Folks,
I know this particular horse was beaten two years ago, but a lot of stuff has been passed in the meantime. (According to Mark’s calculations of beer consumption)
Would you current C-Head, Air Head, Nature’s Way, etc. users please give those of us who are considering a change an updated review of your system.
Thanks,
Joe
NS26C #156
Sea Horse
I have an Airhead on my 26C , been 3 years now. Ran the vent to near the clamshell air intake for the engine on the combing.
Pretty much a drop in replacement for the WC we had. A bit taller but not so much my 5 foor 3 Capt notices.
I’d never own a sailboat with a holding tank / pump out ever again.
Ever heard of a “Compoost” ??
Apparently, according to many couples who live aboard their narrowboats in the UK (i.e. thousands of couples), they recommend a recent arrival to the compost toilet brigade. It is made by Compoost, in England, and was developed by a couple who lived on their narrowboat and got fed up with holding tanks, cassette toilets, etc. They simply designed and built a better .. uh … crapper.
I have a few buddies who live aboard these lovely boats “over there” and Sandra and I have done a few of these hires. i am very impressed with all of the videos and info that I’ve seen on these toilets. They are sleek, well-made (in a workshop, by a canal, in the UK) and they vent into a filter that absolutely absorbs any smell.
Watch the video - it was shot by two vloggers from a ridiculously popular YouTube channel called “Foxes Afloat”. It’s pretty neat.
Ernie A. in Toronto
Thanks Ernie,
An interesting and entertaining addition to the compost toilet field.
Joe
NS26C #156
Since Thor has completed the routine for the Airhead vent he has found an extra couple of horsepower in the engine. I am considering a composting head but decided to sit on the idea for a while and let them digest a bit more.
Mark Powers
I’m very interested in this topic. I just replaced our maserator. I never want to do that again. The holding tank is never completely clean and always seems to top out inside the 3 mile limit.
Mel and I live aboard 6 months of the year. We rarely have overnight guests. We don’t flush any paper products. I’ve not familiarized myself with composting but think it might be a good alternative for us. We would also like to be a little more friendly to the environment.
What are the negatives to composting? Can the system be overwhelmed? Is maintenance a PIA?
I’m 6’2” so a higher seat is welcome. Mel’s got an inch on Thor’s Captain.
Anyone else with experience here?
Mike
NS36
Intuition
What did you do with all the space that you reclaimed where the holding tank was?
Joe
NS 26C 156
That’s pretty funny, Captain Powers …
Ernie A. in Toronto
NaturesHead installed two years ago.
The Admiral loves it because no more smell, extended range between “pumpouts”. Also likes the higher seat - at 5’3" can now see out the port.
We have to empty the main part twice a season, in the middle and at the end, with just the two of us using it. More of a hassle for me but not bad.
I’m still getting the formula for the mulch down, it’s hard to really screw up but it is possible.
The old holding tank space now has beer and wine and a few heavy things.
It really doesn’t smell. If it does at all, it smells like a garden. This makes up for any of the other maintenance issues.
Tom
26C#28
Penetang
I had a C-Head shorty non-stirring model in my previous boat. It worked fine and was not a maintenance item. I learned the process pretty thoroughly and when I bought my N22 decided to do the same. I quickly discovered that the price had increased dramatically so I decided that the process is simple and I had learned the “secrets” so I made my own for between $50.00 and $100.00. I used a 5 gallon bucket (blue) a large funnel attached to the front inside with a drain for the liquids and 8 gallon trash bags for the solids. My drain goes into a 1 gallon container in the hanging locker, and I use a computer fan ducted to the starboard vent cowling. It is made official by topping off with a genuine plastic seat made for 5 gallon buckets. I use a 50/50 mix of cedar chips and peat moss as medium. I place an initial amount of medium in the bottom then add more on top after each use. TP doesn’t go in the mix, as it is too bulky. We use a trash basket with a bag for the used TP or wipes. We never have any smell, don’t need to stop by a pump out and the waste can be disposed of in the trash. As a bonus, I rebuilt the holding tank area to accommodate three 7 gallon portable water tanks to augment our built in water tank when we need extra water for an extended cruise.
One thing to keep in mind is that these heads don’t actually compost. To attenuate the process of decay by anaerobic bacteria which is the actual source of the offensive odor, these systems simply mix the solids with an absorbing medium. Separating the liquids allows for efficient drying of the solids. A small vent fan helps the drying process and exhausts any immediate odor after use. The stirring type allow more thorough mixing so you use less medium and fewer empties are needed. I like the bag solution because the empty is simpler at the end of a short cruise, but if you stay on board for a long period the stir model would be better.
I would never go back to a standard marine MSD, they always smell, you carry around gallons of waste and the maintenance on these heads can be pretty unsavory at best.
