Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 06-06-2016, 10:37 AM   #21
Guru
 
HeadMistress's Avatar


 
City: AR
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,515
Whether it's an "issue of concern" in your waters or not, it's still illegal.
__________________
© 2024 Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since '87.
Author "The NEW Get Rid of Boat Odors"
HeadMistress is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 11:26 AM   #22
Art
Guru
 
Art's Avatar
 
City: SF Bay Area
Vessel Model: Tollycraft 34' Tri Cabin
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 12,569
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadMistress View Post
Whether it's an "issue of concern" in your waters or not, it's still illegal.
Book Em - Dano!!
Art is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 11:39 AM   #23
Guru
 
dhays's Avatar
 
City: Gig Harbor
Vessel Name: Kinship
Vessel Model: North Pacific 43
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 9,046
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadMistress View Post
Urine is sterile...

Urine is not sterile...that myth has been debunked in a number of studies you can find by doing a google search for "is urine sterile?"
Of course urine isn't sterile. However, the important question is whether urine is harmful to the salt water environment? For most healthy adults, they will introduce more harmful bacteria by going for a swim in the water than they would by peeing over the side. So bacteria, in my mind, is simply not an issue. Urine can be harmful however in two other important ways that I know of.

The first is that we pass chemicals in our urine. Anything from hormones, drugs, to caffeine. In Puget Sound, these seem to be affecting sea life around heavily populated areas. However, sewage treatment doesn't remove these chemicals. So whether you pee over the side or cycle it through your holding tank, to pump out, to the wastewater treatment plant, back to the Sound, those chemicals will still be there.

The second issue is the nitrogen that urine contains (again, I am thinking of salt water not fresh). The nitrogen adds nutrients that are important for algae. We have seen a lot of problems in Puget Sound with algae blooms, in part due to the increase nitrogen in the water. A lot of this is introduced by agriculture, and a large portion is simply storm water runoff. Every time we fertilize our lawn, water too much so water runs down the street into the drain, we are adding nitrogen to the Sound. Waste water treatment does a good job of getting the nitrogen out before it is dumped back into the Sound, but only if it is actually being done, is working properly, and isn't being overloaded by a large rain event.

So, peeing into a cup and pouring it over the side is illegal where I boat. In some situations it is incrementally more harmful to the environment than using a holding tank and pump out.
__________________
Regards,

Dave
SPOT page
dhays is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 11:50 AM   #24
Guru
 
City: NC
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,350
Quote:
Originally Posted by MurrayM View Post
Bump...

Has anybody gone the composting toilet direction in the 3 years since this thread was started? How's it working for you?
...
Composting toilets are discussed fairly regularly on the Cruisers Forum. Here is one discussion, http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f115/anyone-using-one-of-these-composters-165996.html.

Seems like most people like them and they certainly are simple.

Later,
Dan
dannc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 11:56 AM   #25
Art
Guru
 
Art's Avatar
 
City: SF Bay Area
Vessel Model: Tollycraft 34' Tri Cabin
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 12,569
Quote:
Originally Posted by dhays View Post

So, peeing into a cup and pouring it over the side is illegal where I boat. In some situations it is incrementally more harmful to the environment than using a holding tank and pump out.
Problem is over population... one pee & shat no prob... 100 p & s no prob... few thousand p & s no real prob... million p & s potential problem...

Eight billion pees and shats = Big Problem!
Art is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 02:23 PM   #26
Guru
 
City: Hotel, CA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 8,323
__________________
Craig

It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they've been fooled - Mark Twain
CPseudonym is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 04:20 PM   #27
Guru
 
Moonstruck's Avatar
 
City: Hailing Port: Charleston, SC
Vessel Name: Moonstruck
Vessel Model: Sabre 42 Hardtop Express
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,276
Craig, I think you need a hobby. What about you getting a boat.
__________________
Don on Moonstruck
Sabre 42 Hardtop Express
When cruising life is simpler, but on a grander scale (author unknown)
https://moonstruckblog.wordpress.com/
Moonstruck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 06:01 PM   #28
Guru
 
City: Hotel, CA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 8,323
Don't let my wife know Don but I've been looking at center consoles to tow behind the motor home.
__________________
Craig

It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they've been fooled - Mark Twain
CPseudonym is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 06:02 PM   #29
Guru
 
MurrayM's Avatar
 
City: Kitimat, North Coast BC
Vessel Name: Badger
Vessel Model: 30' Sundowner Tug
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 5,946
Here's what the Ministry of the Environment in British Columbia has to say about waste disposal from pleasure craft in BC's marine waters...bear in mind this is for both solid and liquid waste:

