Boaterhoming Blackwater Disposal

[NorthernFocus]

When we ordered our 25SC early last year we inquired about having factory install an Airhead composting head. We were informed they were not set up to do that and the credit for leaving out the standard plumbing was minimal.

Regardless of the credit or not, doing a clean install is a lot easier than a tear out and install. And the surplus hardware is almost more trouble than it is worth to sell on the used market.

 

[Sam Walker]

Sorry for the duplicate (silly looking) post. When I brought this thread up earlier, Northern Focus' posts were not visible to me. Doh!

 

[knotflying]

We have had the Airhead since the boat was new. Since the holding tank was never used we converted it to potable water. That gives us 70 gallons of water and we never look for a pump out.

 

[Scuffy]

So the Airhead folks just dump their urine out the window or down the sink to drain overboard ? Maybe some save it to dump at a marina? Nothing to brag about there. No problem when your three miles out but how often does that happen? I try to do my part to leave the least behind me in our travels. I think the stock toilet using pump outs are better for the environment. Boats always need something so a little extra trouble to do what we can to keep the water a little cleaner is a small price to pay. A single boater is one thing but collectively I think it adds up. Just my opinion here each one of us has there own way of doing things.

 

[knotflying]

And when Scuffy is swimming in the ocean I have seen him leave the beach and find a restroom. :lol:

 

[recray]

And when Scuffy is swimming in the ocean I have seen him leave the beach and find a restroom. :lol:

I hear that...lol

 

[recray]

Thanks to all that replied to our Boaterhoming Blackwater Disposal inquiry...All were very informative and educational and provided several options that would work for us...Ray & Pam

 

[NorthernFocus]

Let's see if I understand this, we're motoring around in a diesel powered boat purely for entertainment, but as long as we don't pee over the rail we're environmentally conscious? :?

I can't speak for others who have chosen to use composting toilets, but per the above reality, in my case the Airhead has nothing to do with being more/less environment friendly than the alternative. Its advantage is that it is more BOATER friendly.

However, on balance, I'd say when it comes to biological waste, our boat is pretty much environmentally neutral. I figure we remove at least our own weight in fish from the water every year. Surely what they excrete 24/7/365 is a lot more than anything we may inadvertently leave behind over the course of a few weeks on the water.

But... for the record, we recycle everything that goes into the head :roll:

 

[knotflying]

We have gone a bit off topic here but for informational purposes. Just happened to see this under science & Tech

Ever 'had to go' while swimming in the ocean but felt guilty about polluting the water?
Well, feel guilty no more - according to the American Chemical Society (ACS) peeing in the ocean is not only harmless, it is actually good for marine life.

I think we should all do our best to help our marine life regularly. And Rhododendrons like acid so while on land....... 😀

 

[Scuffy]

Look I get it, you spent the money on an Airhead and love it that's fine with me. I never said I never took a leak outside of a bathroom. My point was that if I had an alternative to disposing of our urine I thought the pump out way on a boat was better for us. Someone needs to use our boats toilet we say just hit the black button that's right in front of you when your done. No discussion needed about a diverter valve and wondering if urine got into you compost kit. As for boater friendly my wife would object to being asked to just pee over the rail or having to carry urine around at any point. She would rather use a normal toilet where everything goes in the same bowl. So I read how some see the Airhead as a being more boater friendly, from a female perspective that not always so. This a forum to voice our opinions and I have a different opinion then some. Am I a tree hugging environmentalist? No. Do you guys have these Airhead toilets in your homes on land? I rest my case. :mrgreen:

 

[NorthernFocus]

Look I get it...

I don't think so but if you do your own maintenance/repairs on the boat and if you keep it for a few years, then you'll get it. And yes, if the toilet in my house had as many potential failure points as a marine system, I'd have a composting toilet at home too. For the same reason.

 

[Scuffy]

Here's the thing. I have a perfectly working flush toilet with a macerator that my wife seems to like as supplied by R.T. I'm guessing I can buy a lot of parts for the thousand dollars+ an Airhead costs. I think I'll at least wait for it to break before dropping the grand on the Airhead. I looked at repair kits and they seem to run about 50 dollars. I'm sure the macerator costs about 200 but I going to take my chances. I'll keep the Airhead in mind if things get too tough for me to handle. 😀

 

[knotflying]

For me the decision about the airhead was not the cost, but the smells often associated with a marine head and then the putrid task encountered during repairs. Then there is always the regular need for a pump out. Additionally since my holding tank was never used I had the bonus 35 gallons of potable water. We use marina heads whenever possible and we are good for 3 months and then I empty the airhead. I could go longer, but that is usually when we are done with a cruise so I empty it. The lilac bush in Rhode Island has wonderful blooms. To empty the tank is not a horrid or smelly mess. I would say from start to finish, including burying the mulch around the lilac takes 30 minutes. Everything is a trade off. One less system to maintain and care for and more potable water works for me. Hey, if we all thought the same it would be a boring world.

 

[NorthernFocus]

...if we all thought the same it would be a boring world.

It's not only that, in spite of having the same/similar boats, we use them much differently. In our case, when we leave the dock in Whittier, the next marina is 80nm away. And the next is 70nm beyond that. So holding it till we reach the next facilities because the head is broken is not an option. Plus that's not usually where we're headed anyway. And if we are it's a two or three day trip.

But all that aside, I've done way more repairs on marine sanitary systems than any one person should have to do in a lifetime. If the Airhead keeps me from doing even one more repair that would require opening the black water system it will have paid for itself.

At any rate, the OP was inquiring about how to deal with blackwater in campgrounds and a composting toilet is a viable option.

 

[Scuffy]

I think it's been a great discussion. I thought some might find another perspective interesting. Sometimes it's in my nature to poke the bear some. I try to add what I see as a little humor. Does Airhead have an owners group? Name? How about do they have any rendezvous? I'm done. :mrgreen: