We sail on a Lake that is the fresh water supply for a city and therefore motors and toilets are not allowed onboard. I don't want to lay out $150 for a camper style porta potty only to have it confiscated by the powers that be on the water BUT I do need something for my young daughter to enjoy in the event that nature calls when we are on the water. I also don't want to limit my daughter's participation to the length of time between toilet visits. The prospect of having a seven year old doing the Pee Pee Dance while Dad frantically tries to get back to the dock is not appealing. My handy-dandy neighbour suggested I keep a 5 gallon pail onboard and pop an old toilet seat on it when required. I figured that the pail would have a Glad Kitchen bag inside for the liquids and that the bag would be off-loaded at the end of the day with the empty juice containers and lunch bags. I have seen backpacker toilet systems that use a folding seat and plastic bag affair but cannot seem to locate one. Any other ideas, advise, suggestions or help. Richard
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How Can That Be?
How can it be legal to keep a bucket full of human waste aboard and illegal to keep a device specifically engineered and manufactured to collect and manage human waste? Is that stupidity at its finest, or what? Are you sure that a porta-potty is not allowed? If so, I would have a hard time seeing that a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat isn't a porta-potty as well - and therefore prohibited. It might be interesting to ask the authorities exactly what they expect you/your daughter to do? Good Luck! Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 Seattle
How can it be legal to keep a bucket full of human waste aboard and illegal to keep a device specifically engineered and manufactured to collect and manage human waste? Is that stupidity at its finest, or what? Are you sure that a porta-potty is not allowed? If so, I would have a hard time seeing that a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat isn't a porta-potty as well - and therefore prohibited. It might be interesting to ask the authorities exactly what they expect you/your daughter to do? Good Luck! Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 Seattle
Marine Porta Potty
A marine porta potti is probably legal as it allows containment of the waste until it can be disposed of at a dump station or toilet facility ashore. Canadian laws may vary - but a marine (not camper) version of a porta potti is what I would check in to.
A marine porta potti is probably legal as it allows containment of the waste until it can be disposed of at a dump station or toilet facility ashore. Canadian laws may vary - but a marine (not camper) version of a porta potti is what I would check in to.
Racer's Bucket
Heads are heavy, porta-potti's are foul. West Marine even sells a seat specifically for buckets. Put some newspapers or paper towels in the bottom of the bag and viola~~ all day sailing, even with ladies on board. Best, Bill
Heads are heavy, porta-potti's are foul. West Marine even sells a seat specifically for buckets. Put some newspapers or paper towels in the bottom of the bag and viola~~ all day sailing, even with ladies on board. Best, Bill
Porta Potties illegal in most provinces
I'm talking about the removable kind. Doesn't matter whether you call them marine or camping porta potties. I can't think of a single province in Canada where they are legal on a vessel. The units that are fixed in place with air vent and pumpout line are legal however. They must be mounted in such a way that the occupant can't remove them (same as a standard boat head). The fines are quite steep for breaking this law. Don't even think of having a beer on board when at your mooring or at anchor if you don't comply with the legal sanitation requirements.
I'm talking about the removable kind. Doesn't matter whether you call them marine or camping porta potties. I can't think of a single province in Canada where they are legal on a vessel. The units that are fixed in place with air vent and pumpout line are legal however. They must be mounted in such a way that the occupant can't remove them (same as a standard boat head). The fines are quite steep for breaking this law. Don't even think of having a beer on board when at your mooring or at anchor if you don't comply with the legal sanitation requirements.
Those crazy Canadians!
You gotta love our neighbors to the north. Sounds like enviro-correctness run amok. Could you post some pictures of the Pee Pee dance? West Marine sells a porta potti that can be installed permanently with a pumpout. This may be the best choice for you.
You gotta love our neighbors to the north. Sounds like enviro-correctness run amok. Could you post some pictures of the Pee Pee dance? West Marine sells a porta potti that can be installed permanently with a pumpout. This may be the best choice for you.
nauti-duck...good thinking
."...a porta potti that can be installed permanently with a pumpout." lets think about that for a minute.
