Composting heads for long term Cruising?

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by weavis

Its only where we are born that makes a differentiation. I hear dog is yummy too.

I've heard it is very nice. I was in Vietnam last year and I was going to try the canine cuisine as I did Kermit. But one day in Hanoi I passed a motorbike with a cage of dogs on the back going to the City restaraunts packed, and I mean painfully packed with dogs faces jammed against the wire. It turned me off instantly.

now I've forgotten what this threads about

[oldragbaggers]

We have decided to join the ranks of composters. Lance ripped out the marine head and all associated plumbing yesterday even though he had just rebuilt the head and installed all new hoses next season. We are planning to get the Nature's Head, once we confirm that it will fit our space. They will be at the boat show">Annapolis Boat Show next month. Hopefully we can score a discount.

[Zeb]

This has been our first year using a Nature's Head composter, and I couldn't be more pleased. As most have commented, no odor, etc. We use the solar vent fan option for the venting and it works great.

Emptying? No big deal. Liquids are separate, dry stuff (we use coir) looks and smells like dirt.

Wife comments "best purchase ever". She actually empties it most times.

We throw paper in a waste can and discard later.

Your results may vary, but we are happy.

- Zeb

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by Zeb

This has been our first year using a Nature's Head composter, and I couldn't be more pleased. As most have commented, no odor, etc. We use the solar vent fan option for the venting and it works great.

Emptying? No big deal. Liquids are separate, dry stuff (we use coir) looks and smells like dirt.

Wife comments "best purchase ever". She actually empties it most times.

We throw paper in a waste can and discard later.

Your results may vary, but we are happy.

- Zeb

This has been the feedback we have seen from most everyone who has one. Most of the negative comments, interestingly enough, come from people who have never actually used one.

We have had a couple of bad experiences with MSDs that, while not common, when they do occur can wreak such disastrous consequences that they have left us both very gun shy about having such a system in our boat. This seems like a much cleaner and safer alternative to us.

[Kenomac]

'Just curious... Is there even a single individual who's installed a composting (dehydrating) head outside the U.S. and Canada?

Because, I'm on the outside looking in....and I can't see any logical reason to do so. We've had standard Jabsco macerating heads for six years now, not a single blockage and never an odor except when a hose leaked one time, an easy repair, then trouble free for three more years. Just seems to me like these composters complicate matters more than necessary. Chore or peat? Pee needs special handling... Geez, it's more complicated than a cat box which needs scooping every day. Then there's the disposal issues.

Frankly... I don't get it. If people want to deal with all the processing, I couldn't care less, but really... Why not just repair the existing marine head, maintain it properly, and eliminate all the fussing with one's own excrement?

[Vilda]

Yes, I live in Sweden and we now have installed our second NH, we changed boat and wanted one in our new.
We won't go back to transport water diluted poo in our vessel
Pär

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

'Just curious... Is there even a single individual who's installed a composting (dehydrating) head outside the U.S. and Canada?

Because, I'm on the outside looking in....and I can't see any logical reason to do so. We've had standard Jabsco macerating heads for six years now, not a single blockage and never an odor except when a hose leaked one time, an easy repair, then trouble free for three more years. Just seems to me like these composters complicate matters more than necessary. Chore or peat? Pee needs special handling... Geez, it's more complicated than a cat box which needs scooping every day. Then there's the disposal issues.

Frankly... I don't get it. If people want to deal with all the processing, I couldn't care less, but really... Why not just repair the existing marine head, maintain it properly, and eliminate all the fussing with one's own excrement?

Can't speak to what people do outside the U.S. but we are here in the Chesapeake, which is a no discharge zone in its entirety, and plan to do a lot of cruising in the ICW so a macerator type system would not apply to us. We would need to carry around sewage sludge in a large tank and then worry about/pay to have it pumped out regularly all the while praying that nothing ever happens that releases any of that toxic substance into our boat. If we could legally have a macerator type arrangement and pump directly overboard we would be all over it, but that's not a viable option for us due to the amount of time we will spend in restricted waters.

As I said, we have had a couple of incidences, one of them of a magnitude that literally ruined my feelings about one of my favorite boats because remnants of the smell just couldn't be eradicated from the boat entirely no matter what we did. Nothing like the smell of sewage hitting your nose every time you open the companionway to your beautiful boat. No thanks.

[wrwakefield]

This is a supplement to my previous post on 19-09-2015, 08:49

I had mentioned two independent groups of guests who all preferred the Nature's Head to the flushing Lavac Head this summer. I see some subsequent threads started inserting gender preference comments as well, so I thought I would provide you with a gender breakdown to supplement those conversations.

Relevant section from my previous post:

Interesting to me was the fact that of two unrelated groups of guests (4 adults; 4 children ranging in age from 10-17) who joined us at different times for a week or more this summer all preferred the Nature's Head to the Lavac by a wide margin. [Both heads are kept scrupulously clean and are totally odor free and easy to use...]

We made sure to remind everyone daily that either head was at their disposal, and they all did use both at least once- typically when the other was already occupied...

When I asked each person individually at the end of their stay why they preferred the composting head, they all had the same answer: "I don't have to pump it..." This even though they chose to empty the liquid container themselves...

Supplement: Of our 8 guests, 6 were female; two of which were adults.

In case this is of interest.

Cheers!

