Porta Potty with the largest seat?

Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
Are there any portable toilets that have a seat that's close in size to a standard toilet seat? My husband practically refuses to use a porta potty or a luggable loo seat on a bucket, because he says the seat is too small for comfort.

I've owned several Sanipotties, Thetfords, Reliance Luggable Loo, etc. a. He avoids over nights the boat. :(.
 

Jim26m

.
Apr 3, 2019
579
Macgregor 26M Mobile AL
I feel like I've entered an alternate universe... A wife wants to overnight on a sailboat, but the husband won't due to toilet seat size.

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Actually, I'll be watching this. It's an area I'd like to improve for my crew.
 
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Likes: Camchain
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
Unless your hubby has a larger-than-average butt, portapotty height is more likely than seat size to be the issue. If so, the larger 5.5 gal portapotty may be the solution. It's standard household height, so it's not like squatting on a bucket.
If so, you might want to consider an MSD version. The "MSD" designation in the model name/number means it has fittings for a pumpout line and vent line, and is designed to be permanently installed (actually just sturdier brackets than portables, so you could still take it off the boat if you absolutely have to), which means that although it's still called a PORTApotty, you don't have to carry anything off the boat.
More details if you're interested.
--Peggie
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,400
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Are there any portable toilets that have a seat that's close in size to a standard toilet seat? My husband practically refuses to use a porta potty or a luggable loo seat on a bucket, because he says the seat is too small for comfort.

I've owned several Sanipotties, Thetfords, Reliance Luggable Loo, etc. a. He avoids over nights the boat. :(.
Tell him he's being girly. That should solve it. Or point him towards one of the openings on the tramp.

If the head is in the standard F-24 MK I location, it isn't a height problem. In fact, spacers are normally installed under the head.

 

Jim26m

.
Apr 3, 2019
579
Macgregor 26M Mobile AL
Use sailors ingenuity, Buy a regular seat and nail it down to a porta potty. What's the problem?
I'm an engineer. That solution is far too simple and easy to implement for me to accept. Now, if I had to heavily modify the seat, weld up some brackets, maybe fiberglass something...
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
I'm an engineer. That solution is far too simple and easy to implement for me to accept. Now, if I had to heavily modify the seat, weld up some brackets, maybe fiberglass something...
Only an engineer would even think of doing that. You've brought to mind one my favorites about engineers: Most people believe, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Engineers are convinced that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

--Peggie
 
Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
Tell him he's being girly. That should solve it.
seriously? :banghead:


If the head is in the standard F-24 MK I location, it isn't a height problem. In fact, spacers are normally installed under the head.
That PP location, as designed by Walton (not Farrier), is a poor use of space, IMO. And it’s awkward as heck to use. There’s plenty of room under the companionway for the portapotty and a cooler.

The PP or bucket will go under the companionway. I may need to build a stand to raise it up by stacking.

We modified the opening to the vberth so that we can use it for storage when cruising. There’s no other storage space except the vberth.. That’s where we keep the tent that goes on the net, the Torqueedo batteries, and various comforts and necessities.
 
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Nov 22, 2011
1,192
Ericson 26-2 San Pedro, CA
Unless your hubby has a larger-than-average butt, portapotty height is more likely than seat size to be the issue. If so, the larger 5.5 gal portapotty may be the solution. It's standard household height, so it's not like squatting on a bucket.
If so, you might want to consider an MSD version. The "MSD" designation in the model name/number means it has fittings for a pumpout line and vent line, and is designed to be permanently installed (actually just sturdier brackets than portables, so you could still take it off the boat if you absolutely have to), which means that although it's still called a PORTApotty, you don't have to carry anything off the boat.
More details if you're interested.
--Peggie
FWIW, my wife is tall (taller than me, anyway!) and she likes the Thetford 550P MSD much better than the heads I've had on earlier boats for just this reason. She really does find it more comfortable.
 
Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
I am compiling measurements of porta potty seat openings.
seriously. No joke
Results to appear here soon.

Spoiler alert: some seats are bigger from front to back than others.
 
