Toilet Truths - Episode 99 - Lady K Sailing 

This is just the sort of down to earth, no nonsense, practical review of a facility that we all use, yet are afraid to talk about!! Excellent info as always, thanks

We have had our composting head for almost 2 years now. The best thing about it is that it has never failed to work and never plugs up. That in itself is worth the price of admission.

No matter whose boat I've been on, whether power or sail, I would sit down to pee. Keeps you from making a mess of the head, doesn't wake up everyone in the middle of the night and doesn't make everyone feel like puking if they're trying to enjoy a meal.

We cruise full-time and have had the Nature's Head for about 6 years and love it. I added a vent hose like this one but did away with it after a few months. Better airflow without it and there's NO odor. The little fan leads a hard life with that environment. When it goes bad, every year or two, I call Nature's Head and they send me a couple more at no charge. Because of being in a tight space (Pearson 365) I had to remove the hinge that let's the top pivot back and I lift the top off completely to empty the solids box. A 13 gallon trash bag fits snugly over the rim to make emptying very easy. When the solids box flapper door is closed any urine runs into the pee bottle. I have to run a paper towel along the edge just forward of the flapper door a couple times a year if "stuff" builds up and blocks the normal flow....which causes it to flow into the solids box. Anyway, it's well worth the money and is a super easy install (drill 4 small screw holes for the hold-down brackets. With two people full-time we empty the solids box about once a month and the urine bottle every 2-3 days. We spend about $30(usd) a year on coir from Amazon.

I have two of these. They have been in use for over ten years. One for three years continuously. I would never go back to a marine head( even Lavac) with tank. The company has been fantastic to deal with. Biggest problem is everyone in the harbor wants to see it.

All compost toilets separate liquids from solid. Not unique to Natures Head as stated. I prefer C-Head for many reasons: Comes in different sizes, shapes and heights; urine bottle is merely a one gallon milk jug so you can have as many as you want for free; have option to use external urine tank or dump directly overboard; uses a normal toilet seat so is more comfortable. And no, I'm not sponsored by C-Head.

Excellent info, thanks again and glad to see you doing well! Cheers!

That’s why I like your Chanel. It’s informative

I got one on my boat and frikkin love it.....it was tuff justifying the 1000 american for a piece of plastic but i bought it so my daughter would feel comfortable...im very happy with it.

Great info, especially on running the vent to pump out point on deck Thks

Also another benefit is that you can remove your holding tank and get all that extra storage !! These things are fantastic :)

A drop of vinegar in the pee jar keeps the ureum salts from stikking to the jar and prevents smell

Tim, Thank you for covering this very important topic that very few people address in their commentary about sailboats!

It sure is a good toilet. Coming from the #VanLife community, I opt for a simpler and cheaper method. A 5 gallon Home Depot bucket with toilet seat. You can still put your peat moss in it. Just missing the agitator thingy. And if you don’t feel like cleaning the bucket, you can do your business straight into a trash bag. Of course for us #VanLife people water is even harder to get by than for boaters, so a bag is easier. For pee, get a 1-3 gallon jug, attach hose with wide deep funnel and hang it next to the sink. Girls should be able to use it too. Not fancy but very effective and no moving parts. Good video. For #100 you should introduce the new hot blonde….just kidding. Go sailing!

Thanks I had so many questions that you answered

Nature's Head sounds like the ticket for boating. BTW This whole toilet thing is a major headache for astronauts. Seriously, zero gravity peeing and pooping.... And with severe limits on space, and privacy being nonexistent, it still hasn't been solved. Anyone who can make it happen is going to be a world-class hero. Forever. And ever.

Pam... Great idea!

Very informative Tim. I'm curious why you didn't just move back aboard Lady K? Put that rent money into your cruising kitty.

Hi, well congrats to almost 100,.you are doing some really good and fun videos, been with ya almost from the start, time flies when you are having fun, right? As you suggested, a racing vid will be interesting!

maybe for your boys and male visitors keep a urinal in the bathroom - that is easier to use and dont have to worry about aiming issues... thanks for explaining about this composting toilet!

Explosive diarrhea got to be hell on those things! I was thinking wouldn't a ceiling 5-gallon bucket what's the garbage bag work about the same?

