Ladies aboard

[bcguy]

...so glad this forum is here. I am a single hander on a 36' sailboat. For the first time ever, I will have 2 ladies visiting for a week (both in their 50's)...good health etc. I have an air head composting toilet.

My question is what should I be providing for their "bathroom" requirements ... hmm...the sanitary napkin issue would be one that comes to mind. And anything else that I should provide that could make my visitors at ease in the personal care department would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance...

Gary

[Capct]

Originally Posted by bcguy

...so glad this forum is here. I am a single hander on a 36' sailboat. For the first time ever, I will have 2 ladies visiting for a week (both in their 50's)...good health etc. I have an air head composting toilet.

My question is what should I be providing for their "bathroom" requirements ... hmm...the sanitary napkin issue would be one that comes to mind. And anything else that I should provide that could make my visitors at ease in the personal care department would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance...

Gary

get a bottle of febreeze....damn stuff can make any head time a flowery kinda experiance.seperate clean towels and soaps for your guests...flowers by the way are purportedly good luck on a boat....while women on a boat are not ....but hold on ....naked women on a boat is "goodluck".
...provide paper/plastic bags for disposal of anything that is not toilet paper....
boats have a habit of being cluttered...make a special effort to keep all their gear stowed and tidy to minimize the extra trip hazards that occur with extra luggage shoes etc.

dont get them to crew if they have never done it before or are relatively useless....getting agitated with loved ones is never a good thing and pay attention to what your doing x2....women have a habit of distracting men.Loads of accidents have happened while a Lady has inadvertenly distracted the capt from his first responsibilty...ironically enough everyones well being and safety.

little convinient things go a long way on the sea from a womans perspective I would imagine...I have a gaggle of girls who can't crew or have real difficulty...this has been my experiance for what it is worth

[Harriet]

As far as personal care items are concerned, let them bring their own. There is no possible way you can choose these things for them, and I am certain they have their own favorite products.

If you really want to make things nice and easy for them, especially if they are not very familiar with boats, prepare an info sheet that explains water conservation (i.e., don't run the water while you are brushing your teeth), proper head procedures, any "house rules" such as shoes on deck, etc. I know there are a number of examples of such things on line, and a quick Google might help you format your own.

Books, particularly about the area in which you will be cruising, might be a nice touch to have on hand.

And kudos to you for making the effort to make your guests feel at home.

[Red Charlotte]

Since no feminine products can be flushed down the head, we keep a box of small, brown, paper bags in the head. I use them for anytime I need to discretely carry something out to the regular trash.

[Weyalan]

Most people (ladies & gents) who are unfamiliar with boats and, in particular, boat "facilities" will probably not be aware of the idiosyncrasies of the marine head. Although it can be a little bit embarassing to explain the workings of the marine toilet, it is probably less embarassing than having a guest accidentally block up your toilet through lack of an explanation of it's limitations. So bite the bullet and explain, up front, how the toilet works, what sea-cocks need to be opened & closed, how much paper to use, where to put the paper, etc.

[dana-tenacity]

Tell me more about your air head, they sound great but I've been waiting to hear from someone who actually uses one.

[Pericles]

Here is another manufacturer. http://www.firstmatescabin.com/06boa...ilet_flyer.pdf

Pericles

[markpj23]

Originally Posted by bcguy

... For the first time ever, I will have 2 ladies visiting for a week (both in their 50's)...good health etc. I have an air head composting toilet.

My question is what should I be providing for their "bathroom" requirements ... hmm...the sanitary napkin issue would be one that comes to mind.

Hate to sound like a smart a@@ but if they're in their 50s and haven't been shooting human growth hormone,.. then you'll not have to worry at all about sanitary napkins. Unless of course you mean "Depends" or something...

Menopause is that phenomenon where during the night someone sneaks into your bedroom and replaces your wife with an alien being.... Oh sure, she still looks like your wife, but is no longer.....

