[Rhodes22-list] Porta Potty

[Mary Lou Troy]

We've cruised for more than a week on a R22 with a porta-potty. no 
problems, you just have to find a facility to dump it.

A porta-potty consists of two parts: a lower part which contains the 
sewage tank and a valve which opens and closes (usually a very simple 
manual open and close) and an upper part which contains the fresh 
water tank, the seat, the bowl and a bellows device for pumping 
water. The two parts mate together with an O-ring type seal. It is a 
very simple mechanism. Generally some sort of chemical is used in the 
sewage tank to reduce odors.  We tend use a product called "Oderlos" 
which does not have the formaldehyde and other nasty chemicals that 
are in the "blue stuff". Some people say it doesn't reduce odor 
enough but we have rarely had a problem with it. We use toilet tissue 
that is made for porta-potties and RVs. It disintegrates faster 
(sometimes under use so use with caution) which makes emptying the 
porta-potty easier..

Using a porta-potty is pretty straight forward. Pump a little water 
into the bowl (not strictly necessary if you are only going to pee). 
Do your business, wipe and flush. Everyone using the porta-potty 
should leave it (at least) as clean as they found it. This may entail 
a bit of extra time wiping the potty itself if you are not dainty 
about its use. We just use tp for this job because we can throw it in 
the pot. If you are using the porta-potty underway and conditions are 
less than calm, you may want to empty the bowl quickly to avoid sloshes.

Once the sewage tank approaches full you have to find a way to empty 
it. Some porta-potties are plumbed for a deck pump out and you have 
to find a marina with pump out facilities to empty them. Most have to 
be emptied manually. The upper and lower parts are separated and the 
lower part containing the sewage tank is taken to a dump 
facility.  We've found marinas that have a dedicated sewage dump for 
porta-potties (mostly those marinas catering to powerboaters with 
smaller boats), marinas that tolerate you dumping in the toilets and 
marinas which discourage dumping at all. On short trips we just bring 
it home and empty it in a household toilet, using hot water to rinse 
the tank (just add it to the tank after you've dumped, close 
everything up, slosh it around and dump again) and finish off with a 
little disinfectant diluted in water - again sloshed around and 
dumped. We then leave the tank open to dry out between uses. You do 
have to proceed carefully to avoid drips and splashes.

On a cruise of several days you have to find a place to dump. We 
generally stay at a marina every second or third night and dump then. 
I try to find a time when the restroom is not in use so I don't 
disturb other patrons of the marina. I like handicapped bathrooms 
with sinks because of the extra room and the access to water. I 
usually take an empty water jug that we keep on board to help with 
the rinsing process as many restroom sinks won't accommodate a 
porta-potty. I follow the same procedure (except the disinfectant) 
that I use at home. Because I am using someone else's facility I try 
to be just as mindful as I would be at home of drips and splashes. If 
we are using a marina that discourages emptying of porta-potties, we 
have large black heavy-duty garbage bag that I use to disguise the 
tank and I make sure I empty it with no one else around.

As to personal hygiene, be aware that a boat with a porta-potty may 
have only a limited amount of water available for washing. You may 
want to ask about the situation on the particular boat you will be 
sailing on. If you routinely use wipes or feminine hygiene products I 
would plan on not putting them in the porta-potty - collect and 
dispose of them separately.

That's about all I can think of. You will want to have the owner of 
the boat show you the features of the particular porta-potty on that boat.

Best,
Mary Lou
1991 R22  Fretless
Rock Hall, MD


At 07:52 PM 2/21/2009, you wrote:
>Help me out here, girls -
>
>A gentleman (really) friend has offered me a chance
>to go on a week's trip with him.  To avoid questions -
>my SO has no heartburn with this, and I forsee no
>problems either.  It's an ideal opportunity to learn
>about sailing.  On to the real issue.
>
>What's good, bad, and ugly about porta potties?  I
>don't want to embarrass myself or the gentleman with
>ignorant mistakes, and I need to know how to use and
>take care of the potty - to do my share of the dirty work.
>
>Issues:
>     Cleanliness - Mine and the potty's?
>     Odor - How much and what kind?
>     Safety - Splash?  Spills?
>     Maintenance - What do I need to know?
>
>In general, how easy is it for a woman to maintain
>herself over a week while using this sort of facility?
>I can handle rough camping - cat holes, etc. - but
>this is a new on on me.  Seems somewhat the
>same though.
>
>Advice?
>
>Sincerely,
>Blanche DeFord
>
>
>
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