The Adventures of Sylphide

[Wayfarer]

Dude:

Well of course it will have an earthy smell when you open up the bin!

Cheers,
Mrs. Trombley

????

So true. Sometimes I type the stupidest things.

How y’all holding up?

lol

 

[Comodave]

Dave,

Quit sticking your head into the head...

 

[koliver]

lol

If it was anyone else's thread, you would have gone to the ignore list by now. Since it is you,

I'll be along for the whole ride.

 

[Wayfarer]

Dave,

Quit sticking your head into the head...

If it was anyone else's thread, you would have gone to the ignore list by now. Since it is you,

I'll be along for the whole ride.

 

[Comodave]

Did you get these from RT? Love it.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. C. Can't you recognize the boy's got a natural talent. I don't think I can teach him anything...

 

[Comodave]

I agree on his talent, especially in writing up his travels. I love reading his work.

 

[RivaMike]

I got a little confused in the thread (common issue for me), OP are you still in Deale?? Hopefully you've already headed south because we are going to be close to freezing for the next few evenings. But if you're still in Deale and if you need a ride to pick up anything let me know. I'm about 15 minutes from Deale and just drove through there this afternoon.

 

[Wayfarer]

Greetings,
Mr. C. Can't you recognize the boy's got a natural talent. I don't think I can teach him anything...

Are you kidding? You done learned me everything I know!

I agree on his talent, especially in writing up his travels. I love reading his work.

Thanks Dave. I know I say this a lot, but it really does mean a lot to hear folks say that. Sometimes on my seventh or eighth revision of a post, I'll wonder if the effort is worth it, but comments like that make it worth it.

Also, I'd like to thank Jesus, and my mom, and the Academy

I got a little confused in the thread (common issue for me), OP are you still in Deale?? Hopefully you've already headed south because we are going to be close to freezing for the next few evenings. But if you're still in Deale and if you need a ride to pick up anything let me know. I'm about 15 minutes from Deale and just drove through there this afternoon.

Hi Mike! Thank you so much for the generous offer. I'm a good few weeks behind in my blog posts, and Sylphide is a couple hundred miles farther south now

 

[rgano]

Are you kidding? You done learned me everything I know!

Ah, so now we know who taught you the bumper car look.

 

[Wayfarer]

46. The Big Bays

Disclaimer: I'm a couple of weeks behind in the ol' bloggery department, so if the timing of this doesn't seem to make much sense, don't worry, It's not you, it's me. Anyhow, enjoy the scribbles

After a couple of refreshing days at Utch’s Marina and Boat Bowling Alley, I was recharged and ready to get moving again. The weather was excellent on the morning of departure. It was sunny, warm, and calm. I threw off the lines and headed for the hole in the wall that is Utch’s front door. I took the ninety degree left hand turn, and followed the wall toward the Cape May Canal.

I dumb-lucked my way into a nice following current, and got a little boost through the cut. I squeezed through the narrow abandoned rail bridge, feeling close enough on both sides to give someone on shore a high five. Being fairly early on a weekday morning, there wasn’t a much traffic. I only encountered one other cruiser, and they weren’t having as much fun as I was. I found them sideways across the channel, apparently adrift. There was a towboat standing by. I slowed down to sneak past, and not at all to rubberneck, but before I got the chance to do either, they were back up and running. The towboat fled the scene, and the cruiser and I formed a convoy of two for the remainder of the canal.

We eventually passed the empty Cape May Ferry docks, and stuck our snouts out into Delaware Bay. My companion engaged his warp drive, and disappeared over the horizon.

The weather on the bay was near-perfect. It was sunny and warm and dry. The seas were flat, save for a few ripples tickled up by a light southerly breeze. It was as comfortable a ride as I could have hoped for. I opened up all of the doors and hatches with much relish. It was a glorious day to travel. A sharp contrast to the out-of-balance washing machine ride I’d enjoyed the first time I’d made this trip.

