Airhead thoughts

[stwendl]

Just spinning a few thoughts about this subject

The currently available airheads are a tad bit bulky to fit smoothly into a tugs space. Mostly due to the fact that they are somewhat oval in foot print. It should be possible to design an airhead that fits perfectly into that ( in my r27 case triangle shaped) space.

Just curious about why on that design it is necessary to capture #1 human waste. My understanding of the environmental regulations seem to include only #2 waste matter. Do I misunderstand this? I am sure #1 enters local waters during swim operations many times, so how would this differ if it came from a boat. Can anyone with a clear understanding of the regulations and the chemistry chime in?

 

[snydzy]

The primary environmental concern with your sewage is not the urine (which is basically sterile) , but the feces. Human feces contains bacteria, pathogens, and nutrients. The idea behind federal regulations concerning sewage on boats is to keep untreated sewage out of our inland and coastal waters, so we don’t have to swim in it or drink it.

 

[knotflying]

I think on a practical scenes, especially woman, when they go #2, #1 tends to join the ride. Therefore the separation, feature is there and if it wasn't then your experience would require a bit of will power and practice. They do make a urine tank with a barbed outlet that can be routed somewhere. I just haven't had the ambition to do that yet. Having installed the Airhead from the very start I have not felt that it encroaches so much into the head area that it affects movement.

 

[NorthernFocus]

...My understanding of the environmental regulations seem to include only #2 waste matter. Do I misunderstand this?...

I believe the term used in the regulations is "human waste". I've had a lot of experience dealing with federal regulatory agencies and at the end of the day the interpretation that counts is that of the local enforcement officer. So it's a roll of the dice.

I assume the point of your post is why not just route the liquid overboard rather than capture it?

 

[NorthernFocus]

... Having installed the Airhead from the very start I have not felt that it encroaches so much into the head area that it affects movement.

It does poke out a bit farther from the wall but I agree with the above. For us the bigger issue is the height. The seat is already taller than typical and when added to the step in the head floor it is really high. This off-season I intend to build a grating to bring the floor up level with the step.

The Airhead is no panacea. But as the one who does all of the maintenance/repairs on our boat, the benefits still far outweigh the negatives relative to a marine head system.

 

[ALICE J]

I took out the installed marine head and placed a starboard platform extending and accommodating the airhead and a place for my feet and a comfortable place for my toes when showering underneath the platform. The air head solves the pump out at RV and dump stations.