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Likes: Jim26m
Mar 26, 2011
3,400
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
It is if the potty inside that compartment is only 12" high instead of 15".
--Peggie
All of the F-24 MK Is I have seen were factory equipped with a spacer block that brought the head up level with the compartment. Mine was. I think Judy B knows this.
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,400
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
seriously? ...:banghead:
I'm just joking with you. I swear! It's guy humor, targeted at your husband, and if you took it as an anti-woman comment, I apologize sincerely. It was not intended that way. And yeah, it strikes me as funny that he would make a point of it.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
All of the F-24 MK Is I have seen were factory equipped with a spacer block that brought the head up level with the compartment. Mine was. I think Judy B knows this.
Looking at Judy's photo, it seems to me that raising the potty high enough to put the seat level with the top of that compartment would put the potty lid too high to close the lid on the compartment.
But I think she said they'll put the potty somewhere else , so it's a moot point this time.
Maybe this is the best solution? bumper dumper Should fit nicely on the transom...
--Peggie
 
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Likes: DrJudyB
Mar 26, 2011
3,400
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Looking at Judy's photo, it seems to me that raising the potty high enough to put the seat level with the top of that compartment would put the potty lid too high to close the lid on the compartment.
But I think she said they'll put the potty somewhere else , so it's a moot point this time.
Maybe this is the best solution? bumper dumper Should fit nicely on the transom...
--Peggie
That was my picture.

I agree with Judy, that it is a poor choice of location in several ways. In fact, we often lift it into the cockpit at night; it's dark and the air is fresh. If I were doing more cruising the head would be under the companionway. I would also look into building something like a C-head to fit the dimensions. Most of the time we use WAG bags in the head so that we don't have to fool with it, and we only use 1-2 per year! I might look into a better way to manage those.

Regarding storage, Judi, you can fit hanging bags in the countertop and under the seat lids. But yeah, that's still limited. The truth is, I moved down to the F-24 because I wanted a fun daysailing boat. Most of the time we use WAG bags in the head so that we don't have to fool with it, and we only use 1-2 per year!

My last boat was a cruising cat with a standard holding tank arrangement. It worked very well if managed properly. But I'm not convinced portapotties are the best solution for small boats. I feel the jury is still out. They are too small for practical pump-out, and too much to lug around.
 
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Likes: DrJudyB
Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
Wow, this thread is really drifting.

Let me restate the original question I asked: I'm looking for a portable (not built in) toilet that has a sufficiently elongated seat (front to back) which would be more accommodating of MALES when they need to sit down to defecate (with the option to urinate if necessary).

The best place on my boat for a portable toilet is under the companionway. The space underneath the companionway has at least 18" or 19" vertical clearance. Width is more than adequate.

The vberth area is not a good location for the toilet on our boat because we have turned it into a huge locker that can store large items. We modified the original molded fiberglass for the vberth and changed the hinged lid.

For crew, we're got a good way to deal with urination. Our preference is to use urinals. Every regular crew member, male and female, gets a urinal All male crew use the leeward side when it's convenient.

For guests, we supply clean, spare male and female urinal. Female guest may choose either the spare (clean ) urinal or the toilet. Male guests have always been comfortable urinating over the side or into a urinal.

Judy
 
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Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
Unless your hubby has a larger-than-average butt, portapotty height is more likely than seat size to be the issue. If so, the larger 5.5 gal portapotty may be the solution.
It's not his butt that doesn't fit comfortably on the PP. It's his other junk. It hits the toilet seat. That's yukky and I don't blame him for complaining.

I have discovered that not all porta potty seats are the same. Several of the taller, 5.5 gallon PP have seats that have bigger openings and have bowls that are shaped differntly deeper bowls. They are also about an inch bigger in each dimension of the footprint. A couple I've found have the same front to back dimension as a standard round toilet seat.

I think I've found a comfy seat that is as big as a standard round toilet that goes on top of a bucket that has been fitted with a leak proof removable bucket seal (gamma seal).

If it works as expected, I think I've found a good solution for a portable toilet on our boat. I prefer the convenience of throwing wag bags away compared to the hassle of emptying a portapotty or separating toilet.

I've ordered the seat and a few wag bags from Restop.com . I don't need the bucket or gamma seal. I own a few of them already.



If it meets my expectations, i'll fabricate a base that will provide stability when we pull it out from under the companionway in a lumpy seaway. We'll use something like WAG bags for defecation and solid waste. We will store the closed wag bags inside the sealed bucket until we can dispose of them responsibly.

Commercially available WAG bags aren't very earth friendly, but maybe I can figure out a way to use composting bags with a gelling and anti-stink agent that permits us to dispose of human waste responsibly. We don't use many WAG bags now, so finding an earth-friendly WAG isn't an urgent problem (no pun intended;))

Judy
 
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