Sylphide was alone on the bay for most of the day. I eventually passed a couple of motoring sailboats above Miah Maull Shoal Light, and was later overtaken by a containership. The box ship was completely devoid of boxes, which is unusual, and it was being piloted by an lady, which is also unusual. It’s nice to hear more female voices on the radio, though. There are more than enough dudes on ships.

It was about 4:30 by the time we had reached the top end of the bay. I had the anchor set behind Reedy Island just in time to pour myself a beverage and enjoy the sunset from the back porch. It had been a great day of cruising, and I was in an excellent mood. I found myself wishing that some more of my deck chairs were being used.

Not bad!

Over dinner, I started to consider where the hell I’d be going next. I perused charts and weather forecasts and Active Captain reviews for the upper Chesapeake. I was inclined to find another anchorage, since I was enjoying this one so much, but I didn’t find any spots that I was excited about. I eventually decided that I’d go back to Rock Hall, and get myself a dock for the next night. With that plan in place, I took my brain off the hook and relaxed for the evening.

The next morning, the weather continued to be beautiful and pleasant. The day was forecast to be comfortable and clear, if a bit windy. That wouldn’t matter much though, since we’d be spending most of our day in the protected waters of the big canal which connects the Chesapeake and Delaware bays. For reasons I don’t entirely understand, it’s called the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Go figure. Where do they come up with this stuff?

I put on the kettle and made a round of the engine room, where I found all was well. The wet stuff, black stuff, green stuff, and red stuff were where they needed to be, and in sufficient quantities. I fired up Perkins and while he did his stretches and warm-ups, I made some french press. The anchor came up clean and easy, without the need to open up the chain locker from below and shove things around.

We got underway and soon found ourselves rounding the corner into the C&D canal. There was a little bit of traffic right at the entrance, but nothing to give me any heartburn. I did see this odd craft, which looked like the hull of a partially finished 120 foot expedition-style yacht from the 1960’s, with the pilothouse from a tugboat half that size, apparently added as an afterthought. I can’t imagine he could see much in the direction he was going, but he sallied forth with the kind of confidence that wins you dates and high paying jobs. Good for him.

No idea what this thing is.

The trip through the Canal was smooth and uneventful. There was a little recreational traffic, but no big commercial units to speak of. I let my helmsman do most of the steering, and gave that part of my brain over to listening to some more of Winston Churchill’s antics. Out the windows, the fall foliage and bright blue sky made the otherwise slightly uninteresting scenery quite pleasant.

Dragging my epic tidal wake of doom and destruction down the coast. Hide ya kids, hide ya wife! We WAKIN’ ERRYBODY UP IN HERE!

We’d started the day with a little following current, but by the time we reached the west end of the canal, it had turned against us. The southwesterly wind had also filled in, so that when we’d cleared the canal, the weather and waves were right in our teeth. This made for slow progress. I called ahead to Rock Hall Landing marina, where I’d reserved a slip for the night, to tell them that I’d be a little later than I’d originally expected. The Dockmeister informed me that I’d only be allowed to come in if I arrived before dark, which wasn’t going to happen.

I started looking for an anchorage instead, and settled on a spot behind Cuckold Point. I’d never been there before. The area was fairly shallow, my charts weren’t terribly detailed, and Active Captain showed only a small number of mixed reviews. I wasn’t entirely confident in my choice. It looked to be pretty well sheltered on the chart, but I didn’t know what the topography was in the area, so I couldn’t be sure. It was also nearly sunset by the time I rounded the top end of Hart Miller Island, and there were enough crab pots around that I wasn’t excited to transit the area in the dark.

The dark had come by the time we arrived, but there turned out to be nothing to worry about. The spot was ideal. It was well protected from the upcoming weather, had plenty of depth and good holding, and was quite comfortable.