I myself have been thinking about a composting head for a year or two, while my boat is on the hard while on refit. My main beef is the height of the seat as you explained. I could come with some sort of small step but then, it takes room from the shower area. I do want to get rid of the toilet, plumbing and holding tank, but most composting heads have the problem with height by design. As for price, it's indeed a bit overpriced. And yes, the solution to your guests is that everybody sits down for everything.

Excellent Tim, you explain boat things so well even dummies like myself can understand. I can honestly say this is the #1 best video I have ever watched reference the Natures head, Thanks much

Sounds like it would be ideal to have one of these dry setups that you only crap in, next to a liquid toilet with raw water intake, that spews straight overboard, or into a tank- depending on the wye valve setting. Connect one of those toilet seat bidets to power and fresh water, and use that as a liquid only setup. Use it to pee in, or to wash your butt after you dump in the composter that sits beside the water toilet/bidet. Sure you may have a bit of poo wash into the liquid system, but the biggest share by far would be in the composter. Because there would be nearly no solids in the liquid toilet, that waste would be very easy to deal with. Just pump it straight overboard, or save it to dispose of later as appropriate... Gonna be hard to make room in the head for both... But it might be worth it!

i like my chead. everything is contained in the head so no overflow leaks into bilge and the the solids are in a seperate 'bucket' so no cross contamination if overflow. i sit down to pee underway but at anchor stand up and pee into an automatic transmission funnel stuck in. they also have a plastic cooking spoon with a hole in it to help women and kids . the spoon was expensive so made our own. pee jugs are common milk jugs. think we paid $600 us. also cant put toilet paper in it, but can put but wipes in. love ur videos

I have one in my cabin. Love it, but I probably would have built one if I had to buy one with my own money. The light strip is a good idea. I get about 6 weeks per person for the compost, but it strongly depends on how much you eat So 2 people would be 3 weeks before I have to change the compost, 4 people would be about 1.5 weeks, etc. I also built a little platform to rest my feet on. It's too high and the hard plastic edges dig into my dangling legs.

Coconut coir can be purchased at your local hydroponics store. Cheers

Nice skid mark.

This was very helpful! I’m looking to take out my Jabsco toilet system and replace it with a composting one. You definitely answered a lot of my questions. Thank you for doing this video!

Good info. Where did you find the mushroom cap to replace the pump out cap.

Great information,, what year is your C&C thanks

There are several very nice diy about compost toilets in the internet.

How do you properly clean the bowl? If you can’t use water at the back by the flap, how do you keep it clean without messy poo residue?

Been thinking of getting one because the smell on my boat was driving me nuts (Jabsco with holding tank) - until I discovered this product called Odorlos, which you can get from Amazon. Its basically nitrate solution which feeds aerobic bacteria as opposed to the anaerobes which produce all the sulfur and methane gases that create the smell. I put a few ounces once a week (flushed into the holding tank), and let me tell ya, no more smells! So for now I'll hang onto the Jabsco...though I think I'm getting due for a rebuild kit...yuuuuck!

Love my natural head. My marina has no pump out

Tell the guys to just sit. Since being married I sit all thew time now anyway. Just does not make noise and mostly a mess. Plus, who knew, I don't need to turn a light on at night to see what I'm doing. I think we are adding a compost to out new boat build. Although, I would like to add a man urinal as well.

We love compost toilets , but IMHO the airhead is the way to go. Pee overflow is not into number 2 chamber, and the hug can be removed without raising the body.

great info! We are quit happy with our fresh head, but its cool to see other peoples set ups :)

I seen this one already

Have u ever considered the elctroscan (sp) treatment system for your head?

That was graphic, but very informative... 😆

I think that if you're handy, you can make a very functional composting head for very cheap.

Thank you! Congratulations on almost 💯 That's the way to go for an onboard toilet at sea. For one , you never have to worry about overflowing the toilet and possibly sinking the boat. Question, do Marinas allow to dump the composted 💩 in the dumpster areas?

Tim, great video. Don’t you have to worry about water intrusion down the vent line-from when you bury the rail, heavy rain, washing the deck etc? Could you explain how that’s not a problem in a future video? Take care. -Jim

Where do you empty that puppy?

Glad you are doing well Tim, you sound great. As far as the toilet, umm, things are not always black or white. What happens if it is gray?

Do you put poop paper in the toilet or trash container?

Are you planning another cruise?

