Trash Compactors?

[Extemporaneous]

I'm starting to look at whether or not these make any sense on a 40' sailboat. I have searched the site and surprisingly (to me) have found very little on it.
Is there anyone that uses them on board and feels it is valuable?
Does anyone know of any that operate on 12volts?
How many amps do the small 120volt units typically draw?
Not having one in my house or ever even using one, what are the best brands?
Do they weigh much?
Just thought I'd throw this out there to see if there is already some experience out there. Someone must have done some research on this.
Anyway, let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,
Extemp.

[MidLandOne]

I have only seen them on large vessels and I suspect there is a good reason for that apart from the larger volumes of trash they normally have to handle.

The ones I have seen have all been AC and 1/3 hp minimum. Size very smallest I've seen around 1 foot wide, normal household bench height and a couple of feet deep so around 6 cu.ft and take up quite a bit of room. Don't know what they weigh.

For ourselves, being two of us on a 40 foot boat, we would be hard pressed to create 6 cu.ft of trash in a month when cruising - so for us I would not consider committing 6 cu.ft of valuable interior space to compacting less than 6 cu.ft of trash a month a good decision.

[S/V Antares]

I agree with MidlandOne. They are marginally uesfull in a house and generally stink. Better off with a size 10 shoe in a plastic pail.

[READY2GO]

I have one in my house, and would not be without one. Its one of those things once you have it you wonder how you ever made it without it. Mine is 15" wide 24" deep and 35" tall. I know they make smaller ones. As far as stinking, it all depends what you put in them. Since I only empty it once every three or four weeks. We do not put perisables in it. We keep a small bag for stuff that will rot. As far as having one on a boat, if you could spare the room I think it would be great. I know just being on board for a week at a time, I am looking for a marina to offload trash. Thats my $.02 worth anyway.

[noreault]

I had one once. It turns 40lbs of trash into 40 lbs of trash. It smells unless you are compulsive about cleaning all trash. They are heavy and use a great deal of power. Crushing and breaking items does almost the same thing. Wouldn't have one again.

[Minggat]

I got in my sailing dingy today and while setting up, I noticed I am setting much lower in the water than I had any idea. The sunny side of my boat in the slip has much growth. Point is, I can think of other more useful things than a trash compactor that may have to go.

[Chief Engineer]

The also require special bags (some of them) and if ya don't have them they are worthless

[roverhi]

Remove as much packing, labels, etc. as possible before things come aboard. Transfer anything in a plastic container to a glass one or a vacuum sealer bag, if possible. Open both ends of cans and bust the bottoms out of glass bottles and deep six them offshore. Save what little plastic that's left to deposit in approved shoreside receptacles on arrival. If no good shoreside waste disposal, burn what little waste you have. If you take a little care, you will be surprized how little trash you create.

Aloha
Peter O.
Pearson 35

[MarkJ]

Its only plastic that you keep on a passage (oh and batteries etc).

There isn't much form our experience.

Anything that can be chucked over can be: cans, bottles, any metals, all paper and timber products, all food etc.

At the end of the voyage we have a bit of plastic wrapping. We do keep an amout of packaging as it keeps the six-pack together etc.
We try to buy canned soft drink not PET etc

I dunno where a compactor would fit on a boat...?

Mark
PS Chocolate wrappers @#$% me off! They are all overwrapped in plastics and plastic films

[READY2GO]

I like compactors, but any boat that I can afford would not be big enough for one. I know 2/3s of the earth is water, but there is no way I could throw paper, cardboard, cans, or glass overboard. I guess I'm stuck with keeping bags until I get to a marina.

[stevensc]

Want something cheap and simple. get a 5 gal poy bucket, an 8 Lb mushroom andchor and a piece of 2.5" dia. PVC pipe about 4 feet long. Shove the pipe over the anchor stem and fasten it with a bolt through the anchor eye.
Put your trash in the bucket and tamp it down with the anchor (like a mortar and pestle) now don't go trying to bang a hole in the boat! just tamp it and leave the weigh (anchor) on top of the trash to hold it down, it works well. If you like you can line the bucket with a plastic bag. When the bucket is full take out the bag tie it off tight and put in a larger bag and/or dispose of properly.
Plastic bottles are almost impossible to compact cut them up or in half and nest the halves to reduce volume
Steve

[Extemporaneous]

Originally Posted by stevensc

Want something cheap and simple. get a 5 gal poy bucket, an 8 Lb mushroom andchor and a piece of 2.5" dia. PVC pipe about 4 feet long. Shove the pipe over the anchor stem and fasten it with a bolt through the anchor eye.
Put your trash in the bucket and tamp it down with the anchor (like a mortar and pestle) now don't go trying to bang a hole in the boat! just tamp it and leave the weigh (anchor) on top of the trash to hold it down, it works well. If you like you can line the bucket with a plastic bag. When the bucket is full take out the bag tie it off tight and put in a larger bag and/or dispose of properly.
Plastic bottles are almost impossible to compact cut them up or in half and nest the halves to reduce volume
Steve

I think you guys have convinced me, no real compactor.
Steve's approach is great, anymore like this out there?

Thanks,
Extemp.

[bobfnbw]

Steven great idea.
I would have a compactor on board if I had the room for one, but alas... do not.
But you generate a lot less trash on board than at home, so its not a real issue.
There was a manual trash compactor available thru all aboard online catalog.. They are gone now through I think.
Google it. I found this one...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000AXYUB/onthewebcom-20/102-8129531-8051365

http://www.thecompactorguy.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=article&section_id=9&arti cleid=13

Not sure why the first one is no longer available. Looks good though.

[NativeUSAindian]

Originally Posted by Extemporaneous

I'm starting to look at whether or not these make any sense on a 40' sailboat. I have searched the site and surprisingly (to me) have found very little on it.
Is there anyone that uses them on board and feels it is valuable?
Does anyone know of any that operate on 12volts?
How many amps do the small 120volt units typically draw?
Not having one in my house or ever even using one, what are the best brands?
Do they weigh much?
Just thought I'd throw this out there to see if there is already some experience out there. Someone must have done some research on this.
Anyway, let me know your thoughts.

Thanks,
Extemp.

Garbage pickup and Trash Compactors:
Put all your tin cans in a flowting bag marked USA Coast Gard Donation
of the Great Depersion and dump it over board. O ya be out side the 3 mile limet and mark the tide head in land and the give it a heavho.

[mrohr]

Cut both ends out of cans, squash flat under foot;make(plywood or fiber glass) trash can wide enough for your shoe size, stomp down as needed. Line trash receptical with trash liner before stomping; works a treat .