Later that evening, a thousand mile long front rolled through, and brought with it a day and a half of rain, wind, and fog. The same line of weather dropped rain on my father in Florida, and some crunchier stuff on my family up in New York. Sylphide and I snuggled in for two days and waited for it to blow over. The coziness of the cabin was amplified by the sounds of rain on deck, and fog signals from passing ships on their way in and out of Baltimore, which was just a few miles away.

The weather was still gray and clammy when we finally got underway, but the visibility was decent, and the wind had died down. I took advantage of Sylphide’s small draft to wiggle through the shallow and narrow cut around Pleasure Island, and we were spit back out into the Chesapeake.

We tootled down the bay, dodging crab pots and fishermen. The low clouds over us seemed unsure if they wanted to rain or not. We passed under the spindly looking Bay Bridge, it’s fog horn moaning overhead. I was glad to be passing under it, as I didn’t really enjoy driving over it. It’s a bit too skinny for my taste, and kinda creeps me out. We passed a sleepy looking Annapolis, and weaved our way through a gaggle of anchored tankers.

A hop skip and a jump later, Sylphide was making her way into Deale harbor. Another new location for us. I’d originally planned to tie up at Herrington Harbor North, but they were booked. I opted for Shipwright Marina instead, which was just next door. I’m glad I ended up at the smaller, more intimate facility. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the other dock dwellers were all quite pleasant. It made for a really lovely neighborhood.

My new front yard

I signed up to stay for a week, and was awarded with a gift bag that had some booze in it. I also signed up with Zimmerman Marine to have them take care of a few boat improvement projects that I’ve been looking forward to knocking off the list. Sylphide would hopefully be leaving Deale in better shape than she’d arrived.

 

[BandB]

Cuckold Point. I’d never been there before.

Wifey B: To each their own, but not a place most dudes would want to visit. Can't believe they named a place like that.

Pleasure Island,

Much better. My kind of place.

 

[Wayfarer]

Wifey B: To each their own, but not a place most dudes would want to visit. Can't believe they named a place like that.

Much better. My kind of place.

Oddly enough, they're right next to each other, lol. I wonder where the name came from...

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Ms. WB. Here's one for ya: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dildo,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador

 

[Wayfarer]

47. What a Deale!

Disclaimer: Just like last time, I'm still quite a bit behind on these blog posts, but I'm slowly catching up. The events below took place in about mid-November, in a galaxy not at all far away.

My stay in Deale was an eventful and enjoyable one. I’d never been before, which was one of the reasons I’d decided to stop there. It’s also far enough south that I wasn’t worried about a prolonged deep freeze. Another big reason was the local branch of Zimmerman Marine. I’d worked with them at other locations before, and had been happy with the results. Their handymen can do just about anything you might want to have done to a boat. I’d been tripping over a bunch of boxes of new equipment since I left the Hudson River, and I was ready to have my new treasures and gadgets installed, and out from under foot.

I’d booked myself in with Zimmerman before I’d arrived, and arranged for them to come down the following week, giving me a few days to relax. I didn’t stray from the marina that weekend, partly because I felt like being a homebody, but mostly because a big fat hairy wind came barreling through.

The southerly blow huffed and puffed for a day and a half. My dock was at the south end of the marina, and pretty exposed to weather from that particular direction. There’s a breakwater across the mouth of the harbor which kept the worst waves out, but there was still enough fetch inside the wall for a rowdy little chop to kick up. There was much bumping and bobbing and squeaking and rattling and splashing.

Since my dock didn’t float along with the changing tides, my lines and rubber baby buggy bumpers needed frequent adjustment. At one point, I needed to move my fenders down, but couldn’t. The wind and seas had Sylphide squished into the dock with enough force that I just couldn’t push her away far enough to stuff the bumpers back in. A couple of friendly neighbors volunteered to throw their weight into it, and after a few tries and much grunting, we were able to cram the bastards in. The effort was largely wasted though, since the poor little sausages were immediately squeezed flat. Thankfully the pilings had some spongy fendering of their own, so even though I was beating against the dock, it didn’t seem to be hurting anything.

