Huh? Re: [Rhodes22-list] Exploding Porta Potties

[Mary Lou Troy]

Bill,
I've seen that before. Did you note they even have official Notices to 
Mariners? There are only 2.
http://www.sealandgov.org/notices/notm01702.html
http://www.sealandgov.org/notices/notm01502.html

Mary Lou


At 06:17 PM 11/21/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>Mary Lou,
>
>I've got a SeaLand from West Marine because that's all they had, but when 
>I Googled SeaLand I got this hit--
>
>http://www.sealandgov.com/
>
>Even Herb is gonna like this one...
>
>Bill Effros
>
>
>
>Mary Lou Troy wrote:
>
>>Bill,
>>All I can say is you have way too complicated a porta-john.
>>
>>Ours is a Thetford 135 with a bellows pump and sliding closure a the 
>>bottom of the bowl. I've never experienced the pressure build-up you 
>>describe but if I suspected it, it would be easy to crack the closure & 
>>then flush. Simple, few moving parts and only a 2.6 gallon waste tank - 
>>which is why when we empty it every other day I can carry it up the dock.
>>
>>On the other hand, if we lived on a mooring like you do, we'd have a 
>>marine head or plumb the porta-john to a deck pumpout fitting.
>>
>>Best,
>>Mary Lou
>>1991 R22 Fretless
>>Ft. Washington, PA / Swan Creek MD
>>
>>At 11:12 AM 11/21/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>>
>>>Maybe it's a "get the new-guy" thing, but the Porta-Potty advocates 
>>>never seem to mention that Porta-Potties can blow out in your face--repeatedly.
>>>
>>>I developed plumbing problems with my marine head (which is terrific and 
>>>completely odor-free when working properly) owing to barnacle build up 
>>>on the inlet side.  On the advice of this list, I decided to switch over 
>>>to a Porta Potty this year, which I planned to eventually plumb into the 
>>>rest of my marine head system.  Luckily the project was more complex, 
>>>and launch time too short, so my boat went to sea with just a standard 
>>>Porta-Potty.
>>>
>>>I have mentioned this before--as far as I'm concerned, the best feature 
>>>of a Rhodes-22 is that a man can make a pee while standing up with no 
>>>risk of falling overboard.
>>>
>>>My first disappointment with the Porta Potty was that the lower portion 
>>>is far more bulky than the small marine heads Stan installs, forcing me 
>>>to lean into the hatch opening at an off-balance angle.
>>>It wasn't quite as satisfying as the no hands required to hold you 
>>>upright position I had grown so accustomed to, but I felt I could live with it.
>>>
>>>Then came the big surprise!
>>>
>>>It was a hot summer day.  Time for a great pee.  I did my business while 
>>>surveying a lovely ocean vista.  Now, I know the women in this crowd 
>>>will have no sympathy for what happened next...It is impossible to flush 
>>>a Porta Potty while standing up, facing forward, with your upper body 
>>>protruding through an open hatch.  You must back out of the head, and, 
>>>while in this bent-over position, your head mere inches away from the 
>>>potty seat, grab the potty handle and pull it toward you as you exit the 
>>>enclosure.
>>>
>>>Did I mention that it was a HOT summer day?
>>>
>>>Most of you have the picture in your minds by now.  The lower portion of 
>>>a Porta Potty is air tight.  That's why you can't smell what's inside.
>>>On a hot summer day, that air expands.  But on a new Porta Potty, it has 
>>>no place to go--until you pull that handle!
>>>
>>>Then it blows your business right into your face which is mere inches 
>>>from the seat.
>>>
>>>Again, I know the women in this crowd are going to say "Just put down 
>>>the seat!" but if that advice, which has always been in my best 
>>>interest, hasn't always been followed for lo these many years of 
>>>marriage, it's not likely to always be followed now, either.
>>>
>>>I tried to remember to let out the air before pulling the handle when 
>>>there was anything in the upper chamber.  But on hot days, the pressure 
>>>could build up again, over and over.  I just didn't remember every 
>>>time.  (It's the same with the toilet seat--I know I remember most of 
>>>the time, but my wife only remembers the splashes in the middle of the 
>>>night followed by husband-awakening invective.)
>>>
>>>After 3 or 4 more explosions I pulled out the Porta Potty, and replaced 
>>>it with my old marine head.  Life has been much better ever since.
>>>
>>>Let me mention, also, another factor I found daunting in my Porta Potty 
>>>experience.  A gallon of water weighs 8.33 pounds.  A large porta potty 
>>>holds 6 gallons of water.  That's 50 pounds of sloshing 
>>>s..............stuff you're walking around with, hoping not to pull the 
>>>wrong handle by mistake.
>>>
>>>My boat is moored 1/2 mile from shore.  The nearest clean out facility 
>>>is 1/4 mile from the dock.  My wife didn't take well to the notion of 
>>>bringing the tank back home in the back of the car.  Sure, I could have 
>>>done it more often, but the clean out procedure is just as foul as you 
>>>would imagine it to be, and walking around with 25 pounds of effluent is 
>>>no picnic, either--especially if you have to do it twice as often.
>>>
>>>When I have my boat recycled I'm going to talk to Stan about what we're 
