HOLDING TANKS

[KJD13]

Hi, I was just touching up on interstate requirements, for cruising a Tophat and read the info at https://skipr.net/cruising/docs/Passage ... 20V2.0.pdf. I am interested in how other Toppie owners have complied with regulations regarding sewerage holding on their Toppies.
Cheers,
Kevin (KJD13)
Wayward Lady, Mk 111,
Williamstown, Vic

[Phillip]

I do know of one boat with a 20lt holding tank but most of us just put a portta potty under the forward bed for those rare occasions you may need one.

[Miker]

I have the Porta Pot, but it's the single most awful thing about our boat. Any kind of sewerage holding is bad, but having to empty the porta pot is pretty gross. It's also a trick to keep the smell down. Lots of good info about regarding keeping the smell down, from a handful of dirt to various bottles of pink and blue nuclear waste.

Composting toilets are the way to go, but you need to use them reasonably often. Not much smell, but they don't fit well in the forward v-berth. So I've stuck with the Porta Pot, but wish there was another solution. One sailor I've been on a two day sail with didn't actually do #2 for the full two days.... You know who you are..... So that's another method of storage, just keep it in....

There are solutions for plastic holding bladders, that you can pump out, but space for fitting one is limited to either above your head in the v-berth, or below one of the benches/sea berths in the main cabin. Unless you use some of the space in the stern under the cabin, but then you have a lot of plumbing to go south....

[Phillip]

Michael,

Sad to hear you have smelly problems with your porta potty.

I used mine coming south in 2015 and when I got home I forgot about it.
Then when doing a clean up 3 months later wondered if I had used it?
Yep I had, there had been no smell at all.

I do use generous amounts of the recommended additives, maybe that helps?

[Shaun]

When the pump broke on myJabsco toilet, i ripped it out and replaced it with a porta potti. It is located in the enclosed head area and there is no smell at all inthe main cabin.
There isa slight odour when you open the head door but this dissapates in seconds. From new iused Napisan instead of the chemicals. ...2 or three tablespoons dissolved in warm water and poured into the bottom waste part. Apparently you can only successfully use napisan with new porta pottis.
Cheers

[Miker]

Haha,

Maybe it's the food we eat when on board. Spam, German smallgoods with cheese and pickles.....

I've tried a few things, but not Napisan. The other thing I hear is good is vinegar and Bi-Carb. Anyway, I haven't used the boat, hence the porta-potti for a few months now, but plan to do a bit more in the next few months. So will try a few more ideas.

[KJD13]

I have just read an interesting article in an old edition of Practical Boat Owner (July 2016), in which the author has improvised to build his own holding tank, with the ability to self pump out using a Hartley-Roberts valve body from an old inflatable. To flush out, he simply pumps air into the tank using the foot pump from his inflatable. As for the tank itself, he uses an old Thetford "slide-under" 25 litre waste tank, hence it takes up little room.If anyone would like a copy of the article, let me know and I will try to scan it and download the article.
Kevin
Wayward Lady, a Mk111,
Williamstown, Vic

[SeaLady]

I have a portapotty on Sea Lady and my camper trailer.
Use commercial portapotty chemicals.
Never have a problem.

Have left it sometimes more than 6 months as I forget to empty it. No problem.

To empty I have found simple ways.

1. Lake Macquarie, at Toronto, has a free pump out and portapotty empty station. With a hose and water to do rinsing.

2. Near my current mooring is a public toilet also with a tap. I take along my own hose.

3. Take it on land and go to a caravan park. You may need to pay. I used to pay $5. They also have hoses.


Lots of options.

[Swift]

Swift has a holding tank. It’s epoxy coated plywood mounted on its side vertically under the side deck. It has one curved side to fit the hull shape and occupies little space.

The entire tank is above the waterline, the electric toilet macerates waste and pumps it into the tank through the top. When it’s time to empty (in deep ocean water) the sea cock is opened and the tank self empties. The advantage of is that no complicated (and sometimes leaky) Y valves are required and the tank empties completely with no smelly residue remaining. If the sea cock is left open while sailing, water will slosh up in to the tank and give it a rinse. With a holding capacity of 55 litres, being primarily a solo sailor I have always been able to get to the ocean before the tank is full.

The tank includes a plumbed fitting at the top which is sealed with a screw cap. This was done to enable the tank to be pumped out in enclosed waters and also to provide a port to add chemicals without pumping them through the toilet. it’s interesting to note that the commercial Sani Loo treatment costs about $1,600 and uses liquid chorine “a 7 litre tank of chlorine will last several months with 2 - 4 people aboard to sanitise 99%” Not much chlorine required. I reckon a cup of chlorine manually added to a 55 litre tank will totally zap all nasties.

This project was done as an experiment back in 2005. I didn’t expect the plywood tank to last, also I was sceptical about the reliability of electric toilets but over the last 14 years neither the tank or TMC toilet has given any problems. The only thing I do for maintenance is to flush a few cups of fresh water through the toilet at the end of each day of use. Sea water left in the bowl turns stinky in a few days!

Cheers
Keith