There may not be much of a tidal range in Deale, but the wind-driven surge was significant. At it’s highest, the docks were only about half a foot out of the water. It got high enough at one point to cut off power to the docks. When the wind finally started to die off, the water level dropped sharply. During the course of a two hour movie, I realized that Sylphide was no longer bumping and bobbing around, and had taken on a little bit of a list, leaning away from the dock. I poked my head out to find that she was just starting to hang from her mooring lines. The water had dropped about four feet in half as many hours. It was a damn good thing I caught it when I did, and was able to slack the lines before undergoing a surprise self-righting test.

After thoroughly assessing the strength of my cleats and mooring lines, the weather finally laid down. By the time the work week arrived, things had returned to normal, and my Zimmerman dudes started making themselves useful.

The first project for this round of improvements was to install my new navigation electronics. For the first year aboard Sylphide, I’d been using the world’s oldest laptop to run Coastal Explorer as my primary chart plotter. The software was excellent, but the hardware really wasn’t. The increasingly intermittent machine sat on a stool on my first mate’s chair, and had to be lashed down to keep it from wildly spinning around and yanking out it’s cords. Yes, I did learn that the hard way. The power cord that snaked in an unruly tangle across the floor was an eyesore, a tripping hazard, and meant that I had to run the inverter. Then there was the GPS antenna puck, which was stuck to the roof with double sided tape, and connected to the computer by a USB cable noodled through a crack in the door. It was a real hillbilly kludge-fest, but it worked, and the price was right. We’d covered a lot of miles that way.

My only other navigation tool was an ancient Garmin GPS 152. It featured a tiny monochrome LCD display that showed some nav markers on an otherwise blank screen. Magellan would have considered it magic and had me burned at the stake, but by today’s standards, it was just a slightly pimped up calculator with a clock.

So my navigation gear was all old and janky, but what I really lacked was a radar. I didn’t even have a half-assed version of that. When the fog rolled in, I might as well have been asleep at the wheel. Long time readers will know that there have been several occasions when I'd have traded my spare kidney for a radar.

So, to right all of those wrongs, I picked up a shiny new Garmin GPSmap 1242xsv. It’s a tidy little all-in-one job that would do everything I needed, plus a bunch of stuff that I didn’t. I also picked up a Garmin AIS800, which would allow me to see other boats and ships around by name, and for them to see me. I rounded out the package with a FogMate whistle timer, so that when I did run in reduced visibility, I’d be hooting my tooter like I was supposed to.

The other big project involved the toilet in my after head. Long time readers may also remember the episode when I found out one of my poop tanks was leaking. The hole was inaccessible for repairs, and the tanks couldn’t come out without major surgery. My short term solution was to clean out the problem tank, and just stop using it. It worked, but I missed having a working head in my bigger and more comfortable master bathroom.

After much research, I opted to go for a Nature’s Head composting toilet. On my way home from work a couple of weeks prior, I’d stopped at the factory in Ohio and picked up one of these fancy buckets. When friend Steve picked me up at the airport, he enjoyed the fact that I’d driven across three states with a weird plastic toilet as a co-pilot and traveling companion. The worst R2-D2 ever, if you will.

A lot of people are turned off by these things, but I’ve never heard anything but rave reviews from those who have actually lived with them. There’s a lot to like. They’re almost completely self contained. There’s no plumbing, no pumps, no holding tanks. There’s virtually nothing to break, and if something does, there’s a zero percent chance that I will end up with another bilge full of sewage to clean up. They don’t consume water, and aside from a tiny little fan for ventilation, they don’t need any electricity either. After some of the pumpout experiences I’ve had, I can’t say I’m sad to see that chore removed from my to-do list.

