TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands The horrors of the Head!! No toilet paper in the toilet!!

Since you can't flush toilet paper down the toilets on most boats, what are the tricks to using the head while bareboating? Certainly, this is a big adjustment to those who aren't fond of camping. I was thinking of purchasing these black Ziploc bags for the toilet paper, which will place in a larger bin or bag. I was thinking out of sight, out of mind. This can be a sensative topic for some but, wanted to learn about all the ideas of how to keep the Head fresh and tidy for an enjoyable cruise.

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Actually, it may be a “sensitive” topic, but a backed up head is much, much worse!

We've done this several ways and it depended on the boat we were on.

For the no TP toilets we had sandwich size zip top bags for poo and those were sealed and put in waste bin lined with trash bag. TP used for pee only was just put in trash bin. Throw out trash bag as needed.

On another boat where we could flush TP we "threatened" our crew if they got the toilet clogged they were responsible for full payment to get it unclogged. They should use as little paper as possible. Well, at the end of the trip (of 10 days) I realized a 4 pack for one of the cabins had 3 rolls left from the 2 people. I asked why so much left and we had scared them so bad they were afraid to use much at all. Used about 1 square per usage. 😂😂😂 We really didn't mean THAT little but kudos to them. Now we have great stories for life!

Use bathrooms on shore as much as possible also helps.

Good luck!

Diaper wipes are your friend and small ziplocks.

How do you know which toilets can handle toilet paper? I've always been under the impression/fear that it's not recommended in any. On a Mooring's power cat last time the boat briefer said just keep it to small amounts and flush a lot. I figure if it has a macerator then yes, without that then no. We put some in the toilet but probably 80% in the trash.

It probably can handle it but, I'm not taking any chances with clogged toilets and trip delays for fixing. We have the strict not toilet paper in the toilet

Since some don't have a bidet attachment. The shower head is a wonderful alternative. just sayin'

If you have fresh heads there is less worry. The little bits won't calcify in the lines as they will with a salt water feed.

Short of "absorbent or barrier items" we have never had a problem with a LOW amount of usage (2-6 sheets). Just make sure to pump/hold the button twice as long as you need. 20 seconds to "ALL GONE" add 20 seconds.

We always flush toilet paper. Never had an issue. We just use small amounts. We also get toilet paper that breaks apart pretty easily.

And let it get thoroughly soaked before attempting to flush anything.

Zip locks, diaper wipes and remember to throw them out with every trash run. We are liveaboard now and have trash cans in each head.

No TP in the head for us, but we did try Poo-Pourri. My crew gave it a thumbs up.

Not really a big deal for us. We've been travelling to countries that don't flush their paper for years. A little plastic grocery bag in the head, emptied fairly often, and topped off with some air freshener after each use. Easy enough. Have a great trip. Dean

Thanks for the poo-pouri suggestion. Good rating on amazon. Ordering now!!

One of the reasons why my wife will only do land based trips....

Keep 8n mind that every marine head I have seen on a charter boat is toilet paper capable. The charter companies don’t want to deal with clogs. The toilets are designed for paper.
G

And one of the reasons why my husband won’t do a crewed charter. (Although in all farinesa, maybe we were looking at the wrong charters)

It's really not that big of a deal. We use baby wipes and have zip lock baggies in the garbage can in the head. It gets emptied every day. One pack of 80 wipes and 20 quart size ziplocks is more then enough for our 10 day boat trip.

If you bypass the holding tank then it’s fine to use TP in small amounts my rule was either 2 triple squares or 3 double squares of TP, if they need more then they have to flush first.

The boat we're chartering next week, a Moorings 45.3 monohull, has electric heads. Other than a Hunter many years ago, this will be our first boat with electric heads. Also since it is our first trip in 15 years, it will be the first time we're on a boat that is using the holding tanks. There will be 4 of us and the boat has 3 electric heads.

