porta potty on board?

[Milemaker13]

Thinking about buying a small porta potty for on board our 18' tri hull run about. For long cruising, just me, wife and dog I would remove one rear jump seat and replace with the potty. I think I can find one to fit well in the space between the motor box (I/O) and side wall, where the jump seat was.
If going out with other people I'd put the jump seat back in.
Any body have experience, tips, warnings, advice, funny/horror/success stories?
How exactly do different models operate? Flush?

 

[Frank Acampora]

Yeah--Some states and I think Canada prohibit porta-potties. They want a regular pump out toilet because of the abuse that can happen, like dumping the holding tank overboard. Check your local regulations first.

basically the top tank is filled with water. The bottom tank is a holding tank to which you add chemicals. There is a slide valve between tanks. You do your business with the slide valve closed then pump in water from the top tank and open the slide valve. Brutal, but when you have to go, you have to go.

 

[Milemaker13]

Interesting about the possible regulations. I will look into that. I boat mostly in Illinois(home state) and Wisconsin.

 

[Expidia]

Men don't think twice about a porta potty since theirs is their coffee cup from the morning!
But for a women boating can be miserable trying to hold it in.
It takes all the fun out of boating for them, especially is they have a beverage, a beer or a wine.

My wife loves our $59 porta potty. I don't leave home without it!

We keep ours up in the bow area (its under the grey towel and its also a seat) and if there are other boats in the area my wife just wraps a towel around herself.

One tip though is for those times when we are docked in a marina or close proximity to other boats or if we have another women onboard . . .

I bought a canvas changing room/porta potty enclosure that I keep stowed in a locker and it clips to the bimini and we have privacy wherever we need it. It was like $70. I move it under the bimini and drop the enclosure over the potty.

Here is an example, but this model is too short. Goes down only to the gunnel. The one I got was by Taylor Made I think and it drops to the floor. I think I only spent like $59 too.

http://www.amazon.com/Privacy-Statio...+changing+room

 

[Expidia]

Yeah--Some states and I think Canada prohibit porta-potties. They want a regular pump out toilet because of the abuse that can happen, like dumping the holding tank overboard. Check your local regulations first.

basically the top tank is filled with water. The bottom tank is a holding tank to which you add chemicals. There is a slide valve between tanks. You do your business with the slide valve closed then pump in water from the top tank and open the slide valve. Brutal, but when you have to go, you have to go.

Thats such a dumb law. Better everyone pees in a coffee cup and dumps it in the lake where many lakes are drinking water for the surrounding homes

My porta potty is so convenient and after like 3 or 4 trips out I just tote the bottom tank into my house bathroom and flush it. That blue stuff really disintegrates anything in the holding tank, TP etc turning everything into a blue liquid.

 

[Watermann]

I have a cuddy cabin with a porta potty inside and it's one of the best investments in comfort. The admiral loves it and can't imagine not having one now. Here is a link to the one I have, it's priced right and works perfectly.

Sanipottie 962 2.8 Gal. Bonus Pack-Parchment Your Price: $78.79

 

[mr geets]

My 5 year old grand daughter told me how much she liked my new boat. "And the best part is that it has a POTTI"

 

[foodfisher]

Gotta hijack this with a portapotti story. Packed up and headed out for a camping trip from sealevel to the mountains. Ahead of me yet? Well just before we arrived, the admiral had to tinkle. Yep, she flushed and I spent the rest of the evening pleading ignorance between my chuckles.

 

[smokeonthewater]

I would be interested to see any law against a portapotti in writing....

Seems pretty unlikely to me that any gov't agency could make a law against relieving yourself into a portable plastic container on the grounds that it could be abused.
Might as well outlaw 5 gal buckets or beat up old coolers or for that matter arm floaties and boarding ladders.

 

[Milemaker13]

Ban the arm floaties! I read on the internet they cause 90% of the world's pollution!!

 

[MTboatguy]

We have had a porta potti on the fishing boat for years, small one, but it does the job, I just pull into a cove on the lake and my wife does her business, I try to do my business before I leave in the morning and I can pee over the side if I need to, but the potti just become another place to sit when it is not being used. I know when we were looking for a 5th wheel both of us, focused on the restroom, if you are remote camping the restroom becomes important, because of my disability, I can't just hang it over a log, so I need to have a spot to do my business that I can actually sit and do things.

There is no agency in the world that is going to tell me, what type of facilities I can have on my boat!

 

[ricohman]

The porta potti in the cuddy of my Starcraft Islander has been a real game changer. No more running back to the dock to let my little girl or wife pee.
I can stay on the water all day now.

 

[Milemaker13]

Yup. That's the thought. All day out. No more "I'm fine" while she crosses her legs and begins to plot against the day. "What time do you want to get off water?" The situation usually degrades pretty quick after that point, lol.

 

[Grandad]

I would be interested to see any law against a portapotti in writing....

Seems pretty unlikely to me that any gov't agency could make a law against relieving yourself into a portable plastic container on the grounds that it could be abused.
Might as well outlaw 5 gal buckets or beat up old coolers or for that matter arm floaties and boarding ladders.

I hear you. The law is a a$$. But here it is anyway:

Ontario Environmental Protection Act
R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 343
DISCHARGE OF SEWAGE FROM PLEASURE BOATS
4. The owner of a pleasure boat in which a toilet or toilets and storage equipment are installed shall ensure that each toilet and the storage equipment are installed so that,
(a) the toilet and equipment are connected in such a manner that the equipment receives all toilet waste from the toilet;
(b) 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;
(c) no means of removal of toilet waste is provided other than the means mentioned in clause (b);

 

[Grandad]

In my last post above, I should have included clause 3 of the regulations which says essentially that portable toilets are not acceptable on pleasure boats:
3. The owner and the operator of every pleasure boat in which a toilet is installed shall ensure that, while the boat is on water,
(a) the boat is equipped with storage equipment; and
(b) such toilet and storage equipment are installed so as to be non-portable. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 343, s. 3.

- Grandad

 

[smokeonthewater]

Hmmmm "installed" MIGHT help ya... If the toilet were "cargo" would it be covered by this regulation????

Would probably not be worth risking....

On the other hand, if it were fastened down, a marine portapotty does have a pumpout connection and in an open boat it could be connected right at the toilet.

 

[NYBo]

Yep, I believe the key word is "installed". Portable equipment would probably not be subject to these rules. I know we only check permanently-installed heads when doing vessel safety checks.

 

[BWR1953]

Especially since it would be installed in another country. Ontario being part of Canada and whatnot.

 

[rick3452]

Google THETFORD porta potti we have one on our deck boat works perfectly

 

[NYBo]

Especially since it would be installed in another country. Ontario being part of Canada and whatnot.

The OP appears to be in the US and the laws are similar to what was posted for Ontario.