."...a porta potti that can be installed permanently with a pumpout." lets think about that for a minute.
dont give no s**t
Lets assume that JIMQ26 is correct in knowing the law. Then your only choice is..."The units that are fixed in place with air vent and pumpout line" probably about $20 for the deck plate, another $20 for the hose and then what ever it costs for a head , maybe another $100. So, for about $150 and a days work, you will be set. Hopefully you have the room for this. now i'm done talkin s**t.
Lets assume that JIMQ26 is correct in knowing the law. Then your only choice is..."The units that are fixed in place with air vent and pumpout line" probably about $20 for the deck plate, another $20 for the hose and then what ever it costs for a head , maybe another $100. So, for about $150 and a days work, you will be set. Hopefully you have the room for this. now i'm done talkin s**t.
sailortonyb
Here is the link. An easy way to have the best of both worlds! http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/10001/-1/10001/46543/10001/715/209/11 These also get good reviews: http://www.thetford.com/marine_series.cfm#aquamate
Here is the link. An easy way to have the best of both worlds! http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/10001/-1/10001/46543/10001/715/209/11 These also get good reviews: http://www.thetford.com/marine_series.cfm#aquamate
Is it enforced?
There are 14 MacGregors 26 in our club and nobody heard about legal problems with porta-potti.
There are 14 MacGregors 26 in our club and nobody heard about legal problems with porta-potti.
Tomek - It is enforced on Lake Ontario!!!
Yes - if you are inspected and found to have an illegal porta pottie not "permanently" affixed with pump out hose etc. you will be fined. I'm surprised you don't know the laws. Surely you must have a local coast guard or auxilliary in Scarborough who will be happy to do inspections for you.
Yes - if you are inspected and found to have an illegal porta pottie not "permanently" affixed with pump out hose etc. you will be fined. I'm surprised you don't know the laws. Surely you must have a local coast guard or auxilliary in Scarborough who will be happy to do inspections for you.
Wow, it's true!! Check out the link
From the Office of Boating Safety in Canada...link below Sewage Restrictions Help Keep Our Waterways Clean There are restrictions against pumping sewage into all waters with the province of Ontario and some interior lakes of British Columbia and Manitoba. In these areas, a pleasure craft fitted with a toilet must also be fitted with a holding tank and if fitted with a piping system that allows the discharge of sewage directly overboard, then this discharge must be visibly disconnected. Sewage may only be discharged at shore pump-out facilities. Portable Toilets Portable toilets are illegal on Ontario waters. The owner of a pleasure craft shall ensure that each toilet and the holding tank(s) is/are installed so that; * The toilet and equipment are connected in such a manner that the equipment receives all toilet waste from the toilet. * Equipment designed for the storage of human excrement is provided with a deck fitting and such connecting piping as is necessary for the removal of toilet waste by shore-based pumping equipment. * No means of removal of toilet waste is provided other than the means mentioned above. * All parts of the system for removal of toilet waste are congruent with one another and the boat.
From the Office of Boating Safety in Canada...link below Sewage Restrictions Help Keep Our Waterways Clean There are restrictions against pumping sewage into all waters with the province of Ontario and some interior lakes of British Columbia and Manitoba. In these areas, a pleasure craft fitted with a toilet must also be fitted with a holding tank and if fitted with a piping system that allows the discharge of sewage directly overboard, then this discharge must be visibly disconnected. Sewage may only be discharged at shore pump-out facilities. Portable Toilets Portable toilets are illegal on Ontario waters. The owner of a pleasure craft shall ensure that each toilet and the holding tank(s) is/are installed so that; * The toilet and equipment are connected in such a manner that the equipment receives all toilet waste from the toilet. * Equipment designed for the storage of human excrement is provided with a deck fitting and such connecting piping as is necessary for the removal of toilet waste by shore-based pumping equipment. * No means of removal of toilet waste is provided other than the means mentioned above. * All parts of the system for removal of toilet waste are congruent with one another and the boat.
