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steve_hayes_maine steve_hayes_maine is offline
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Sep 2006
Posts: 53
Default My HEAD, is killing me because my HEAD on the boat isn't legal

I sail alone. Single Handed. I very seldom ever have crew. When I do, it
is for a day sail.

You have my sympathy. It must be a shame to have the Bristol 32 and
not be able to share it with someone, or to cruise weekends or longer.

Your boat must be very sweet. Is the LectraSan on the Pearson 323 one unit?
Or, is it a head and separate from the head the "treatment" facility?


I have a standard manual pump head/toilet, which (with about 20 pumps)
moves the waste to the LectraSan (a unit about the size of a large
battery (9"x9" x16")). I then activate the electronic control, which
mascerates and then activates an internal electrode plate which (in the
presence of salt water or brine), kills the bacteria in the waste. The
waste is pumped out the next time someone moves new waste in. My unit
came with the accessory brine tank (the former owners were on the
Connecticut River) as it needs the salt. If you are strictly sailing
on the Maine coast, all you would need is the LectraSan unit itself.

The new ones are now "ElectraSan" and apparently more efficient. All
are available from Raritan Engineering.

I'm not concerned about one guy taking one dump per day or otherwise
hanging off the rail; I'm concerned about the hundreds of people we
have on the coast who also have natural needs. Even with our tides, we
don't always have the natural flushing action that would permit direct,
untreated discharge. And nothing is less appetizing than floating used
toilet paper. I'm old enough to remember when we could not use Rockland
Harbor or Belfast or other areas on the coast because there were no
treatment facilities for humans or fish/chicken/etc. processing. I am
grateful as can be that our harbors are cleaner.

You may still want to consider the portapotty in replacement of the
existing toilet unit. Aside from the environmental benefits, it does
come with a comfortable seat and can be easily anchored. I had one in
the O'Day Mariner I had twenty years ago and it worked great for day
sailing. I'd hate to think of you falling off your bucket or suffering
an unintentional gibe while you're enjoying your magazine on the deck.

Steve