So, I had one of the Zimmerman wizards remove the old head and its associated pumps and plumbing. He capped off the failed tank, and installed my new loo. I didn’t take any pictures, but this is more or less what it looks like:

Having grownups around doing real work made me feel useless enough to tackle a project or two on my own. I decluttered a few lockers, replaced a few smoke detectors, and finally got around to replacing the thermostat on my furnace. The old one was tired, and had a tendency to stick in a position that caused me to wake up looking like this:

The guys did a real bang-up job on everything, and after a few days of scuffed knuckles, obnoxious cable runs, and about a dozen instances where they knew some critical piece of information that I didn’t, I was glad I’d hired them. It wasn’t cheap, but it was done right, and the quality of life aboard was increased measurably. It was worth it.

I rounded out my stay at Deale with a few new friends and acquaintances. Everyone I met was friendly and sociable. I had a gam with my neighbor on a nice old wooden Grand Banks 32. I enjoyed several pleasant socially distant chats with a lovely British expat on an Albin 27 a few docks away. I enjoyed some decidedly non covid-safe time getting to know a handsome lad from the marina next door. He was working on restoring an old sailboat, and intended to sail her around the world. I think he’s one of the ones that’ll actually do it. I hope he does, and I hope it makes him happy.

All in all, it was a week well spent, and another successful chapter this weird and wonderful traveling circus.

 

[Knot Fast]

Not that there's anything wrong with having a composting toilet...

 

[Wayfarer]

Not that there's anything wrong with having a composting toilet...

Of course not!

 

[ctjstr]

Not that there's anything wrong with having a composting toilet...

yeah...maybe...I guess. But there are just some things in this world that ain't right. perforated parachutes is one...run flat tires is another and a terlet that don't drain out the bad stuff to someplace in different world is another . But I may just be old fashioned.

 

[cardude01]

If you side tie like that quite often, maybe make up some simple fender boards. They are easy to build and work really well.

This isn’t my boat but this is basically how I made mine. I’ve seen them made out of PVC pipe also.
https://youtu.be/Rzi5PmmJbEY

Congrats on the Nature’s Head. We liked ours so much on the boat we put one in our little converted camper trailer.

 

[Wayfarer]

yeah...maybe...I guess. But there are just some things in this world that ain't right. perforated parachutes is one...run flat tires is another and a terlet that don't drain out the bad stuff to someplace in different world is another . But I may just be old fashioned.

I'm not sure which one of us is more old fashioned on this one, mine being a direct descendent of the chamberpot... lol. I've heard some people dismissively say 'so you're basically pooping in a bucket?' They're not wrong, but I'd argue that something like a vacuflush system is just a much more complicated series of buckets connected with plumbing. You still have to deal with it somehow. I like the simplicity of this setup. So far my experience has been just as civilized.

To each 'is own, eh?

If you side tie like that quite often, maybe make up some simple fender boards. They are easy to build and work really well.

This isn’t my boat but this is basically how I made mine. I’ve seen them made out of PVC pipe also.
https://youtu.be/Rzi5PmmJbEY

Congrats on the Nature’s Head. We liked ours so much on the boat we put one in our little converted camper trailer.

Hey, that's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?

 

[BandB]

I'm not sure which one of us is more old fashioned on this one, mine being a direct descendent of the chamberpot... lol. I've heard some people dismissively say 'so you're basically pooping in a bucket?' They're not wrong, but I'd argue that something like a vacuflush system is just a much more complicated series of buckets connected with plumbing. You still have to deal with it somehow. I like the simplicity of this setup. So far my experience has been just as civilized.

To each 'is own, eh?



Hey, that's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?

Wifey B: Either boards or some large balls, fender balls that is.

 

[slowgoesit]

From the video's, it looks like you need to procure some bigger boobies! But then you'll have to change your Avatar.

Also, I particularly enjoyed the narration for the videos provided by the dreaded halyard slap!:lol:
Is that a Mantus M1 on the bow? If so, what size?