Check out the Thetford products.
Nautiduck gave the link in his posting. The unit we have gives 62 flushes (just as advertised). That's about 15 more flushes than we ever got with a 15 gallon holding tank.
Nautiduck gave the link in his posting. The unit we have gives 62 flushes (just as advertised). That's about 15 more flushes than we ever got with a 15 gallon holding tank.
No Porta Potty in Ontario
The material quoted so far was specifically for foreighn boats visiting Canadian waters, so I checked the regulations for Canadian residents and it is as follows: (Ontario residents scroll to the last line) Managing Your Sewage Waste Heads or Marine Sanitation Devices There are currently five systems for dealing with sewage on recreational and small fishing vessels. Marine Sanitation Devices - (MSD) Type I This system breaks up the sewage and disinfects it with chemicals, then discharges the treated sewage overboard. Note: there, are growing concerns about the environmental effects of the chemicals used in these devices. Marine Sanitation Device - (MSD) Type II This is a more sophisticated and more expensive system than Type 1. It treats the raw sewage to a higher degree through maceration and biological decomposition. Marine Sanitation Device - (MSD) Type III This is a system with a holding tank that can store untreated sewage until you can dispose of it properly at a pump-out station. It is acceptable to add deodorizers. Installation cost for a holding tank is usually less than $1500. Portable self-contained toilet: If your boat doesn't have an installed toilet, you should consider using a portable one, commonly referred to as a "port-a-potty". It should be emptied at a pump-out station or proper disposal site. Port-a-potties are not allowed in Ontario.
The material quoted so far was specifically for foreighn boats visiting Canadian waters, so I checked the regulations for Canadian residents and it is as follows: (Ontario residents scroll to the last line) Managing Your Sewage Waste Heads or Marine Sanitation Devices There are currently five systems for dealing with sewage on recreational and small fishing vessels. Marine Sanitation Devices - (MSD) Type I This system breaks up the sewage and disinfects it with chemicals, then discharges the treated sewage overboard. Note: there, are growing concerns about the environmental effects of the chemicals used in these devices. Marine Sanitation Device - (MSD) Type II This is a more sophisticated and more expensive system than Type 1. It treats the raw sewage to a higher degree through maceration and biological decomposition. Marine Sanitation Device - (MSD) Type III This is a system with a holding tank that can store untreated sewage until you can dispose of it properly at a pump-out station. It is acceptable to add deodorizers. Installation cost for a holding tank is usually less than $1500. Portable self-contained toilet: If your boat doesn't have an installed toilet, you should consider using a portable one, commonly referred to as a "port-a-potty". It should be emptied at a pump-out station or proper disposal site. Port-a-potties are not allowed in Ontario.
Y'all seem to have covered all the bases...
It IS illegal in Canadian waters to have any toilet facilities that are not permanently installed, fitted for pumpout...and that does include a bucket--with or without toilet seat and/or baggie. However, it's rarely if ever enforced against US or other foreign flagged transient vessels, only Canadian vessels. Since Richard is a Canadian, in Canadian waters, the only solution is a self-contained system (portapotty) that can bepermanently installed and fitted for pumpout...the SeaLand 965MSD Sanipottie or any of the Thetford models. Because the permanently installed versions must be vented, it's much easier to eliminate odor from the tank than it is in the sealed portable models. And the tanks are a LOT easier to rinse out than any other holding tank...just open the "trapdoor" in the bowl and use a hose or a bucket during pumpout. If no pumpout facilities are available, and if you trailer your boat home, there's nothing to prevent you from disconnecting the hoses and taking the tank off the boat to dump it down a toilet in your house, btw. It just has to be "permanently" installed while on the water.
