Boaters Tips & Tricks
Captains Inform Your Crew - Using the toilet while boating
Did you know most boaters are completely unaware the dangers of using regular toilet paper or other paper related products in a marine head? It’s not uncommon for one misplaced paper towel or tampon to cause thousands in damage, and or ruin an otherwise great boating experience!
This is because marine toilets are different beasts than land lubber’s toilets, even though from the outside they look the same. This all has to do with where the stuff getting flushed goes from there.
In short, all the piping and systems from your marine toilet are much more tiny and fragile than in a land based toilet.
These systems if malfunctioning will ruin any boating experience when they stop working or create a dangerous situation.
Funny Fact: Most boats sink due to failed marine toilets (from foreign objects clogging the toilet), and most sink in their slips!
The good news is it’s super simple to eliminate (haha) all the problems that can cost hundreds of dollars and take many hours to fix. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS use Marine/RV dissolving toilet paper. This paper breaks down quickly, so that it doesn’t clog thru-hulls and pumps.
Here are some tips to remember:
Tip#1 - In absolutely every situation, flush ONLY marine/RV dissolving tissue down a marine head along with waste. No Tampons, paper towels, nothing other than #1, #2, and marine toilet paper.
Tip #2 - Don’t have tissues or tampons in your head, trust us they’ll get flushed down your head.
Leave a can with a lid and the rules and toilet operating procedure printed on it in an obvious place in your head. That way, everyone will know what can and what can’t go in a marine toilet and there will be a place to put items that cannot be flushed
And Tip #3 is for the men.
Coast Guard Fact: 85% of all drowned boaters have their fly down... So, no pissing while standing in any boat, ever. No pissing over the side, and certainly no pissing standing up in the head.
The reason for this is two fold. The first is men miss in a perfectly calm quiet room, so missing the target while under way is a 100% fail rate, and your captain won't ever invite you back should they be forced to rescue you or clean up your mess. The second reason is for safety, as boats are loaded with hard sharp surfaces to fall into should you lose your balance. Imagine pissing during a 7.0 earthquake, and that's not even close to how rocky some decks and heads can be while under passage. ONLY REAL MEN PISS SITTING DOWN ON BOATS. Only fools piss while standing and nearly always blow it for everyone else when they do.
Thanks for listening and let's keep each other safe out there!
Another Boating Tips and Tricks brought to you by Beacon Marine in Ventura California.