 

[ctjstr]

I'm not sure which one of us is more old fashioned on this one, mine being a direct descendent of the chamberpot... lol. I've heard some people dismissively say 'so you're basically pooping in a bucket?' They're not wrong, but I'd argue that something like a vacuflush system is just a much more complicated series of buckets connected with plumbing. You still have to deal with it somehow. I like the simplicity of this setup. So far my experience has been just as civilized.

To each 'is own, eh?



Hey, that's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?

I'm with you on the vacuflush. I know lots of folks like them but they are midevil as far as I'm concerned. When I first started hearing about them, I asked what the attraction was and someone said they're quiet? Maybe with your hearing aids out, but that loud Pop upon flushing, coupled with that kachug kachug kachug for a bit....well, it's not quiet. I've got two of them on Satisfaction and although you never want stuff on your boat to break down...total failure (one at a time) would not break my heart. Good luck on the "new and improved 5 gallon bucket" your boat is now sporting.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,


Mr. W. For you, my friend.

 

[O C Diver]

Whether a Vacuflush, Nature's Head, or some other design, you pick your perch and master the servicing / maintenance or suffer the peril. Short of hanging your cheeks overboard they all have varying levels or service or maintenance that best not be neglected. I think the Nature's Head for one or two people on smaller boats has advantages. Four or more guests for drinks and dinner on a bit bigger boat might be better served with the Vacuflush or other system with a larger storage capacity.

Ted

 

[cardude01]

I think the Nature's Head for one or two people on smaller boats has advantages. Four or more guests for drinks and dinner on a bit bigger boat might be better served with the Vacuflush or other system with a larger storage capacity.



Ted

This had definitely been our experience. The NH is perfect for a couple, but it gets a little overwhelmed with 4. We have a small boat and rarely cruise with four. Hell, we don’t seem to cruise at all these days for that matter!

Speaking of that, I wonder if the Bahamas will get a vaccine by early summertime? I’m kind of guessing not, but it sure would be nice to cruise there again soon.

 

[Comodave]

Glad you got to the new century on nav equipment. You will learn to love the radar and AIS. Fender boards are ok but I just have some of the big ball fenders. They are a bit tough to store but they give great separation.

 

[rsn48]

The scoop on poop. I too have an Airhead and I like its simplicity and NO SMELL. I'm more from an RV background, 3 travel trailers, 1 fifth wheel, 1 motorhome. Even the enzyme stuff works well until the tanks begin to get fuller, then a distinct odor can be detected.

On my current boat, just after I bought it I opened the head door and the area stank from the dead little critters in the water. I decided I was not going the holding tank route, I have no holding tanks in my boat currently. My head was direct flush and no holding tanks and due to new regs (maybe not so new now) I realized I was going to install a holding tank; I didn't want to do this.

There are fewer composting types in the trawler forum but in the cruisers forum (sail) there are many more so these are the videos I had posted routinely. The Wynns are now living in a 40 something sailing cat with two heads. The kept one head "normal" (for guests not used to composting toilets) and one head was replaced with a composting toilet. They developed their original fame from vlogging from their motorhome prior to their now current sailing life:

This one is for Dave: (How to prep and dump a composting toilet)

And Dave, if you don't have a second pee bottle, get one, you may not need it so much but once you have guests on board, the bottle will only be good for two days.

 

[Wayfarer]

Wifey B: Either boards or some large balls, fender balls that is.

Well so far, I've made do with just the two big 'uns I've got, but I'm always happy to have more!

From the video's, it looks like you need to procure some bigger boobies! But then you'll have to change your Avatar.

Also, I particularly enjoyed the narration for the videos provided by the dreaded halyard slap!:lol:
Is that a Mantus M1 on the bow? If so, what size?

Oh yes, there was plenty of halyard song for everyone, lol. Yep that's a Mantus M1. It's 65 pounds of earth grabbing might and magnificence, and I couldn't be happier with it.