Ron Weber
N22 Magic Time
Punta Gorda Fl
We are on our first season with an Airhead so I won’t offer an opinion on the utility - although I’m confident I won’t regret it - install was straightforward enough. RE: how we used the space where the holding tank was. I moved all the engine bay wiring, charger and batteries into that space to be easier to access, create more room in the engine bay and make battery maintenance less of a chore. If we start cruising again, I would put a water maker in there. We have a NS30C where this was all under the main berth but hard to access. Those less easily accessed lockers are now available for general storage items, tools etc.
Jim.
C.A.T. NS30C #146
Thor,
Did you also use the fan for your installation or do you rely solely on positive pressure from the cowl/dorade box the head and a venturi effect from the clam shell to create air flow through the AirHead?
Where do you sail? Humidity and temperature and significant factors in the efficiency of dehydrating the waste.
James
“Apollo” Nonsuch 30 U #415 '87
Marblehead, MA
Jim
Very nicely done. Thanks for the pics. Will contemplate that for next season.
I am looking for new engine insulation and really like what I see in the photos.
Do you remember where you got yours?
Many thanks
James
“Apollo” Nonsuch 30 U #415 '87
Marblehead, MA
In an exchange with a fellow Nonsucher, it was identified another reason the head is vital to the safe operation of the vessel (names have been changed to protect the guilty and the innocent):
“As you observed, the head is most important – in fact, whenever we’re sailing and we run into a difficult and dangerous situation – such as we’re facing a nasty on-coming squall line, or we’re surrounded by impenetrable ledges just below the surface of the water, or we’ve snagged a lobster pot warp and are firmly stern to the wind, I promptly surrender the helm to and retire to the head to gather my wits and think through just what we should do. Yes, indeed, the head is most important.”
James
“Apollo” Nonsuch 30 U #415 '87
Marblehead, MA
My composting head uses a fan. Consumes .007 amps so not anything to be concerned about. You must have air flow through the solids container and the dorade will not be enough. After we parked the boat at the dock in the PNW for the winter we run the fan for a week then turned it off. When we were back east and it froze during the winter we cleaned the unit , the batteries were off the boat anyway.
Composting requires a good supply of oxygen to support the good bacteria otherwise the process will stop and the smell will be outstanding. So a composting toilet without a fan will be less effective than one with a small fan.
Cleaning, you can only use bio-friendly stuff. We had a supply of KO so we are using that. No bleach, soap, etc. Vinegar is ok .
We easily get 30 days continuous use for 2 on board. When the handle is hard to crank, time to empty the toilet!
Initially we ran the vent up where the heater chimney ran exiting just ahead of the dodger. Worked ok but being up wind we would sometimes get a wiff of peat odour so I relocated it via the aft storage areas into the engine room and terminated the line beside the air intake clam shell vent. I used plain sections of ABS pipe joined with screws to run the line. Works fine now. Have not seen a reoccurance of the peat odour.
Some folks use a solar fan to vent but I think venting aft is the way to go and if you can figure out a solar vent back there I am sure it would be fine. Have an acquaintance who uses an exhaust fan via a through hull on the transom that for some reason was unused.
We have zero odour on the boat. Would it work without a fan, maybe. Does it work better with a fan I think so.
Hope this helps.
Thor,
I’ve always been under the impression that the biggest limitation on composting heads was not the amount of solid waste they could hold but the amount of liquid waste, and the issues involved with disposing of it.
How much does your Airhead hold, and how often does that part need to be emptied?
Beer is important to many sailors and some of us have to stay hydrated, and so I’m wondering how well composting heads handle - ahem - fluid situations.
– Bob
Me Gusta
Nonsuch 26U #233
The liquid tank for my unit comes in two sizes, but realitically you get a day. You can not let the solids and liquids mix and these units are designed to seperate them .
Several people have done away with that tank and piped the liquid waste overboard, that works three miles out. I suppose you could pipe the liquid waste to a larger “holding” tank.
Tim in STL
White O’morn NS26U #216
Harbor Point Yacht Club
West Alton, MO
Don’t know about Canada, but based on extensive research, I found no restriction on urine being disposed of overboard in the USA. As far as I know, urine does not cause any negative environmental impact. So I my opinion, the best means of disposal for liquid waste is overboard. I use a one gallon container, and that lasts at least a day for two adults. If anyone has facts to the contrary please present them for our information. The solids of course promote bacterial growth in the water so they must be contained in the composting head and emptied ashore.
Ron Weber
N22 Magic Time
Punta Gorda Fl
When we shopped for our 30U 2 years ago, the only composting head we saw was installed in the shower. That is not a route I want to take.
Do any 30U owners have photos to share of their composting head installations?
Do you still have access to your drawers and cabinet?
So far, the smallest footprint I can find has the urine container located elsewhere. Has anyone installed one of those? If so, where did you put the p tank?
Thanks,
Chuck Garbarino
AS You Wish
1985 30U
Sodus Bay, NY