It IS illegal in Canadian waters to have any toilet facilities that are not permanently installed, fitted for pumpout...and that does include a bucket--with or without toilet seat and/or baggie. However, it's rarely if ever enforced against US or other foreign flagged transient vessels, only Canadian vessels. Since Richard is a Canadian, in Canadian waters, the only solution is a self-contained system (portapotty) that can bepermanently installed and fitted for pumpout...the SeaLand 965MSD Sanipottie or any of the Thetford models. Because the permanently installed versions must be vented, it's much easier to eliminate odor from the tank than it is in the sealed portable models. And the tanks are a LOT easier to rinse out than any other holding tank...just open the "trapdoor" in the bowl and use a hose or a bucket during pumpout. If no pumpout facilities are available, and if you trailer your boat home, there's nothing to prevent you from disconnecting the hoses and taking the tank off the boat to dump it down a toilet in your house, btw. It just has to be "permanently" installed while on the water.
Richard - Forget it!!!
I assume you sail at the Glenmore Reservoir - the sole water supply source for the City of Calgary. The city has enacted some very specific bylaws regarding sanitation at this location. If you are apprehended with any sort of sanitation device on your vessel that has not been "sealed" by the city, you are in deep doo-doo. I sailed dinghys for years at regattas around the country - out on the water from early morning 'till late afternoon. So do all our 7 year old girls at sailing school. We all managed to get along - so will you. Cheers,
I assume you sail at the Glenmore Reservoir - the sole water supply source for the City of Calgary. The city has enacted some very specific bylaws regarding sanitation at this location. If you are apprehended with any sort of sanitation device on your vessel that has not been "sealed" by the city, you are in deep doo-doo. I sailed dinghys for years at regattas around the country - out on the water from early morning 'till late afternoon. So do all our 7 year old girls at sailing school. We all managed to get along - so will you. Cheers,
That does not make any sense!
What they are doing is forcing you to go over the side. Is the releasing of an ovewhelming biological function against the law? I doubt it. Or take an Igloo cooler and cut a hole in the lid and place an inspection port with screw on lid and walla you have a camouflaged potty. Ice optional. That legislation is another example of short sighted administrators and politicians. They should have consulted boaters on that one.
What they are doing is forcing you to go over the side. Is the releasing of an ovewhelming biological function against the law? I doubt it. Or take an Igloo cooler and cut a hole in the lid and place an inspection port with screw on lid and walla you have a camouflaged potty. Ice optional. That legislation is another example of short sighted administrators and politicians. They should have consulted boaters on that one.
Porti Potti Reality
The basic problem with a porti potti is that you can easily dump it overboard!!! I had a portipotti on my old Mac 26 and a couple of times I dumped it not overboard but I went up into the woods and dumped it into a hole that I dug. Nasty business but when it is full and stinking and there isn't any other place to dump. Fortunately that only happened a couple of times,usually we too it home or dumped it at a marina. Someone without any ethics would just dump it overboard after dark. It sounds like a pain but their law keeps the s**t out of their drinking water. Even though I sail I really don't like the idea of drinking s**t especially the untreated kind. But the chemicals that they dump into porti pottis is probably worse than drinking s**t. Looking at the ingredients many of these chemical disinfectants contain formaldhyde which causes cancer!!!
The basic problem with a porti potti is that you can easily dump it overboard!!! I had a portipotti on my old Mac 26 and a couple of times I dumped it not overboard but I went up into the woods and dumped it into a hole that I dug. Nasty business but when it is full and stinking and there isn't any other place to dump. Fortunately that only happened a couple of times,usually we too it home or dumped it at a marina. Someone without any ethics would just dump it overboard after dark. It sounds like a pain but their law keeps the s**t out of their drinking water. Even though I sail I really don't like the idea of drinking s**t especially the untreated kind. But the chemicals that they dump into porti pottis is probably worse than drinking s**t. Looking at the ingredients many of these chemical disinfectants contain formaldhyde which causes cancer!!!
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