"Under the Canada Shipping Act, the Pleasure Craft Sewage Prevention Regulation mandates that any pleasure craft with toilet facilities must have sewage retention capabilities (holding tanks) to prevent sewage discharge when operating in designated waterbodies. This designation is important for waterbodies where high quality water is needed for fish/shellfish, swimming, or drinking water. There are currently 17 designated freshwater (I deleted the lakes) and marine areas in BC:

- Mansons Landing and Gorge Harbour, Cortes Island
- Montague Harbour, Galiano Island
- Pilot Bay, Gabriola Island
- Prideux Haven, Northeast of Lund
- Roscoe Bay, West Redonda Island
- Carrington Bay, Cortes Island
- Smuggler Cove, West-Southwest of Halfmoon Bay
- Cortes Bay, Cortes Island
- Squirrel Cove, Cortes Island

If no pump-out facilities are available, only release sewage in open waters which are not designated and that have good tidal flushing action. Do not release sewage near marinas or in bays, inlets and other sensitive areas such as shellfish leases."

Boating and Marine Activities

So, no designated water bodies north of Vancouver Island. Google "Kitimat", click on the map, zoom out to see how much coastline we're talking about here with average tides being about 15 feet, then consider there are probably less than 12,000 people living between Bella Bella and Prince Rupert.
__________________
"The most interesting path between two points is not a straight line" MurrayM
MurrayM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 09:43 PM   #30
Art
Guru
 
Art's Avatar
 
City: SF Bay Area
Vessel Model: Tollycraft 34' Tri Cabin
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 12,569
Quote:
Originally Posted by CPseudonym View Post
Craig - Please!!!


I agree with Don... get another boat! Could I recommend a Tolly!!
Art is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 09:47 PM   #31
Senior Member
 
KneeDeep's Avatar
 
City: San Antonio
Vessel Name: Betsy Lee
Vessel Model: 37 Atlantic Double Cabin
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 113
Murraym- I Have not installed the vent pipe yet. On the "to do" list but since we have not had any issues, keeps getting moved down. Will start with passive into ER and go from there when needed.
KneeDeep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2016, 12:22 AM   #32
Guru
 
MurrayM's Avatar
 
City: Kitimat, North Coast BC
Vessel Name: Badger
Vessel Model: 30' Sundowner Tug
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 5,946
Thanks for the update KneeDeep...the C-Head appeals to my low budget, frugal, no bling, why chuck a thousand bucks of whiz bang technology at something when it doesn't need it sensibilities. Will do some more research on the C-Head
__________________
"The most interesting path between two points is not a straight line" MurrayM
MurrayM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2016, 05:39 AM   #33
FF
Guru
 
FF's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
"Whether it's an "issue of concern" in your waters or not, it's still illegal."

Perhaps, but releasing CO2 is a big concern for the EPA , yet I have no intention to stop breathing.
FF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2016, 09:21 AM   #34
Guru
 
HeadMistress's Avatar


 
City: AR
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,515
Quote:
Originally Posted by MurrayM View Post
Here's what the Ministry of the Environment in British Columbia has to say about waste disposal from pleasure craft in BC's marine waters...bear in mind this is for both solid and liquid waste....
Thanks for posting that (I've saved it to my files) and I stand corrected. I was under the impression that Canadian law mimics US law which only allows the discharge (defined as "includes, but is not limited to, any spilling, leaking, pouring, pumping, emitting, emptying, or dumping") of TREATED waste from a CG certified device in coastal waters....which makes emptying a urine jug over the side illegal here. However, that doesn't seem to stop a lot of people here from doing it anyway.
__________________
© 2024 Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since '87.
Author "The NEW Get Rid of Boat Odors"
HeadMistress is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2016, 09:45 AM   #35
Guru
 
MurrayM's Avatar
 
City: Kitimat, North Coast BC
Vessel Name: Badger
Vessel Model: 30' Sundowner Tug
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 5,946
Hi Peggy,

That was the BC Ministry of Environments interpretation, which may be misleading. I'll try to find the federal governments wording on this after work.
__________________
"The most interesting path between two points is not a straight line" MurrayM
MurrayM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2016, 10:03 AM   #36
Art
Guru
 
Art's Avatar
 
City: SF Bay Area
Vessel Model: Tollycraft 34' Tri Cabin
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 12,569
WhaT EveR YoU DO!... DON'T PEE WHILE SWIMMING!!


