Toliet paper and holding tank etiquette

Hi, looking for guidance on how you dispose of TP and your use of holding tanks, discharging etc. when in the BVI.

We boat in New England, and put TP into the holding tank. When it is time to discharge holding tank, we either run outside of the 'no-discharge area' generally a few miles out into ocean or we use a pump out facility.

Our charter company has informed us they have a no TP into holding tank policy - need to use plastic bags and dispose of with trash. We'll follow the policy since we are guests on someone elses boat. This has not been a policy on prior charters.

What do others do with the their TP and hodling tanks when in the BVI.

Thanks for your insights....

We do the same in the BVI (No paper in the tank). I suggest a small bottle of lysol or air freshener - helps to disinfect the basket and keep everything smelling like roses - I emptied the basket daily. At home, we used to put paper in the tank then had a situation where the float got stuck (even with marine paper) and level in the tank didn't register so now all paper goes into a bag. Really not a problem.

Where are you in MA? We boat out of Warwick RI (northern Narragansett Bay).

We always use a poopy bag for the toilet paper. When using a holding tank we bring holding tank cleaner packets from Walmart. We put in a new packet every time we empty the tanks

We use a poo bag on charter and on our boat. Gallon ziplocks work well.

Appropriate discharge is a challenge, but you're better than average if you close your holding tanks in an anchorage and discharge between islands.

Cheers, RickG

Always have the rule on board that -- Nothing goes in the head that you have not eaten-- <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> - gallon zip lock and frequent emptying keeps things fresher especially if a lot of people are using one head.
I even use that idea at home with my septic tank as much as is reasonable.

We've always put toilet paper in the toilet..

Only wimps use toilet paper! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

We do what we've always done with TP when on board - put it in the poopie bag. Much of the world is this way. Get used to it and when you get home be thrilled that you can put TP in the head/toilet and just flush it away!

Two words: Wet Wipes

And put them in the trash.

Here is another one for the hazing of newbie thread from months ago...

Tell them the system can only handle 3 squares of toilet paper for each "sitting" and a total of 6 squares a day per person. Therefore, it is important to use a creative folding technique!

We put the TP in the toilet. Marine TP dissolves when it gets wet. I have never had a clogged toilet in 35 years of boating.

https://www.practical-sailor.com/issues/37_70/features/Best-Marine-Toilet-Papers_12091-1.html

This is all fine and good on your personal boat with state side pump outs. It is not good here for a lot of reasons.

First the waste is going in the water. There simply are not any pump outs to speak of why put more human waste in the water than is necessary.

Second you are not likely to get "marine" toilet paper in a grocery store or from your provisioning company. You are going to get full blown Charmin or the likes.

Third a large number of modern charter yachts have Jabsco electric heads. They have a small macerator blade simply not capable of chewing up the wash cloth like consistency paper mentioned above. Pieces will wrap around the macerator and clog your head.

Fourth the head never clogs when there are nice clean things in the macerator. Taking apart a head full of fecal matter while on charter should not be on your bucket list.

Fifth the majority of the holding tanks in use today are gravity feed tanks above the water line. When you flush it goes into the top of the tank. If the discharge valve is open it goes overboard. If it is closed it stays in the tanks until you open the valve. Assuming you got the paper past the macerator it settles to the bottom and makes up a slurry of solid waste that includes calcium deposits from salt water flush, solid human waste and paper. Think of it as the ultimate fecal paper mache project.

It simply is not worth the damage to the environment or the higher likelihood of a clog to put anything down that you haven't eaten first.

And yes diaper wipes can greatly reduce the amount of trash in your head and make for a more pleasant trip.


Now back sailing, snorkeling and threads as they are much more fun. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I don't know if it is "Marine" TP, but the TP we've used on all our trips is thin and does fall apart very quickly once wet. Nothing even remotely close to full blown charmin.

Agreed. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

The TP on the Moorings boats is marine TP. I have used it on my own boats and know what it looks/feels like. It is single ply and starts to fall apart as soon as it gets wet. We don't discharge into anchorages - only when at least 3 miles offshore.

The maritime rule has always been nothing you did not eat or drink goes into the head. Many simply do not want to talk about that from marketing, in the office, or on the dock. The less you put in the head the less chance you will have problems on your voyage. Blocked heads or tanks are never fun for anyone.

No two heads or pump set ups are created equal. What may have worked for you on ten visits may not work on the next.

If you did not eat it or drink it avoid trying to force the stuff down the head. The worse, the dental floss King or Queen. DISASTER! If you swallowed it it goes into the head. If you did not swallow it, it goes into a waste bag. Try eating even the best "marine paper".

Congrats NC Sailor!

As a professional Captain, for longer than that, I have fixed way too many heads. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />
On a personal boat, rarely, and then usually because of scale build up over time in the hoses.
On charter vessels with so many different people using the heads, always foreign matter caused the clog -- I would rather empty the waste basket a hundred times a day, even if it is rather disgusting at times, then get the tools out.

Do Not Put Anything In The Toilet Bowl Unless You Have Eaten It
Thank You the Captain and Crew

I put that notice in every head and always stress it during orientation -- along with a friendly comment that I will be in no great rush to fix anyones clogged head during the trip.

"We don't discharge into anchorages - only when at least 3 miles offshore."


really? other than Anegada when would a charterer be 3 miles off shore, probably never. Anyone who has sailed with us knows we have a strict no paper in the head rule. I tell them if it clogs I have some rubber gloves and screwdrivers they can use.