Bill

[Iodine]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

'Just curious... Is there even a single individual who's installed a composting (dehydrating) head outside the U.S. and Canada?

They're not that uncommon in Europe. In the UK (which you may, or may not consider to be part of Europe) some of the narrow-boat suppliers stock them. On the continent there are suppliers for what appears to be "Natures head", but branded "Biolokus kompakt." A cheaper option is the "Separett Weekend", a Swedish analog of the C-head which retail for around 375-400 Eur. I installed one on my boat a few months ago and am very satisfied with it.

I've got nothing against a conventional head if it's working properly, however I recently ran into the guy who'd been next to me boatyard this spring (and tried to convince me to install a conventional head). He'd gone ashore for a few hours only to have his head back-siphon. Normally this isn't a big deal, but the float switch on his bilge pump also failed, and the water was over the floorboards by the time he got back on board....

OK, he was unlucky and it was a series of either small failures or mistakes depending which way you look at it, but still, why take the risk.... (not that the WC on an Oyster would ever dream of doing something as gauche as back-siphon of course.......)

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by oldragbaggers

Can't speak to what people do outside the U.S. but we are here in the Chesapeake, which is a no discharge zone in its entirety, and plan to do a lot of cruising in the ICW so a macerator type system would not apply to us. We would need to carry around sewage sludge in a large tank and then worry about/pay to have it pumped out regularly all the while praying that nothing ever happens that releases any of that toxic substance into our boat. If we could legally have a macerator type arrangement and pump directly overboard we would be all over it, but that's not a viable option for us due to the amount of time we will spend in restricted waters.

Not exactly. The only charted No-Discharge Zone (NDZ) on the Chesapeake - at least anywhere near where we are -- is Herring Bay (i.e., near Deale).

Which means that's the only nearby place where discharge from a Type I or II MSD isn't permitted.

That said, pumping untreated waste from a simple holding tank (MSD Type III) overboard through a simple macerator is indeed not legal... given that we're still inside the 3-mile limit.

Bottom line is that you could indeed install something like Raritan's Purasan or ElectroScan units (both (MSD Type I units) and use it to discharge treated waste almost everywhere in the Chesapeake.

If you wanted to.

-Chris

[Vilda]

In Sweden both Natures Head, Air Head and Separett Weekend are sold. The Separett is a simpel construction but may work well in less humid conditions I suppose.

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Not exactly. The only charted No-Discharge Zone (NDZ) on the Chesapeake - at least anywhere near where we are -- is Herring Bay (i.e., near Deale).

Which means that's the only nearby place where discharge from a Type I or II MSD isn't permitted.

That said, pumping untreated waste from a simple holding tank (MSD Type III) overboard through a simple macerator is indeed not legal... given that we're still inside the 3-mile limit.

Bottom line is that you could indeed install something like Raritan's Purasan or ElectroScan units (both (MSD Type I units) and use it to discharge treated waste almost everywhere in the Chesapeake.

If you wanted to.

-Chris

Thank you for clearing up my misconceptions on that, Chris. However, I do see that a number of other locations on our final destination list (SoCal) are in fact no discharge zones so eventually it will be an issue one way or the other. The composter is a very simple and logical solution for us, less expensive than a macerating unit, and requires no electricity.

[smj]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Not exactly. The only charted No-Discharge Zone (NDZ) on the Chesapeake - at least anywhere near where we are -- is Herring Bay (i.e., near Deale).

Which means that's the only nearby place where discharge from a Type I or II MSD isn't permitted.

That said, pumping untreated waste from a simple holding tank (MSD Type III) overboard through a simple macerator is indeed not legal... given that we're still inside the 3-mile limit.

Bottom line is that you could indeed install something like Raritan's Purasan or ElectroScan units (both (MSD Type I units) and use it to discharge treated waste almost everywhere in the Chesapeake.

If you wanted to.

-Chris

We owned 2 ElectroSan units before we purchased our first composting head and they took a ton of maintenance and power. Being the Chesapeake is fresh water, don't you have to ad salt yo your deposit before flushing using the Lectrasan?
I have heard of a couple of people going back to a standard head after owning a composter, so they are out there.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Mike OReilly]

OK, my turn to ask the "I don't get it..." question. To those of you who have no holding tank and direct discharge: How do you deal with small enclosed anchorages where there is little flow? Do you not go to these sorts of places? Do they not exist where you cruise? Do you dump anyway?

I have absolutely no issue with direct discharge in areas of high volume and/or high flow. The solution to pollution IS dilution. Absolutely. But when dilution capacity is limited, what do you do?

BTW, I've never been persuaded by the argument that goes: My little contribution makes no difference b/c everyone else is so much worse than me. This may be true, but it is the kind of thinking that leads to collective disaster. I can only control my actions. Just b/c someone else is acting poorly does not mean I should.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

BTW, I've never been persuaded by the argument that goes: My little contribution makes no difference b/c everyone else is so much worse than me. This may be true, but it is the kind of thinking that leads to collective disaster. I can only control my actions. Just b/c someone else is acting poorly does not mean I should.

Yes.
An issue I had to face.
Do I retain a little and go often or do I let it go in one sitting?

I feel Im more comfortable doing the full release yet oddly plagued with the sense that there is a better way, a more symbiotic way with natures ebb and flow.

Waiting for enlightenment......