[Rhodes22-list] Exploding Porta Potties

Tue Nov 22 09:29:46 EST 2005

Man, if I could get the franchise rights for that thing here in Tennessee I
could retire.

Bill W.

             Bill Effros                                                   
             <bill at effros.com>                                             
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             11/22/2005 09:22                                      Subject 
             AM                        Re: [Rhodes22-list] Exploding Porta 
                                       Potties                             

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Bill,

I don't know if you were on the list when we all got involved with the
bumper dumper:

http://www.bumperdumper.com/

Bill Effros

William E. Wickman wrote:

>Whoa Bill E.!  I haven't had that experience with my pottie, but I sure am
>going to pull the handle more carefully next summer!!
>
>Another option that hasn't been mentioned I saw on a neighbor's 38' boat
>(granted it was in there till he got his marine head fixed).  It is simply
>a toilet seat set on top of a large bucket.  The bucket is lined with
heavy
>plastic, and into the bottom is poured some kind of kitty litter type
>substance that congeals the excrement.  You can then either scoop out the
>nuggets, or simply take out the bag at the end of the day (or whenever you
>get to shore).  Just like your kitty litter box at home, but on a larger
>scale.
>
>This discussion is getting too disgusting so I'll stop here.
>
>Bill E. does bring up a good point, though.  The need/desire for a marine
>head vs. porta-pottie varies with individual and circumstance.  In Bill's
>case, he is on a mooring where hauling a porta-pottie tank would be
>cumbersom and inconvenient.  In my case, I am at a dock so it is easy to
>take it off the boat at the end of a trip or daysail (if I use it) and
walk
>50 yards to our dumping station.  I usually don't fill the tank all the
way
>before dumping, so I have not found weight to be an issue.
>
>Bill W.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

>             Bill Effros

>             <bill at effros.com>

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>             11/21/2005 11:12                                      Subject