Tim .. It might be a good idea to buy a hospital urinal bottle for your boat .. Easy to get ridy to get rid of overboard

I purchased a great urine faeces separator on e bay and built my own to fit and be lower and much cheaper. And why not have the liquids pump straight over the side and not mess with emptying the front bucket?

Are these toilets adequately water proof to use the same space as a shower? Does it matter if they get sprayed with fresh water?

Interesting content but can we go sailing?

If anyone decides to use it in the garden (humanure) make sure it's just decorative plants, not veggies and stuff you plan to eat. Sounds kinda funny since animal compost is often used, but humanure no bueno for edibles. Works great on the decorative plants though lol

A laminated direction sheet on the wall would be good for guests.

Pet stores have that coir. It happens to be good for other stuff ;)

We have been going round and round considering the composting heads, but none will fit in either of the 2 heads on our boat. I really wish a company would spend some time and money on that R&D you were talking about, and make a toilet that is smaller at the bottom, than at the top. We would really like to use one, but they just won't fit. 😔

I know Pam "olive oil" does go rancid. I wonder if coconut oil would be a better alternative. Anti-microbial and good to have on hand for a whole lot of other tasks!

And ... it has one less through hole! Too soon? All the best.

So you got a liter box in your boat so if the bag broke open you can have fun playing with your poop. I would have put a t value in and do pump out of the tank.

Poo paper goes in with solids. Pee paper goes into separate recepticle.

👍👍👍👍👍👍

Airhead overflows onto floor.

It sounds like a good solution for the men would be to install a urinal. Does Natures Head make one?

I think 99% of the people would want it overflowing into the dumper portion

All guys should have to piss overboard, I don’t care if they have to put on a harness!

Do the best of ...for the 100th. And sailing will help too

What about using incineration toilet ? In Norway we have this called "Cinderella Incinerating Toilet" Not cheap at all, but clean and effective.

Thanks mate.....good testimonial. I’ve been looking at options for a while now. I like your idea of using the pump out hole for the vent. How high does it stick up from the deck? Good to see you are getting your life back together. Now stop smoking! 😝 You ever make your way East? Montreal?

I think someone connected they liquid container to their old black water tank so they wouldn’t have to empty it as often...

Nice tip about the Pam. I find that, particularly offshore, it is easier to pee into a Gatorade bottle, then pour it overboard. Too bad we can't just have a separate urinal that goes directly overboard. It would be so much easier.

Overflowing on the floor is bad in non boat installations. Imagine flooding an RV...

What happens in the event that your solids are liquids?😬

Tim nice to see you spending some time with your children instead of chasing that blonde.

I think you're wrong about not putting toilet paper in there. From what I've read toilet paper breaks down in the compost. For me one of the benefits of having a composting toilet would be not having to store your used toilet paper in a bin or having to use bum wipes.

You could dump the bottle in the sink.

For girls, the toilet paper caveat is for #1, not #2

Sailing is great Doing your business during your sailing adventure just suck Regular system don’t smell in all boat hose and tank should be replace every 10 year I aim for 8 year to keep it no smell

Do a recap of the last 2 years of sailing Lady K..

Yo! Loving your vids and learning so much as an aspiring sailor. As for the boys peeing, LOL, can the just pee on floor and wash it down?

That toilet is friggin ridiculous and the price is insane. There are so many easier ways to shit and piss.

Glad you are back in the boat talking shit! My boat has an electric macerator which deals to pee.poo and paper which goes into the holding tank and once offshore we just do like the orca do and "release the kraken"!! A whale is supposed to dump around 40 gallons of poop per dump so my meagre offerings won't harm old spongebob in the least. TBH I watch boating videos to watch/hear about boating as a way of relief from domestic relationship stuff so maybe for episode 100 you talk 100% Lady K or boats :-)

The Natures Head toilet cost more than a month's salary for me here in South Africa. And i am not earning a bad salary. Equivalent would be around $3000.. absolute ripoff

Valid pragmatic design but frankly, easy to reproduce diy style with a standard toilet + a few plastic pieces and strings. I wouldn't pay 1000$ US for this.

Hey Tim you can give the poop on a toilet.and not piss you off.

Can’t you just make life simpler By telling people to P overboard or is that against the law

ALWAYS SIT ON TOILETS!

Gross

Where have your kids been this whole time you've been sailing or whatever you call it ?

And ... it has one less through hole! Too soon? All the best.

And ... it has one less through hole! Too soon? All the best.