In order to keep from clogging the head, with minimal TP usage, frequent flushes would seem in order. My concern is the electric drain on the house batteries by the flushes. Also, is there typically a manual pump that can be used in lieu of the electric pump? The boat doesn't have a genset but does have 340ah of house batteries.

Even with electric heads we were told not to use TP. "If you haven't eaten it first, it doesn't go into the head"

The joker valves on the Jabsco electric head is about a quarter of the size of their manual model

“Use good quality hard or soft household toilet paper, but do not use more than necessary.”
The above is from the Jabsco manual. I have never had a marine head actually clog on toilet paper. Clogs I have had were other issues. The biggest one is that the hoses after the head calcify and diameter is reduced. This eventually will lead to clogging. The other is the thru hull getting blocked or partially blocked. My standard charter routine is to dive the boat at the first anchorage and check for bottom damage and that all the thru hulls are unblocked.
On Moorings boats if a head does clog before you call the Moorings open up the access to the holding tanks. Very easy on a cat. Find the inlet hose to the tank from the toilet. It feeds into the top. Grab and shake/bang aggressively the hose. This will solve many clogged heads. If the same head keeps doing it and this fixes it it’s calcified.
I have very few head issues overall and we flush TP. I do however brief two things. Minimum use of paper and extended flush times if paper is used to insure the paper is through the outlet hose.
P.S. The number 1 cause of toilet clogs are baby wipes. Even those marketed as flushable can’t go in a marine head!
G

Not sure why they would tell you this... This is a huge reason electric toilets were installed in place of manual hand pump toilets.
In all my years I have never encountered a clog with an electric toilet.

Steve

Your Moorings charter will have plenty of power to get you through the week of flushes. If you kill the batteries from flushing too much there is a hospital just down the road in Road Town...

Now that's funny. With all the electronic gizmos we're bringing it could be tough to save power to flush.

I'm aware that its is customary in many countries to put used toilet paper into a waste basket. However, I think that willingly carrying used TP on a boat is just gross.

I will take my chances flushing it down the loo.

I can tell you why "they" would tell you this. "They" live in the real world of charter boats. I have been boating for over thirty years. I have been managing charter boats for over ten years. I promise you that no one is making up stories of clogged heads. It happens all the time.

While Jabsco and other manufacturers claim you can flush tp down the reality is much different. First off even on the best maintained boats the hoses are never fully clear of build up. The macerator blade on the average electric head is about two inches in diameter and is chopping up what ever you put in it. Then pushing it first through a small joker valve. Then it enters a one inch hose that is likely smaller in interior diameter than when new. Then through a second joker valve that steps the pipe up to inch and a half diameter hose. It is also has a vertical rise of around three feet to get to the top of the tank. Add in inexperience and to much paper and it is a fatal flaw.

Heads in boats are never capable of preforming like they do in a laboratory testing environment. So ask yourself is it worth it? Do you want to spend time on vacation removing a macerator full of fecal matter and waste to clear a clog? Then try to stand on your head and reinstall it? Have you ever seen the tiny o ring that separates your space in the bathroom from the raging pressurized waste inside the macerator. It makes the original space shuttle o rings look like a good design. They are nearly impossible to re-use and require the patience of Job to reinstall.

Also add in the fact that there are no pump out facilities to speak of in any of the Virgin's. So what goes in the head goes in the water.

So you have planned your trip out in detail. Do yourself and your crew a favor and plan to use zip locks, diaper wipes and a trash can. You charter will go better.

Jay

Totally agree....baby wipes in a ziplock bag is not gross, if you do it right!

I know y'all are talking about boats. But we had to do the same while staying at White Bay Villas on Jost. It was no big deal at all. Baby wipes, ziplock bags and take to the trash daily.

Meh...We will flush away in less than a month...

If the crew is properly instructed to use minimal TP and plenty of water there should be no problems flushing. Sending dozens of ziploc bags filled with poop to the landfill is hardly being environmentally conscious.

THANK YOU!