>>>going to do next.  Using fresh water on the inlet side of the head is 
>>>the best way to go.  It totally eliminates all odors which are mainly 
>>>caused by little creatures pulled in with the sea water that die in the 
>>>tank.  The tank and pump out systems have always worked perfectly.  If 
>>>all I have to do is replace the valves on the marine head every couple 
>>>of years, I'll gladly do that maintenance in exchange for a far 
>>>preferable marine head system as far as I'm concerned.
>>>
>>>Bill Effros
>>>
>>>
>>>William E. Wickman wrote:
>>>
>>>>Ron, et. al.,
>>>>Everyone has an opinion about marine heads vs. porta-pottie, so here is
>>>>mine.  When I was first looking at a Rhodes, having a marine head was an
>>>>important criteria.  At one point, I had considered going the full monty; a
>>>>marine head with holding tank, macerator, and even an electra-san.
>>>>However, after reading the archives and upon further reflection, I realized
>>>>that the main reason that I wanted one was not for practical reasons, but
>>>>because it would make me feel more yachty.  The Rhodes is not a large boat.
>>>>That is what makes it so appealing, because it doesn't have all the big
>>>>boat problems.  As I read somewhere else on the list, it seems like those
>>>>big boat sailors that have marine heads are always having to fix something
>>>>on them.  Moreover, unless you keep the holding tank empty and clean, there
>>>>always seems to be an odor.  Simple is good.  I realized that I am not
>>>>going to be living on this boat, and the longest that I will probably ever
>>>>stay out is a week (maybe two if I'm lucky).  90+% of the time I am out on
>>>>the boat for a day sail or overnighter.  I believe that most Rhodies will
>>>>confess a similar percentage.  I ended up with a boat that has just the
>>>>porta-pottie, and have been very happy with it.  There is zero maintenance
>>>>with it, and it is very easy to dump anywhere there is a toilet.
>>>>Granted
>>>>it is a bit more hands-on than a pumpout, but a porta-pottie is much easier
>>>>to keep sanitized than a non-removeable holding tank.
>>>>
>>>>I'll finish with a true story.  I was on vacation during the summer of 2004
>>>>chartering a 45 foot sailboat in the San Juan Islands.  It was a wonderful
>>>>trip.  We had just docked for the evening in a marina on San Juan Island
>>>>and were walking off the docks to town when I saw the skipper of a rather
>>>>nice yacht in the process of emptying his holding tank into a "honey pot".
>>>>At this particular marina, they had tanks mounted on wheels with electric
>>>>pumps that they called honey pots.  It was a self-serve system that enabled
>>>>you to empty your sewage at your slip without having to go to a pump-out
>>>>station.  Well, right as we were passing by, something went amiss.  The
>>>>hose popped out of the holding tank fitting and drenched the skipper who
>>>>was bending over the hose fitting.  After everyone around finished their
>>>>collective Eeeeew, there was a bit of laughter by the small crowd that
>>>>always seems to gather around when some such activity as emptying a holding
>>>>tank is taking place.  It looked just like something out of a comedy.  The
>>>>skipper didn't think it was very funny though, and proceeded to spew a
>>>>string of profanities that required me to clap my hands over my 8 year
>>>>old's hears and quickly usher her away.  Moral of the story:  A
>>>>porta-pottie will not blow-out in your face.
>>>>
>>>>Bill W.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>             eroncol at aol.com
>>>>             Sent by:
>>>>             rhodes22-list-bou To
>>>>nces at rhodes22.org         rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>>>>
>>>>cc
>>>>             11/18/2005 02:48
>>>>Subject             PM                  [Rhodes22-list] thanks for replies
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>             Please respond to
>>>>               The Rhodes 22
>>>>                 mail list
>>>>             <rhodes22-list at rh
>>>>                odes22.org>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Hi
>>>>Ed K., I do exist.  Been busy and not always near a computer.
>>>>Sorry about
>>>>the delay.  Thanks to you, Mary Lou, Steve Hemphill and Russell Miller for
>>>>your responses.
>>>>I live in Wynnewood, PA, Mary Lou.  I must get hold of your chapter in
>>>>"Sailing Small."   Thanks for the references Ed.  I will look at them.  I
>>>>already see abut the differing opinions, answers and facts,  though each of
>>>>you say newer is better.  Actually that is true of your comments re boat
>>>>and motor.
>>>>I've used marine head but never have used a porta-potti. Seems there are
>>>>differences of opinion both about enclosed head and about porta-potti
>>>>versus marine head.  Why prefer the porta-potti?  I assume as Ed says, that
>>>>this may be in the archives.   I will look.
>>>>Looks like I've got some thinking to do.  And some talking to Stan.
>>>>                               Ron Coleman
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>>>>
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>>
>>
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