If you've ever enjoyed fishing, cruising, or family boating, you'll know that a boat with a toilet (also known in "nautical parlance" as a "heads") is infinitely better than a boat without one. However, because water, power and space are all at a premium on a boat, you need a purpose-built toilet – what does that include?
It might seem complicated but the basic principles behind it are very simple. The lack of a sanitation system on board means that waste needs to be stored until it can be transported to shore. Therefore, every traditional toilet for boat works by flushing (or dropping) waste from a bowl into some form of tank.
This will either be a portable tank that must be manually transported to a disposal point on the ground to be emptied; Or a larger built-in tank that is emptied by connecting the suction hose found at the shore pumping facility to your boat's outboard port. For obvious reasons then, marine toilets are broadly categorized as either cassette toilets or pump toilets.
The Most Important Toilet Tips
No matter how confident you are in your onboard systems, it makes sense to use land-based facilities whenever they appear.
If you have a cassette toilet, keep a spare cistern or two, in case the first one is filled a long way from the nearest disposal point.
Use cheap, lightweight, biodegradable toilet paper (such as the supermarket's budget brand) to avoid clogs.
Keep your batteries charged and in good condition to ensure effective flow for electric pump-powered models.
To maintain your boat's trim, a pump toilet tank should be located amidships.
Always make sure your guests understand how to use the bathroom and how to avoid causing a clog.
If you want to go green, look at nitrates, enzymes, and bioactive treatments instead of chemicals.
If you really want to go green, take a look at composting toilets.
For small spaces and maximum simplicity, basic toilets can cost as little as £80.
For further improvement and a more civilized emptying process, a flush-action toilet is the best option.
Make sure you check your 'heads' regularly and know how to fix things if there is a problem because you may be out of help - see our feature on how to fix your marine toilet.
Keep a bucket in your hold for emergencies (this may be an easier option on some sailboats during a trip, and is also essential in case of any breakdowns).
New Age Alternatives
Liquid chemicals are the primary way to deal with the odors that inevitably occur when waste is stored in a tank. It can be placed directly into your waste tank or can be mixed with the flushing water in your toilet. Either way, our increasingly environmentally conscious age has seen the emergence of many more sustainable nitrate and enzyme-based alternatives that aim to replace these chemicals by speeding up the decomposition process.
There's also a new breed of toilet known as a composting toilet, which uses sawdust or moss to dry out the waste, neutralizing any odor and making it harmless. It uses no water, requires virtually no maintenance, and there is no possibility of painful clogs. Most importantly, you can dispose of the waste by throwing it on the flower beds. Their size tends to limit their usability on smaller boats but their appeal is growing steadily.
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Choosing the Right Marine Toilet for your Boat
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