Toilet Tissue vs Marine Heads

[rgscpat]

Thanks, all!

Bagging is something I could probably adapt to, but could put my spouse and many guests off cruising. As it is, we may have to arrange things so that feminine hygiene products are always disposed of on land and that we're in a civilized port. What's being considered here is mostly coastal cruising, where we're probably always within a few days of a pump-out, though it would be nice to make the tank last a week or two.

Funny -- how come the glossy sailing magazines with all their pretty pictures don't have a nice article on this topic (speaking of the dark side of cruising)? And everyone says Blackwater is so profitable.

[zeehag]

if bagging puts folks off, do NOT visit 3rd world nations. they do NOT flush paper as the plumbing cannot handle it. so get used to putting into bags, as the mexican bathrooms have the bags in a waste basket for your use. they also do not provide paper-have to bring it yourself. in a kit you make for this purpose.
there are many other things to go thru that are worse than bagging paper--like rebuilding toilets and such--and being responsible for the toilets backing up in a public restaurant in another country isnt the thing to do .
is so much easier to get used to placing the paper into a bag than having to go thru the rebuild process. yes it will happen. even if it doesnt right now or hasnt for a long time doesnt mean it wont. my rule in my boat--you break or stuff it--you get to fix it yourself. yes i am mean. but not too mean.

if placing paper into a sack instead of mindlessly into the hole is gonna put someone off cruising, then they werent interested in cruising inthe first place.--just my humble opinion.

[anjou]

The toilet habits of most eastern countries leaves me cringing but when I went to Thailand I was introduced to the combined toilet and bidet in the form of the shower wash.

A simple short hose tee'd to the cistern fill pipe, with a spray head for freshening up after wiping.

But, remembering that the ambient temp there is in mid to upper 30 degrees so water is body temp and no nasty shocks, unlike winter in uk when incoming water might only be 10 degrees.

I have installed shower mixer valves for this purpose in some Asian homes, but I wouldnt want to be waiting and wasting loads of water while the hot works its way from the boiler to the head. I had to ask and was told that they use paper too, but like to douch after as a cultural thing.

[High Heels]

We do not flush any paper products at all. We just get the little doggie scooper pooper bags that are small and black. If it is just us and it is only post-pee I just change the bag out daily...if it is a messy job I use a bag and tie it and throw it out right away.

I am not happy about the environmental implications of the tiny plastic bags but I think it is better than the paper products in the holding tank...

When we were aboard a friend's boat we all did the same routine too...if it was just tp following wee we would just dump in the same doggy doo bag...if it was more than that it you just tied yours up, put in the trash and hung a fresh one.

I don't know, not a big deal to me...but I guess it might gross some people out.

I do wished that we practiced the water wash/bidet treatment that many other countries do. It is more sanitary and environmentally friendly...

[boatman61]

Just think of the environment you want to enjoy and the life within that keeps it ticking over and tell the selfish sods if it blocks they clear it.........
One session of that and your guaranteed 'CONVERTS'..... Lmao

"BAG IT..... Don't Frag it"

[Deck Scrubber]

OMG.... you have to BAG it.

[DeepFrz]

Just a thought, but maybe the people who flush without problems have properly installed toilets and holding tanks.

Throwing any plastic in the sea is unwarranted pollution in my books.

[Aussiesuede]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

you have experienced the water spray, similar to the spray many have on their kitchen sinks, that is very effective. Very easy to install.

I'm with you here. I haven't used toilet paper at home in almost 2 decades, so no different aboard. Install of a bidet wand is as straight forward as it gets and there is absolutely no way one would return to using toilet paper after experiencing the clean feeling of a true wash. No clogging problems to worry about.

[lorenzo b]

When I came home from my first trip to Asia 20 years ago I installed a bidet and have used one ever since. Why would anyone think that wiping yourself with a piece of dry paper is going to get you clean?
Once again, a thousand pardons to those who may be offended, may all your tribe prosper and may all your grandchildren become little Barack Obamas, or not.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Just a thought, but maybe the people who flush without problems have properly installed toilets and holding tanks.

Throwing any plastic in the sea is unwarranted pollution in my books.

Deep... one does not chuck the plastic bags in the sea... when the carrier bag in the small waste bin in the loo is full its tied up and stored in the dedicated waste locker till reaching shore and the appropriate waste bins.
Most folks I think are put off because they imagine its gonna stink the loo out but... on my recent delivery UK-Turkey we wiped and binned and there were no odour problems (Temps up to 42+ in Greece) but then after the wipe we freshed up with a Baby Wipe... they're usually perfumed in one way or another and they are the predominant odour.
As to the natural waste products... don't worry about them... they're recycled... ending up on a plate in a fancy restaurant somewhere...Lmao.

[Surveyor]

But after washing your bum with water, do you not wipe the water off with something?

Dont get me wrong, I am all for the water treatment over paper but I still use some paper afterwards.

[Charlie]

I have not had any problems with the toilet but have had problems with the "Y" valve. There is a place where everything clogs up. I know where that is so can fix it quickly now but it is most unpleasant. I give the talk to everyone who comes on the boat, "If it doesn't go thru your body it doesn't go in the head!!" I am in process of making a small garbage can out of Stainless steel that is easy to clean that fits one of those brown paper bags that we used to carry our lunches to school. This eliminates the problem of dropping plastic into the ocean and b/c they are so small they need to be changed everyday or two. This resolves the smell problem.

[cat man do]

Had one of these

Whitworths Marine: TMC Electric 12 Volt Toilet

Never had an issue using regular date roll
Sometimes it seemed wise to do a 2 stage flush

[lorenzo b]

Originally Posted by Surveyor

But after washing your bum with water, do you not wipe the water off with something?

Dont get me wrong, I am all for the water treatment over paper but I still use some paper afterwards.

I don't, it's not a lot of moisture and I pretty much live in a bathing suit anyway. Wasting paper like that and then having to dispose of it doesn't seem worth it.

[High Heels]

Love it Boatman - "Bag it, Don't Frag It"

and DeepFrz, like Boatman, we don't dump the little plastic jewels overboard...they go in the main waste locker too...

We have a Lavac, and that head has been the Bomb, in the best connotation...

Aussiesuede, your post example picture is quite professional looking.

I am sitting here laughing about the fact that before I have even met any of you face to face, which I am sure I will once we start cruising, I know your potty preferences.

Not lost on me as well, is the fact that while I should be researching other threads like "heavy weather sailing" and "navigation" to prep for our journey, I am more worried it seems as to how clean my boat head and arse are going to be , what we should name our newest to us boat, and how my husband is going to feel when the first boat related project I take on is installing the bidet wand??!!?? and is that considered a "pink" chore or a "blue" chore???