Yes really.

maybe you, but most charter people have never left the comfort of the Drake. We fish over the south drop and that is not even 3 miles out. Open ocean is not the Drake and for most not very comfortable

THank you for all the information, etc. I especially liked the Pratical Sailor article.

Cheers

Directly from the article

"Conclusions

Even with single-plies, seawater degradation was slow. This highlights the need to never pump overboard near shore; if you must, use a macerator and not just a diaphragm pump.

The clear loser was facial tissue. Its biodegradability performances left little doubt that it would remain intact underwater for months and cause clogs.

Testers were reasonably happy with all of the single-plies we tested, with the Scott Rapid Dissolve leading the pack. However, rapid dissolving is not the only thing that counts, and Scott Extra Soft’s greater user-friendliness make it a winning substitute for a more cushy two-ply. Single plies are typically flimsier than double plies, but this can be compensated for by using slightly more single-ply sheets per wad, which is still usually less paper (by weight) than a double ply. More importantly, the single ply is less likely to clog.

Except for the marine toilet papers, two-plies are an unacceptable risk of head clogs. They were much slower to break down, most critically during the initial stir when they would be passing through the joker valve. If they fail to break up during pumping, you can be sure they will be trouble at the pump-out."

Yes it is good information and the conclusion paragraph tells the tail. "never pump overboard near shore" "two plies are an unacceptable risk"

This test was also preformed with a manual head. Hence the word pumps in the body of the text. Very few boats in charter still have manual heads. The electric heads while convenient are much more prone to clogging.


My post and those observations are based on thirty years of personal boating and maintaining a fleet of 20 or so charter boats for the better part of the last ten years.


Jay

We have always followed the rule, "if you haven't eaten it, it doesn't go in the head."

We had one guy trying to eat toilet paper....LOL

Seriously, it is not that big of a deal. We put a ziplock bag in every head trash can. We use baby wipes, put them in the ziplock and dispose of it each day.

My rule is:
Flush early, flush often!

Lots of water thru system will help keep it clear.

merci flush?

Where's the popcorn eating GIF when you need it? But in all seriousness, those who own boats and/or run charter outfits are going to see this very differently from those who are just chartering... The owners / charter managers are the ones who typically have to make the emergency visit to fix the head. I'm sure that's something they'd like to avoid at *all* costs. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> you should have seen the "old days" on this board when people used to regularly flush in Cane Garden Bay anchorage lol

and Saildoggie always had the gif <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />
<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />

no doubt, many people just flush away and don't care what other people think. When I did my first BVI charter with Sunsail about 2003, they locked the holding tank in the open position, so you had no choice.

Ocean or not, I still think it odd that with so many boats concentrated in a small area that dumping waste directly overboard is a bad idea. We haven't been allowed to do this in Lake Superior for probably 35 years now and with the relatively few boats using this vast body of water there would probably be less of an effect.

In our Charter Prep we always have:
Special
High
Intensity
Training

With that all toilet issues are solved.

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/boohoo.gif" alt="" />

Question re ziplock bags...its been forever since I have shopped in Roadtown. Last few trips were to St John and stores there didn't have much at all in the way of ziplock bags. Riteway gonna have sufficient supply of sizes (come in handy for more than just used TP) available?

We've used these before:
https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Rated-Waste...ds=dog+poop+bag

Yea was just hoping to not have to bring em. Less to pack.

Unless you have fresh water flush, don't do it. Over time the paper calcifies in the system. Unless you eat paper, put it in the trash can.

Zip lock bags are one of the items we always take down. Small, much cheaper here, light, and pick your favorite brand. Also a few large trash bags (because we only need 5-8 for 2 weeks).

My own 38' Carver must have been set up for inland water use and doesn't even have a Y valve so i am used to having to pump out my holding tank, and they have those facilities in my area. Last year at a Moorings Chart briefing there was mention of the possibility of starting to get pump out stations in the BVI. Has anyone heard about this? Seems like they would have to have a fairly extensive network of these to make a dent in the situation, plus the cats I have chartered don't seem to have that big of a holding tank so would have to pump out every couple of days.

BVI can't handle the landbased waste, much less process anything from pumpout stations.

They would dump it back in the Drake anyway.

Sounds like a great opportunity for a private venture -- pump-out stations, a ca ca pond for processing, and use the resulting fluids for fertilizer.
I for one would be happy to pay an extra few bucks a day on a charter to pay for this.

I would *gladly* pay an extra $100 a week to charter in an area without raw human waste being discharged in my swimming hole.

BVI gov't seems content in using raw sewage to fill potholes, or at least the gutters. Shameful.

Exactly...takes almost no space, you don't buy a box of way more than you use. We bring the 13 gal kitchen bags for the galley, small plastic bags that grocery stores use (I know, not everywhere these days) for the head. these are bigger than a gallon ziplock, just twist and tie. And big black yard bags to combine an keep in a hold (forward hatch on a cat)

I remember one trip we took with Trade Winds and one day I wanted to take a swim beside the boat and I was advised not to as the crew were pumping out the holding tank..and we certainly weren't any where near 3 miles from anything...closer to two city blocks. After that I took a kayak and had my swims just off shore on nearby islands.

A little late to the party here, but our recent experience was this:
sandwich size zip lock bags for each head. ALL toilet paper goes in a ziplock and thrown in wastebasket. Empty wastebasket every 2-3 days. Head stays nice and fresh.
On our own boat up north here, after using marine TP last summer, and having our heads clog 2-3 times and spending $1,000 total to have them unclogged, we're using the ziplock baggie system this year. Not putting one single sheet of TP in my heads.