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Old 14-10-2015, 12:40   #61
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

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In a marina you have bathrooms. Most people use the shoreside facilities rather than have to mess with pumping out a holding tank. Marinas for years and years existed with boats and direct discharge. We didn't hear about any attacks of the plague. The truth is other than nutrients, direct discharge into saltwater has few health issues. Bacteria and viruses that affect humans are soon neutered by the salt water. Not the case with freshwater, however so you guys in the Great Lakes can keep your floating outhouses.

Of some concern for the nutrient addition is crowded anchorages with poor tidal flushing. Put 50 boats in an enclosed bay and you might upset the normal processing of nutrients and create bacteria blooms. Possible though never heard much about it. Does seem to be a problem in some coastal areas with high density housing using defective septic systems.

Look at the above picture of a whale taking a dump. How many boats do you think it would take to equal that one whale?? Just think, whale population is still way down from what it was 250 years ago despite all the conservation efforts. Will take a lot more boats dumping their poo to come anywhere what the whales used to deposit. When it comes to S**t, it's the municipal sewage treatment plants that habitually dumps millions of gallons of the stuff into the water every time they have a hiccup in the weather that actually make a significant addition to water quality. Even those humongous dumps are dissipated within a day or two. Of course, non point source nutrient runoff is really the BIG culprit when we are talking nutrient pollution.
I agree with everything in this post. However, I still bought a C-Head. Between the regulatory environment & the hassle of maintaining the head, tank, hoses, thru hulls & dealing with pump outs it's just not worth it for me. And please do bother to tell me how your head always works & you never have to do anything to it. I've dealt with these things since we had a 30' wooden sloop at the Ala Wai yacht harbor back in the 60's. Let me tell you, rebuilding a head when you're 5 years old is no picnic!
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Old 14-10-2015, 13:24   #62
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

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Originally Posted by roverhi View Post
Of some concern for the nutrient addition is crowded anchorages with poor tidal flushing. Put 50 boats in an enclosed bay and you might upset the normal processing of nutrients and create bacteria blooms. Possible though never heard much about it.
Actually, that happens here in Tampa Bay on a pretty regular basis.
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Old 14-10-2015, 13:35   #63
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

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Actually, that happens here in Tampa Bay on a pretty regular basis.
Swamped by rains, St. Pete dumps treated sewage into Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay Times

"ST. PETERSBURG — Faced with a wastewater system overwhelmed by weeks of torrential rainfall, the city dumped about 5.5 million gallons of treated sewage into Tampa Bay for eight hours beginning Sunday evening."

Yeah, but it isn't the boaters. It would take a hell of a lot of boats to dump 5.5 million gallons of waste in the bay treated or not. This happens all the time with cities all over the coast, and then boaters get the blame.

Sorry for the thread drift.

I personally don't want to have to deal with a bucket of solid waste all the time. And then if you liveaboard, the waste isn't composted unless you let it sit for days on end without using it.

And then what do you do with it? If you're at a marina do you put it in a plastic bag to have somebody take it to a dump for you? Do you think the additional plastic bag manufactured and then used to hold your waste is better for the environment than dumping overboard?
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Old 14-10-2015, 17:56   #64
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Going Green Nature Composting toilet

Cool, well have at it then. I look forward to seeing your turds floating by.

The inability of the single human to see his or her actions as a part of the massive, detrimental whole never ceases to amaze me.

I will stick with my sanctimony and my composter thank you very much.

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Old 15-10-2015, 05:40   #65
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

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Yeah, but it isn't the boaters.
Well, it certainly isn't ALWAYS the boaters, and it certainly isn't JUST the boaters. Nonetheless, there are thousands of boats on Tampa Bay and they clearly make a contribution.

We have bacteria blooms on a regular basis, and only infrequently are they associated with a municipality dumping sewage. The biggest contributor is fertilizer runoff from the many homes around the Bay. But there is no denying that boats are a small part of the problem also. We should all be aware of what we are flushing into the water, and recognize that even if one person's waste is not a problem, when thousands are doing it then it can become a serious issue pretty quickly.
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Old 15-10-2015, 12:58   #66
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

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Originally Posted by ReMetau View Post
...
I personally don't want to have to deal with a bucket of solid waste all the time. And then if you liveaboard, the waste isn't composted unless you let it sit for days on end without using it.

And then what do you do with it? If you're at a marina do you put it in a plastic bag to have somebody take it to a dump for you? Do you think the additional plastic bag manufactured and then used to hold your waste is better for the environment than dumping overboard?
I have a black 3 gal bucket with a Gamma Seal lid... I screwed a vent in the lid and generally keep the compost bucket in a cockpit locker for a few months... then I dump the dirt on the marina's flower bed.
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Old 15-10-2015, 14:32   #67
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

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Originally Posted by jkindredpdx View Post
I have a black 3 gal bucket with a Gamma Seal lid... I screwed a vent in the lid and generally keep the compost bucket in a cockpit locker for a few months... then I dump the dirt on the marina's flower bed.
And the next rain washes it back into the marina.
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Old 15-10-2015, 14:36   #68
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

Hi ReMetau,
It does not have to be disposed of via a plastic bag. If you are at a place with loo facilities you can flush it into the municiple system (and perhaps they shall then discharge it into the sea!). Remember, there are statements made that in some countries the drinking water has already been through as many as seven humans already so treatment can and does work.
The old story of crawling before running can be carried over to this situation as well.
Its a beginning if we want it to be or even allow it to be, but surely we need to start trying to do something besides always relying on others or the government? .....and besides, we can actually start setting examples to others, possibly.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ReMetau View Post
Swamped by rains, St. Pete dumps treated sewage into Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay Times

"ST. PETERSBURG — Faced with a wastewater system overwhelmed by weeks of torrential rainfall, the city dumped about 5.5 million gallons of treated sewage into Tampa Bay for eight hours beginning Sunday evening."

