Peggie, In spring I purchased my first big boat with a real head, vs. the portapotty in our faithful Mac26. Early on I knew the head hoses were in need of replacing, a winter project. Frankly though I don’t look forward to replacing the hoses or thinking about all the 24 gals of waste under the v-berth. I am considering replacing the whole existing set-up with a composting toilet. In your book you said the physical size was an issue but a composting toilet call the AirHead is somewhat smaller and fits in the available foot print on my boat. Frankly the concept is the ultimate of “kiss”. Are you aware of this particular product or have anything to add beyond what is in your book? We currently use our boat April to mid-November on the mid Chesapeake Bay up to two weeks at a time. Thanks, Steve Balk Leesburg, VA Sailing from Pasadena, MD on Moonbreeze, 1970 Columbia 36
Composting Toilet
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Pump out!
Regardless of what Peggie says, I'd certainly recommend you pump out the old holding tank before removing/replacing it! Then you won't "have to worry about" it...
Regardless of what Peggie says, I'd certainly recommend you pump out the old holding tank before removing/replacing it! Then you won't "have to worry about" it...
Can't argue with that, Marc!
The Airhead needs a continous source of power for the heater and blower to work as advertised...and despite mfr's claims to the contrary, a small solar panel is not sufficient to keep the battery charged while the boat sits. So unless you keep your boat in a slip connected to shore power, that could be a problem. And there's one more issue: the urine jugs. Two people will fill one up in 2 days...so you'd have quite a few of 'em by the end of a two week cruise...and you can't just dump 'em over the side unless you're out to sea at least 3 miles from the nearest point on the whole US coastline, which is a loooooong trip from anywhere in the Bay...they must be stored and carried ashore to be emptied. If you have to do that, you might as well carry a portapotty ashore. For about the same price, you could have a Lectra/San, which treats and discharges a flush at a time legally and doesn't require any power except while it's actually treating each flush...and the discharge is cleaner than that from most sewage treatment plants (which is where holding tank contents end up to be treated and discharged). So why store any waste aboard if you don't have to AND can discharge it without harm to the environment? The 1.7 AH/flush seems a bit scary...but in fact only amounts to about 10 AH/day, which is well within the power resources of any adequately powered sailboat. Quite a few people here have a Lectra/San and love it...check it out here:
The Airhead needs a continous source of power for the heater and blower to work as advertised...and despite mfr's claims to the contrary, a small solar panel is not sufficient to keep the battery charged while the boat sits. So unless you keep your boat in a slip connected to shore power, that could be a problem. And there's one more issue: the urine jugs. Two people will fill one up in 2 days...so you'd have quite a few of 'em by the end of a two week cruise...and you can't just dump 'em over the side unless you're out to sea at least 3 miles from the nearest point on the whole US coastline, which is a loooooong trip from anywhere in the Bay...they must be stored and carried ashore to be emptied. If you have to do that, you might as well carry a portapotty ashore. For about the same price, you could have a Lectra/San, which treats and discharges a flush at a time legally and doesn't require any power except while it's actually treating each flush...and the discharge is cleaner than that from most sewage treatment plants (which is where holding tank contents end up to be treated and discharged). So why store any waste aboard if you don't have to AND can discharge it without harm to the environment? The 1.7 AH/flush seems a bit scary...but in fact only amounts to about 10 AH/day, which is well within the power resources of any adequately powered sailboat. Quite a few people here have a Lectra/San and love it...check it out here:
Compost toilet
Peggie, most wastewater treatment plants remove suspended solids and most of the nutrients and have very small amounts of chlorine. In fact, have you ever been to a modern wastewater plant? If you have, you would see that the effluent is quite clear. Lectra san discharges large slugs of chlorine which is toxic to marine life as well as all of the solids deposited in the head, just chopped fine.
Peggie, most wastewater treatment plants remove suspended solids and most of the nutrients and have very small amounts of chlorine. In fact, have you ever been to a modern wastewater plant? If you have, you would see that the effluent is quite clear. Lectra san discharges large slugs of chlorine which is toxic to marine life as well as all of the solids deposited in the head, just chopped fine.
Not true of the Lectra/San, Bill
The Lectra/San creates hypochlorous acid (a type of chlorine)by charging the ions in salt water with electrical current...it's only hypochlorous acid while the current is being applied...as soon as the stimulous (current) is removed, the solution reverts to salt water. It's a completely natural process--the same thing happens when a lightning strike hits the ocean. That's the beauty of the L/S compared to other devices that require adding chlorine tablets or liquids...no free chlorine goes into the water from the L/S to pollute it or kill marine life. It's the most environmentally friendly device--even more friendly than holding tanks--anyone could ask for.
The Lectra/San creates hypochlorous acid (a type of chlorine)by charging the ions in salt water with electrical current...it's only hypochlorous acid while the current is being applied...as soon as the stimulous (current) is removed, the solution reverts to salt water. It's a completely natural process--the same thing happens when a lightning strike hits the ocean. That's the beauty of the L/S compared to other devices that require adding chlorine tablets or liquids...no free chlorine goes into the water from the L/S to pollute it or kill marine life. It's the most environmentally friendly device--even more friendly than holding tanks--anyone could ask for.
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