I'm with you on the vacuflush. I know lots of folks like them but they are midevil as far as I'm concerned. When I first started hearing about them, I asked what the attraction was and someone said they're quiet? Maybe with your hearing aids out, but that loud Pop upon flushing, coupled with that kachug kachug kachug for a bit....well, it's not quiet. I've got two of them on Satisfaction and although you never want stuff on your boat to break down...total failure (one at a time) would not break my heart. Good luck on the "new and improved 5 gallon bucket" your boat is now sporting.

I actually can't say I've had any issues with the VF system. It's been dead reliable for me so far, and I still have one left. I don't plan to change it out any time soon, but who knows. For me, it's the old aluminum tanks that have proven to be the weak point. One of Zim's techs suggested it would be easiest to cut the bottom of the boat out and replace them that way...

Greetings,


Mr. W. For you, my friend.

hahahaha, that's a little slice of magic right there. My life's timeline will forevermore be divided into two major segments, life before this video, and everything after.

Whether a Vacuflush, Nature's Head, or some other design, you pick your perch and master the servicing / maintenance or suffer the peril. Short of hanging your cheeks overboard they all have varying levels or service or maintenance that best not be neglected. I think the Nature's Head for one or two people on smaller boats has advantages. Four or more guests for drinks and dinner on a bit bigger boat might be better served with the Vacuflush or other system with a larger storage capacity.

Ted

This had definitely been our experience. The NH is perfect for a couple, but it gets a little overwhelmed with 4. We have a small boat and rarely cruise with four. Hell, we don’t seem to cruise at all these days for that matter!

Speaking of that, I wonder if the Bahamas will get a vaccine by early summertime? I’m kind of guessing not, but it sure would be nice to cruise there again soon.

I agree completely. The bucket will basically just be for me. I kept the other vacuflush as a more normal option for guests

Glad you got to the new century on nav equipment. You will learn to love the radar and AIS. Fender boards are ok but I just have some of the big ball fenders. They are a bit tough to store but they give great separation.

Yeah, finding a storage spot for that was my first thought, especially given how often I'd use the boards. I suspect I'd get tired of shuffling them around. I think the first thing I'm gonna try is to just pump my existing hooters up a little more. They're pretty limp. I think they can do better.

The scoop on poop. I too have an Airhead and I like its simplicity and NO SMELL. I'm more from an RV background, 3 travel trailers, 1 fifth wheel, 1 motorhome. Even the enzyme stuff works well until the tanks begin to get fuller, then a distinct odor can be detected.

On my current boat, just after I bought it I opened the head door and the area stank from the dead little critters in the water. I decided I was not going the holding tank route, I have no holding tanks in my boat currently. My head was direct flush and no holding tanks and due to new regs (maybe not so new now) I realized I was going to install a holding tank; I didn't want to do this.

There are fewer composting types in the trawler forum but in the cruisers forum (sail) there are many more so these are the videos I had posted routinely. The Wynns are now living in a 40 something sailing cat with two heads. The kept one head "normal" (for guests not used to composting toilets) and one head was replaced with a composting toilet. They developed their original fame from vlogging from their motorhome prior to their now current sailing life:

This one is for Dave: (How to prep and dump a composting toilet)

And Dave, if you don't have a second pee bottle, get one, you may not need it so much but once you have guests on board, the bottle will only be good for two days.

The Wynns are great. I've been a subscriber since they first started sailing. They're a big part of the reason I went with the NH thunder bucket, and I watched that video several times before and during my first coco coir hydrating experience. It was very comforting, lol. And yes, I did get the second bottle. I figured the first one would eventually get gross, so might as well have a spare.

 

[Wayfarer]

Glad you got to the new century on nav equipment. You will learn to love the radar and AIS. Fender boards are ok but I just have some of the big ball fenders. They are a bit tough to store but they give great separation.

Also, I'm a member of the club now! She's the only American flagged vessel on AIS called Sylphide, which is kinda neat.