Yeah, but it isn't the boaters. It would take a hell of a lot of boats to dump 5.5 million gallons of waste in the bay treated or not. This happens all the time with cities all over the coast, and then boaters get the blame.

Sorry for the thread drift.

I personally don't want to have to deal with a bucket of solid waste all the time. And then if you liveaboard, the waste isn't composted unless you let it sit for days on end without using it.

And then what do you do with it? If you're at a marina do you put it in a plastic bag to have somebody take it to a dump for you? Do you think the additional plastic bag manufactured and then used to hold your waste is better for the environment than dumping overboard?
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Old 15-10-2015, 14:59   #69
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

My house plumbing, very old (maybe even Victorian) decided to have a methane propelled explosion through the toilet while I was standing over it...the lid was up.
I was covered in poop from my head to my feet and the sewage was coming up through the tub too. Only ONE bath in the house and it could not be used! It was an epic poop event that I have no desire to repeat.


I have since read stories of marine heads that are just as unpleasant.


When we do buy our boat, we will have a composing head. No smell, dry and clean...that sounds good to me!
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Old 16-10-2015, 18:49   #70
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

Happy that have we have given opions when you get your boat

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Old 17-10-2015, 22:25   #71
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

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Originally Posted by autumnbreeze27 View Post
We flip a switch to get rid of up to 30 gallons of waste. We don't have to stir our poo in a big pot. We don't have to carry a bucket of waste somewhere to dump it. My wife wanted a composting head; at strictly sail in Oakland I had her ask the composting head people how it worked. After they explained how u empty the pee bucket this way and the poo another way; her eyes got real big and she said "hell no".

You've never had flies? Where do u cruise? Are u in tropical heat and humidity?




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i you think that sounds absolutely horrid, what are you going to do when you have holding tank of plumbing issues? you should hear the stories about those issues.
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Old 17-10-2015, 22:34   #72
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

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We didn't get our C-Head because of environmental concerns. I don't believe pumping overboard has any adverse effect on the environment whatsoever. We did it because it was time to replace the hoses & install a new holding tank & this was so much easier. Plus no worries about being legal if boarded & no pump outs. However, regarding pee disposal I plan to just dump it overboard. I can't imagine anyone in their right mind believes that peeing overboard harms the environment.
oh no. you misunderstand. it is thoroughly legal to actually pee in the water. you just can't pee in a bucket and toss it in the water. something about the interaction of the urine with the bucket that makes it toxic in the environment. that's why it's ok or fish and turtles and snakes and crocs and whales and crabs and...well...anything at all, really, to piss in the water. no bucket!

i agree with you. then again, on the other hand, if the population of people pissing in the water at one time grows too large, i guess it might create an issue. but, then, population is the real criminal in most pollution issues.
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Old 17-10-2015, 22:57   #73
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

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I'm just curious as to why it is so common for people who have no experience to try and paint such a negative and unsavory picture? Why try and dissuade someone who is looking for an honest evaluation of how something works if you don't actually know how it works?

[/I].
pretty common online, actually. for instance, people who have no experience on catamarans claim they suck. people who have never sailed full keel boats love to narc on such boats. people who have never sailed motorless tend to have overly strong opinions of it. it's just the way things are. the key is to not let those people get under your skin because, as you point out, their uninformed opinions matter very little.
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Old 17-10-2015, 23:37   #74
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

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Originally Posted by ReMetau View Post
Swamped by rains, St. Pete dumps treated sewage into Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay Times

"ST. PETERSBURG — Faced with a wastewater system overwhelmed by weeks of torrential rainfall, the city dumped about 5.5 million gallons of treated sewage into Tampa Bay for eight hours beginning Sunday evening."

Yeah, but it isn't the boaters. It would take a hell of a lot of boats to dump 5.5 million gallons of waste in the bay treated or not. This happens all the time with cities all over the coast, and then boaters get the blame.

Sorry for the thread drift.

I personally don't want to have to deal with a bucket of solid waste all the time. And then if you liveaboard, the waste isn't composted unless you let it sit for days on end without using it.

And then what do you do with it? If you're at a marina do you put it in a plastic bag to have somebody take it to a dump for you? Do you think the additional plastic bag manufactured and then used to hold your waste is better for the environment than dumping overboard?
totally irrelevant question since it's generally illegal to dump unless you are at sea.
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Old 17-10-2015, 23:40   #75
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Re: Going Green Nature Composting toilet

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And the next rain washes it back into the marina.
as dirt. i believe that's his point. all the dirt that covers this planet started life as either someone or something's crap or someone or something's corpse.
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