[hellosailor]

Does your composting head require any special instructions? If so, a small placard in the head to remind them, along with the obligatory plaque for landlubbers, i.e. "Nothing goes in the head except toilet paper, unless you have eaten it, please use the garbage pail for anything else". And a small garbage pail with a snug top and some not-see-through bags works great for anything else. Easier to err on the side of discretion, who knows, you might have younger company on board some day.

I fully agree with Weyalan that every guest should get a tour and explanation for any marine head--but half will quickly forget it, making the placard (placed where someone sitting will be facing it) much cheaper than calling a plumber.

Some liquid pump soap? Waterless hand sanitizer? Paper towels? Depending on what they will be expected to operate, like seacock valves and such. If they will be aboard for any length of time, they may use the paper to remove sunblock? or makeup? so the question of putting it in the can or the head still is real.

Of course, if they are truly ladies, what are they doing on a boat in the first place?
< G >

[Red Charlotte]

Originally Posted by markpj23

Hate to sound like a smart a@@ but if they're in their 50s and haven't been shooting human growth hormone,.. then you'll not have to worry at all about sanitary napkins. Unless of course you mean "Depends" or something...

Menopause is that phenomenon where during the night someone sneaks into your bedroom and replaces your wife with an alien being.... Oh sure, she still looks like your wife, but is no longer.....

Obligatory eye roll here. Not all women "in their 50's" have hit menopause my friend! That's a whole 10 year period.

And I'll be the sour puss about menopause jokes as well.. If you don't wanna marry/date a woman through all her phases, then just don't. Besides, alien beings can be fun, just look at E.T.

[Weyalan]

Firstly bravo to Red Charlotte. Women are people too!

Secondly, I heartily agree with hellosailor - an instruction placard is good. I have one at eye level directly in fromt of you when you are "enthroned", as follows:

Toilet Operating Instruction

A. Open sea-cocks
There are two sea-cocks: A large red one and a small grey one. When the handle is parallel to the hose, the sea-cock is open.

B. Do your thing
Self explanatory, however see note; below.

C. Flush with wet bowl
The small lever on the pump unit should be moved down to pump water into the bowl. It may be necessary to pump very vigorously initially to start the water flow.

D. Flush with dry bowl
The small lever on the pump should be moved up to pump the bowl dry.

E. Close sea-cocks
When the handle is at 90 degrees to the hose, the sea-cock is closed (this reduces the likelihood of the boat sinking and is therefore encouraged).

Note: Marine toilets are notoriously prone to blockages. To minimise the chance of blockage (and all the unpleasantness associated), we recommend the following procedure:

1. Pump a little bit of water into the bowl first (reduces “klingons”)
2. Dump your load
3. Flush the load completely away
4. Wipe
5. Flush the paper away.
6. If you like / need to use a lot of paper, flush between each wipe
7. A little spray around the bowl with the disinfectant bottle makes your experience more pleasant for the next user

[hellosailor]

Weyalan-
Something I learned from a similar (and much shorter<G>) sign in a Port-o-San:

Wet the bowl first! Before you even sit down. It keeps the bowl much cleaner, allows everything to slide in and be gone. Even works for home thrones, who knew?

[stevemac00]

Jeez Weyalan. Like reading a manual for a chartplotter. Just aim the shower hose to fill the bowl and go!

[markpj23]

Originally Posted by Red Charlotte

Obligatory eye roll here. Not all women "in their 50's" have hit menopause my friend! That's a whole 10 year period.

OK - point taken

And I'll be the sour puss about menopause jokes as well.. If you don't wanna marry/date a woman through all her phases, then just don't. Besides, alien beings can be fun, just look at E.T.

Hey - I never said it wasn't fun!

[Pblais]

Best approach is be direct and tell them what they need to know to do and not to do. The quicker and more direct you are about it the better everyone will be. We usually start right off with a "how to operate the head" lesson. when they have to go is not the best time to do this. It can be fun if you practice the drill with folks frequently. everyone really does want to know so you should not feel awkward do the lesson.