>             AM                        [Rhodes22-list] Exploding Porta

>                                       Potties

>

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>

>

>
>
>
>
>Maybe it's a "get the new-guy" thing, but the Porta-Potty advocates
>never seem to mention that Porta-Potties can blow out in your
>face--repeatedly.
>
>I developed plumbing problems with my marine head (which is terrific and
>completely odor-free when working properly) owing to barnacle build up
>on the inlet side.  On the advice of this list, I decided to switch over
>to a Porta Potty this year, which I planned to eventually plumb into the
>rest of my marine head system.  Luckily the project was more complex,
>and launch time too short, so my boat went to sea with just a standard
>Porta-Potty.
>
>I have mentioned this before--as far as I'm concerned, the best feature
>of a Rhodes-22 is that a man can make a pee while standing up with no
>risk of falling overboard.
>
>My first disappointment with the Porta Potty was that the lower portion
>is far more bulky than the small marine heads Stan installs, forcing me
>to lean into the hatch opening at an off-balance angle.  It wasn't quite
>as satisfying as the no hands required to hold you upright position I
>had grown so accustomed to, but I felt I could live with it.
>
>Then came the big surprise!
>
>It was a hot summer day.  Time for a great pee.  I did my business while
>surveying a lovely ocean vista.  Now, I know the women in this crowd
>will have no sympathy for what happened next...It is impossible to flush
>a Porta Potty while standing up, facing forward, with your upper body
>protruding through an open hatch.  You must back out of the head, and,
>while in this bent-over position, your head mere inches away from the
>potty seat, grab the potty handle and pull it toward you as you exit the
>enclosure.
>
>Did I mention that it was a HOT summer day?
>
>Most of you have the picture in your minds by now.  The lower portion of
>a Porta Potty is air tight.  That's why you can't smell what's inside.
>On a hot summer day, that air expands.  But on a new Porta Potty, it has
>no place to go--until you pull that handle!
>
>Then it blows your business right into your face which is mere inches
>from the seat.
>
>Again, I know the women in this crowd are going to say "Just put down
>the seat!" but if that advice, which has always been in my best
>interest, hasn't always been followed for lo these many years of
>marriage, it's not likely to always be followed now, either.
>
>I tried to remember to let out the air before pulling the handle when
>there was anything in the upper chamber.  But on hot days, the pressure
>could build up again, over and over.  I just didn't remember every
>time.  (It's the same with the toilet seat--I know I remember most of
>the time, but my wife only remembers the splashes in the middle of the
>night followed by husband-awakening invective.)
>
>After 3 or 4 more explosions I pulled out the Porta Potty, and replaced
>it with my old marine head.  Life has been much better ever since.
>
>Let me mention, also, another factor I found daunting in my Porta Potty
>experience.  A gallon of water weighs 8.33 pounds.  A large porta potty
>holds 6 gallons of water.  That's 50 pounds of sloshing
>s..............stuff you're walking around with, hoping not to pull the
>wrong handle by mistake.
>
>My boat is moored 1/2 mile from shore.  The nearest clean out facility
>is 1/4 mile from the dock.  My wife didn't take well to the notion of
>bringing the tank back home in the back of the car.  Sure, I could have
>done it more often, but the clean out procedure is just as foul as you
>would imagine it to be, and walking around with 25 pounds of effluent is
>no picnic, either--especially if you have to do it twice as often.
>
>When I have my boat recycled I'm going to talk to Stan about what we're
>going to do next.  Using fresh water on the inlet side of the head is
>the best way to go.  It totally eliminates all odors which are mainly
>caused by little creatures pulled in with the sea water that die in the
>tank.  The tank and pump out systems have always worked perfectly.  If
>all I have to do is replace the valves on the marine head every couple
>of years, I'll gladly do that maintenance in exchange for a far
>preferable marine head system as far as I'm concerned.
>
>Bill Effros
>
>
>William E. Wickman wrote:
>
>
>
>>Ron, et. al.,
>>Everyone has an opinion about marine heads vs. porta-pottie, so here is
>>mine.  When I was first looking at a Rhodes, having a marine head was an
>>important criteria.  At one point, I had considered going the full monty;
>>
>>
>a
>
>
>>marine head with holding tank, macerator, and even an electra-san.
>>However, after reading the archives and upon further reflection, I
>>
>>
>realized
>
>
>>that the main reason that I wanted one was not for practical reasons, but
>>because it would make me feel more yachty.  The Rhodes is not a large
>>
>>
>boat.
>
>
>>That is what makes it so appealing, because it doesn't have all the big
>>boat problems.  As I read somewhere else on the list, it seems like those
>>big boat sailors that have marine heads are always having to fix
something
>>on them.  Moreover, unless you keep the holding tank empty and clean,
>>
>>
>there
>
>
>>always seems to be an odor.  Simple is good.  I realized that I am not
>>going to be living on this boat, and the longest that I will probably
ever
>>stay out is a week (maybe two if I'm lucky).  90+% of the time I am out
on
>>the boat for a day sail or overnighter.  I believe that most Rhodies will
>>confess a similar percentage.  I ended up with a boat that has just the
>>porta-pottie, and have been very happy with it.  There is zero
maintenance
>>with it, and it is very easy to dump anywhere there is a toilet.  Granted
>>it is a bit more hands-on than a pumpout, but a porta-pottie is much
>>
>>
>easier
>
>
>>to keep sanitized than a non-removeable holding tank.
>>
>>I'll finish with a true story.  I was on vacation during the summer of
>>
>>
>2004
>
>
>>chartering a 45 foot sailboat in the San Juan Islands.  It was a
wonderful
>>trip.  We had just docked for the evening in a marina on San Juan Island
>>and were walking off the docks to town when I saw the skipper of a rather
>>nice yacht in the process of emptying his holding tank into a "honey
pot".
>>At this particular marina, they had tanks mounted on wheels with electric
>>pumps that they called honey pots.  It was a self-serve system that
>>
>>
>enabled
>
>
>>you to empty your sewage at your slip without having to go to a pump-out
>>station.  Well, right as we were passing by, something went amiss.  The
>>hose popped out of the holding tank fitting and drenched the skipper who
>>was bending over the hose fitting.  After everyone around finished their
>>collective Eeeeew, there was a bit of laughter by the small crowd that
>>always seems to gather around when some such activity as emptying a
>>
>>
>holding
>
>
>>tank is taking place.  It looked just like something out of a comedy.
The
>>skipper didn't think it was very funny though, and proceeded to spew a
>>string of profanities that required me to clap my hands over my 8 year
>>old's hears and quickly usher her away.  Moral of the story:  A
>>porta-pottie will not blow-out in your face.
>>
>>Bill W.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>>            eroncol at aol.com
>>
>>
>
>
>
>>            Sent by:
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>>            rhodes22-list-bou                                          To
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>>            nces at rhodes22.org         rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>>
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>>                                                                       cc
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>>            11/18/2005 02:48                                      Subject
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>>            PM                        [Rhodes22-list] thanks for replies
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>>Hi
>>Ed K., I do exist.  Been busy and not always near a computer.   Sorry
>>
>>
>about
>
>
>>the delay.  Thanks to you, Mary Lou, Steve Hemphill and Russell Miller
for
>>your responses.
>>I live in Wynnewood, PA, Mary Lou.  I must get hold of your chapter in
>>"Sailing Small."   Thanks for the references Ed.  I will look at them.  I
>>already see abut the differing opinions, answers and facts,  though each
>>
>>
>of
>
>
>>you say newer is better.  Actually that is true of your comments re boat
>>and motor.
>>I've used marine head but never have used a porta-potti. Seems there are
>>differences of opinion both about enclosed head and about porta-potti
>>versus marine head.  Why prefer the porta-potti?  I assume as Ed says,
>>
>>
>that
>
>
>>this may be in the archives.   I will look.
>>Looks like I've got some thinking to do.  And some talking to Stan.
>>                              Ron Coleman
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