Feds have under water cameras on submarine waterproof-drones cruising around all over the place now... slightly yellow water while swimming is $500 fine. Very yellow water can exceed $1000 and a few days under strict ankle bracelet bathroom arrest. I understand some bays' police are also requiring black tank clean out work if caught peeing in their bay while swimming.

The way they tag you for proof in a court hearing is by having measured your toes with special camera lens. The video in court for proving your "swim-pee" culpability requires you to remove shoes at whiteness stand with bailiff measuring your toes by using a micrometer.

Those who wear fins while swimming never get caught - I'm safe as hell!


Be Afraid - Be Very Afraid! Of completing any bodily functions outside of federally designated confines!

WTF
Art is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2016, 03:28 PM   #37
Senior Member
 
City: Pensacola, FL
Vessel Name: Sea Triscuit
Vessel Model: Transtar 50'
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 202
We have two composting toilets on our new to us boat. I appreciate not having a holding tank but the toilets aren't maintenance free. If you use them regularly they will fill up quickly. Almost instantly of several friends are aboard and drinking. And if the urine compartment overflows it's a mess. As has been pointed out, solid waste is mostly water so unless you keep enough peat moss in there, it could leak around handle joints or elsewhere. Recently little fruit flies have started breeding in one of the solid waste containers. They tickle a little...and I'm looking for a solution to get rid of them but not kill good bacteria. Our toilets are plumbed into the engine room vent fan so if the fan is on it is drawing a small amount of air from each solid waste container but most of it from the engine room. Overall I'm happy with our composting toilets. Our problems have been operator error. We plan on giving them another six months and reevaluating.
Panhandler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2016, 04:56 PM   #38
Guru
 
City: NC
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,350
Quote:
Originally Posted by Panhandler View Post
We have two composting toilets on our new to us boat. I appreciate not having a holding tank but the toilets aren't maintenance free. If you use them regularly they will fill up quickly. Almost instantly of several friends are aboard and drinking. And if the urine compartment overflows it's a mess. As has been pointed out, solid waste is mostly water so unless you keep enough peat moss in there, it could leak around handle joints or elsewhere. Recently little fruit flies have started breeding in one of the solid waste containers. They tickle a little...and I'm looking for a solution to get rid of them but not kill good bacteria. Our toilets are plumbed into the engine room vent fan so if the fan is on it is drawing a small amount of air from each solid waste container but most of it from the engine room. Overall I'm happy with our composting toilets. Our problems have been operator error. We plan on giving them another six months and reevaluating.
From what I remember reading on the Cruisers Forum, see my earlier post, peak moss has bugs and people were using coir as the drying media. Something like this, https://www.amazon.com/Kempf-Compressed-Growing-Potting-10-Pound/dp/B003MOD2HY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1465336393&sr=8-1&keywords=coir.

The coir blocks are a bit more work in that they have to be broken up a bit and some moisture added to get the media to expand but a few coir blocks are supposed to last a very long time and be bug less. Checking over on Cruisers Forum might help you out.

Later,
Dan
dannc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2016, 05:29 PM   #39
Guru
 
MurrayM's Avatar
 
City: Kitimat, North Coast BC
Vessel Name: Badger
Vessel Model: 30' Sundowner Tug
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 5,946
On the subject of flies...the following is from the C-Head site. (*Can't vouch for the accuracy, but this is what they have to say about it)

"An occasional problem with composting toilets is fruit flies, sewer flies and house flies.
Here again, the C-Head excels over it's competitors in eliminating this problem. All of these pests develop because they need moist
fermenting waste to lay their eggs in. Once they become established, the source must be thoroughly cleaned. This problem is avoided
with the C-Head for several reasons. One, the C-Head is emptied more often, removing the waste from the home and any eggs and
larva before they can hatch. Two, The C-Head is a dehydrating system removing the moisture needed to support the eggs and which
facilitates the removal of almost all of the medium when emptied. Three, the C-Head housing will accommodate a "No-Pest" strip
that kill any insects that enter the toilet."


FAQ
__________________
"The most interesting path between two points is not a straight line" MurrayM
MurrayM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2016, 06:09 PM   #40
Art
Guru
 
Art's Avatar
 
City: SF Bay Area
Vessel Model: Tollycraft 34' Tri Cabin
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 12,569
I've heard a pet collar for flees works. Just cut really small chunks off and drop in occasionally. Sounds logical to me. Clivus Multrum was the orig compost tottie I learned of from early 1970's. Nelson Rockefeller's daughter was the one who did much promo back then in New England. Never really took off from what I know.
Art is online now   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:07 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012