Sailboat Toilet

 

Yacht toilet, sani-loo or holding tank. Where does one start? The thoughts of smell, sewerage and blockages soon come to mind and no matter how many ideas you come up to exclude one from maintaining The-Loo, the fact is, you are going to get your hands dirty some day.

The thoughts here were simple, get the widest base which in the long run will improve stability and securing to the floor when compared to the smaller bases and some of the stories floating around.

Secondly, get the whole lot automated. In today’s world, these systems have been well designed and improved on and are now very reliable. For the extra few dollars, this also provides that little bit extra padding (so to speak) and keeps the law on our side.

In summary, waste is sent directly overboard, or via a selector to the holding tank. We have chosen this way for:
> Simplistic installation,
> KISS (Keep it simple Sailor) right up our ally,
and
> Compliance with the new Sewerage treatment
Regulations.

We have chosen to place a single saltwater inlet for the toilet under the shower floor, where access is easy and other 'wet area' components are stationed. From there, the saltwater goes through a bronze valve (tap).

We have had tremendous trouble here as no one seems to make a 'skin-fitting+90 degree elbow' in bronze. Many make them in plastic but not bronze. However, this then splits three ways to the various points.

We have chosen to use PVC pipe in this area as the floor area will be glued and screwed and we can't afford to pull this up in the event of a plastic pipe replacement.

The only access here will be via the ' shower access door ', a simple piece of resined ply. Being below waterline, this section of the hull has been glassed as its going to get wet from the shower waste, saltwater inlet maintenance and possible point for a removable speed-transducer.

We have decided that with the ever strengthening regulations here in Australia and in an effort to maintain the pristine areas that we wish to sail, we needed to stay abreast of the law or face the legal consequences that could force us to sell. Using this as our benchmark, we drew a line-in-the-sand and we have to work forward from here.

This is our slant on the treatment of sewerage from our vessel and not that of the designer, maritime services or any other body. Also, sewerage discussed here is classed as waste from our toilet and not gray waste from the vanity or galley.
Our main cruising ground is expected to be the Australian east coast and for the uninitiated, this contains an ever growing labyrinth of sewerage discharge regulations, mainly no-discharge zones.

Outside these zones, boat harbours or marinas, or more than 1 nautical mile from an aquiculture facility, you may discharge or pump out untreated sewage. All toilets have to be fitted with a macerator to help speed up the breakdown process, and this is now law in Queensland.

Added to this are three grades of treatment, A – best grade to C – the least favourable grade. These are discussed in more detail through the Queensland Government>Home>Environment>Sewerage site. We have chosen to go with grade B.

This higher level of treatment may be discharged outside of prohibited discharge waters provided that discharges occur more than 700 metres from sensitive areas (that is a person in the water, aquiculture fisheries resources (such as an oyster lease) or reef). Again, these areas can be found all the way around the coast and are discussed on the same Government site.