Disgusting, but useful

Delfin has a large black water tank, 250 gallons, but even that will fill up.* To extend the time we can spend at anchor or in the marina without pump out, we stumbled onto a solution that is actually a lot less repusive than it first sounds.*

For the sake of decorum, let's divide up the head experience into liquid waste experiences, and solid waste experiences.* We naturally always flush after the latter (after all, we are Anglicans), but at the beginning of the day, we squirt 8 shots from a spray bottle of West Marine Maxcontrol holding tank deodorant into the bowl.* This kills all odor from liquid waste experiences, and allows you to go the entire day without flushing, dramatically extending the interval between pump outs.* I know, I know, it sounds gross, but my wife would rather swallow a knitting needle than change a diaper, and she is completely unoffended by this process.* I have even shown the method to visitors to the boat, and have not seen a single instance of projectile vomiting as a result, nor have they ratted me out to the EPA.

The other advantage is that the bowl stays completely clean, since the ingredients of this completely biodegradable product prevent the uric acid from crystalizing on the bowl.* I would assume that this will also result in an extension of the no-stink life of the sanitary hoses.

Put simply*** if its brown flush it down if its yellow let it mellow

I'm trying to figure out how it's possible to reduce volume by flushing a dozen urine "deposits" all at once instead of one at a time if ONLY urine is flushed without adding any flush water.*

The average adult uses the toilet 5x in 24 hours...assume an average volume of 6 fluid oz...so that would be 30 oz/person/day, plus flush water.* If you don't use any flush water, how does flushing all 30 oz at once put less in the tank than dividing it into 5* 6oz* flushes?* Does some evaporate in the bowl?

Peggie Hall

Real men just hang it overboard. There are funnels for women as well. http://www.pmateusa.com/

Peggy, it's a Tecma, fresh water flush, so the usage is whatever you set the fill time for.* I guess it's about 1 gallon per flush based on how the Tecma works.* So, when in the marina, say in Victoria, hanging it over the side is problematic, what with the tourists, the cameras, the buses, cops and all that, and I have never been successful training the wife to a funnel.* Ergo sum, we put about 1.5 gallons per day into the holding tank with the "disguise the issue" approach , rather than 10 or so, extending the time between pump outs quite a bit.

-- Edited by Delfin on Thursday 25th of November 2010 09:02:33 PM

I'm assuming that you have the single flush button..."upgrade" it to the two-button flush panel...one button brings in flush water but doesn't flush the toilet (especially handy ahead of solids)...the other button flushes the toilet without bringing in any water...although still allowing you to bring in just enough to rinse the bowl (a pint or less).* This will allow you to enjoy a slightly more elegant lifestyle than "if it's yellow, let it mellow," which can be just a wee bit off-putting to landlubber and some other guests.

-- Edited by HeadMistress on Friday 26th of November 2010 08:34:38 PM

Good suggestion, thank you.* I must say, though, that the blue squirt method is a long ways from just letting things fester.* Quite hygienic in fact....