Self Designed Large Capacity Compost Head

[Therapy]

Gato,

Really cool. Really! Very nice.

Questions:

How often do you clean the urine catcher part? It would seem to me to get wet every time and need something each time before it dried and built up.

What happens to folks that do not have dry, formed stool? As in loose to liquid frequently?

I don't see how it is vented. Just that thing on the left in one pic blowing air into the box?

[ElGatoGordo]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Gato,

Really cool. Really! Very nice.

Questions:

How often do you clean the urine catcher part? It would seem to me to get wet every time and need something each time before it dried and built up.

What happens to folks that do not have dry, formed stool? As in loose to liquid frequently?

I don't see how it is vented. Just that thing on the left in one pic blowing air into the box?

We keep a spray bottle of vinegar water for that. I don't see why loose stool would be a problem, the volume is still relatively small, but I'm not certain.

That vent sucks out of the compost space and discharges overboard. It's not complete in that picture. The idea is to dry the waste so very little air flow is required.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by ElGatoGordo

We keep a spray bottle of vinegar water for that. I don't see why loose stool would be a problem, the volume is still relatively small, but I'm not certain.

That vent sucks out of the compost space and discharges overboard. It's not complete in that picture. The idea is to dry the waste so very little air flow is required.

Ahh.

Thank you .

[Ocean Girl]

Revive slightly old thread

Do you "non agitator" folks ever have odor issues? Or feel you need to stir once in a while?

If you use a liner, do you add a bio activator at each start?

[ElGatoGordo]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Revive slightly old thread

Do you "non agitator" folks ever have odor issues? Or feel you need to stir once in a while?

If you use a liner, do you add a bio activator at each start?

I never stir, but I have on occasion knocked down the pile! I don't have odor issues, even after a 4 day trip away from the boat in August with the ac off.

Since I'm not really "composting" I'm not worrying about a bio activator

[Ocean Girl]

Do you think composting bags would hold up to poo bucket liner duty? I worry that they will start to breakdown before I'm ready to empty the poo bucket.
Anyone have experience with the "green" composting bags?

[ElGatoGordo]

Your logic sounds spot on. I empty so rarely it wouldn't work for me.

[Wrong]

Although it requires an 'extra step', using an empty wide mouth type 1 gallon container liquid detergents come in for urination permits separating urine from solids and optionally depositing in a land side toilet. Specially shaped adapters for women are available to facilitate doing the same Little John "Lady J" Female Adapter : Cabela's . Have used this for years. Had a female crewmember who actually enjoyed being able to stand when urinating.

[Ocean Girl]

Thank for the reply. That's kinda what I thought.

As far as using the female version pee catcher, they are not recommended except for rare occasions, not long term. Because of the anatomy, women are more susceptible to UITs. This is the nurse in me speaking without going into too much detail, women gotta sit.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Thank for the reply. That's kinda what I thought.

As far as using the female version pee catcher, they are not recommended except for rare occasions, not long term. Because of the anatomy, women are more susceptible to UITs. This is the nurse in me speaking without going into too much detail, women gotta sit.

My crewmember was fastidious, thoroughly cleaning the adapter and her pee bottle after each use. The other advantage to having this option aboard is it's easier to use under way than going through all that's necessary to sit on the head. Can also be used beneath the mosquito net when them critters are swarming. Haven't used the bucket under there yet, but at least it's an option you don't enjoy with built-ins.

[Ocean Girl]

Yep, clean pee catcher with a bleach solution after each use. Store it in a clean dry papertowel, changing papertowel after each use. Clean areas the pee catcher comes in contact with. If it works for her great. I'm just saying it can expose the gal to more bacteria then the old sit down method. It also throws off the normal flora because of the change in toiletry habbits. You also use a lot more water than a dry head. For a bachelor boat, would be perfect. But any woman using long term will adventually have issues, it's just the nature of the beast.

Another trick, learned from some cruiser friends, used a piece of PVC pipe they kept in the cockpit. About 3feet long they just pee into it with the other end of the pipe in a scupper. I guess for those times they felt they couldn't leave the cockpit to go down below and much safer then peeing over the side

TMI?

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Yep, clean pee catcher with a bleach solution after each use. Store it in a clean dry papertowel, changing papertowel after each use. Clean areas the pee catcher comes in contact with. If it works for her great. I'm just saying it can expose the gal to more bacteria then the old sit down method. It also throws off the normal flora because of the change in toiletry habbits. You also use a lot more water than a dry head. For a bachelor boat, would be perfect. But any woman using long term will adventually have issues, it's just the nature of the beast.

Another trick, learned from some cruiser friends, used a piece of PVC pipe they kept in the cockpit. About 3feet long they just pee into it with the other end of the pipe in a scupper. I guess for those times they felt they couldn't leave the cockpit to go down below and much safer then peeing over the side
TMI

Or, in the cockpit! Been there done that too many times when I couldn't leave the helm. Another downside to sailing solo.

My crew member used the adapter for 42 days. No apparent problems. Really, she much preferred standing to sitting. Maybe it was an equalizer of sorts...

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Another trick, learned from some cruiser friends, used a piece of PVC pipe they kept in the cockpit. About 3feet long they just pee into it with the other end of the pipe in a scupper. I guess for those times they felt they couldn't leave the cockpit to go down below and much safer then peeing over the side

TMI?

An empty adult beverage can works well too. However, it does pay to mark it conspicuously. I once made the mistake referred to. While unappetizing, it wasn't as awful as you'd think. I threw away that toothbrush.

TMI?

[Stu Jackson]

Here's someone who had "been there done that"

Macgregor Inside Mods Index

Personally, I find the concept YUCKY.

Your boat, your choice.

[Ocean Girl]

Yes, to each his own.
We used a camping toilet with peat moss and a little cedar shavings as a dry composting toilet test run before planning anything(keeping the urine separate).

I, uh er, made use of it. We left the boat, came back two weeks later, no odor, no bugs. Believe me, I was nervous on what I'd find!! But there was no odor, it really does look like dirt. Im a bit of a germaphobe, and I have a crazy wicked sense of smell, i was pretty unsure if it would be a viable option for us. but NO bad smell. This was on a primitive camping toilet without the fancy schmancy vents. That test convinced us.

The custom toilet we are constructing ( we can't fit any of the manufactured toilets) can be easily converted back to wet and stinky .

We ordered the urine diverter from C-Heads Sanford Graves, he is very helpful and gave some great advice. Best advice he gave was to keep the urine tank portable. if you plumb the urine to a permanent tank, the Coast Guard will/may require the toilet to be certified. We will have a small bladder in the nearby bilge with quick disconnect to empty.

Here is the temporary dry head, worked really well. I put a knob on the lid to help make it more user friendly