if one can say that about a toilet), but they're not for everyone. And they do have some significant limitations, such as being purpose-designed for managing two to three adults full-time. After that, forget it.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

And they do have some significant limitations, such as being purpose-designed for managing two to three adults full-time. After that, forget it.

One of my current customers on a 46' boat has three adults and three kids. Holding tank is 18 gallons. Limiting. When we leave Annapolis we're heading to the Atlantic as quickly as possible.

[Montanan]

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Still suspicious, what about the horror stories? Surely not every composter install was perfect, and some events must have been catastrophic. What happens when you overflow the pee bottle “I YOU dumped it!” or rough seas kinda jumble things? Fess up.

Our aft head is a "Composting Toilet", Yes, I know it really doesn't compost, but since that's what the manufacturers call it, that's what I'm calling it. We began living aboard in September of this year, and replacing the sea water pump flush toilet was one of the first things we did. Installation was simple, took longer to "decommission" the original lines, than it did to install the composting toilet and associated vent line. Never had any smell, we empty daily into either the marina toilet, or the forward holding tank (204 gallons) if not at the marina. Then we pump out the holding tank when accessible to a pump out station.

I can't quote law, local regulations etc, I can only relate our personal experience from our using our composting toilet for the last three + months. We're happy campers, and would not consider removing our Composting Toilet.

[MicHughV]

ok, I'd like to see this question answered.....truthfully !!!

how many people pump in the B'mas....my guess....0

how many people just discharge directly overboard....my guess....everybody