tove

Hi Greenboater I also have a Separett which I love and am slightly baffled by your decision to have a pump out and don't quite follow your objections or agree that there is anything even slightly 'iffy' about them. As Peter Boat describes above burying the solids and decanting the wee under a hedge is as straightforward as it is environmentally sensible.(Sorry I don't understand why this defeats the object. Perhaps I have misunderstood what the object is). Composting loos, in their modern form, are a relatively new concept and seen as being a bit unconventional which is why their numbers on boats are still limited.They are also quite expensive. It is not at all like the 'gas free' argument. A more relevant question would be how many people having gone over to a composting loo would now wish to change it for a more conventional type. I also did hours of research on this subject and have yet to encounter anyone with an Airhead or Separett who doesn't swear by it. This is an interesting point. I too can't see that small quantities of urine are going to do any damage to the canal, especially if they are heavily diluted perhaps with grey water from a shower or hand basin. The problem is, the popularity of composting loos on boats is rapidly increasing and if everyone started doing it then it could lead to algae blooms (very bad for wildlife, take all the oxygen out of the water). It also depends slightly where your boat is. If you're bankside somewhere with a strong current the impact would be minimal. If you're in a basin marina, on the other hand, alongside lots of other boats probably not a good idea. Personally, I think it's going to be considerably less harmfull than the use of non-biodegradeable washing detergents on boats which the CRT, bafflingly, seem to have no policy on.

Hi All, Since starting this thread last year I have had my Separett installed and am absolutely loving it. I would heartily recommend it to anyone on a boat. This is a bold boast but I honestly think it smells less than a household toilet. It did take a bit of getting used to at first and I had a couple of 'misses' in the early days. (Anyone you has one will know what I'm talking about!). With regards to paper (without going into too much detail!) with my first bucket I decided to put the paper in a bin and burn it. This meant that it didn't need to be emptied for nearly three months but it also meant that the poo didn't dessicate as it should do so I simply took it to a disposal point. I'm on my second bucket now and am putting the paper in with the poo and it's getting on much better. Have also added some sawdust which I have in plentiful quantities as I'm still fitting out!

Hi Paul I handle a 65ft widebeam on my own on the K and A without any problems. In fact, having a bigger boat in some ways makes it easier when I'm solo locking as I virtually fill the lock. I think you'll find that the canal infrastructure is far more relevant than the size of the boat. The only times I've ever got stuck have been to do with difficult lock gates (I'm quite small, sometimes you need a bit of weight behind them!).But there's always been a passer by willing to help push. The important thing is to find your own gentle pace and not feel compelled to rush on account of other people. If I have impatient boaters behind me I just let them go first. The other important thing is that you're going to have an absolutely fantastic time.Good for you seizing the day!

Thank you very much for the above post Canal Shop Man. This has been a really useful thread.

If you're crazy then I am too! I'm planning on having my Clavinova on board when I move onto my new boat at the end of the month. I totally agree with the poster above regarding the Clavinova range. The sound quality is amazing and it has that real instrument feel without all impracticalities. You can play it with the headphones if you need to be quiet or turn up volume and really let your hair down if you're not bothering anyone. Of course, having a good quality keyboard which can be stashed under the bed is probably the most practical thing but it's not quite the same! The Clavinova is really good compromise. I've had one for many years now and I wouldn't go back to a traditional upright, even if I wasn't moving onto a boat.

Thanks for all the helpful replies here. After fairly extensive research I think the Separett is the one for me although I think either work perfectly well. I've just spoken to someone with an Airhead and they admitted that the only reason they went for their model was that they had friends with one and so had been able to see it in action (so to speak!), although had they known about the Separette they may well have gone for that instead. Love the idea of combining it with home composting Peterboat! I have a trad back wide beam (or very soon will have) so have a bit of space at the back, although that said, the mooring I've secured for the time being has it's own composting facilities and is adjacent to some allottments where I'm hoping to get one myself so distributing my wares will not be a problem! Ah ha! Sorry I was looking on your blog. That really is very neat. Not much different from a conventional loo.

I've really enoyed looking at your blog today and getting more and more jealous! However, I'm not sure where to find that picture of the loo!

I think my problem is that it will be hard to find someone who has experience of both since they're fairly new and owners of both models are equally delighted with them. It may come down to cost in the end. I notice the Separett is slightly cheaper and size (as mentioned by Wandering Snail above).

Trying to decide between an Airhead composting toilet or the Separett Villa. I've spoken to owners of both (thanks very much particularly to Peterboat) and everyone seems very happy. Are they essentially the same model by different manufacturers? If anyone has any thoughts on this, or has recently been through the same decision making process, I would be most grateful for them. POLITE REQUEST: Please restrict answers to the question. This is not a debate about composting versus non composting.

Thanks very much for the feedback. One of the problems is technology is changing so fast at the moment it's really hard to know which way to go...

Has anyone out there any experience of using a yagi antenna/aerial to get a better phone signal? Better still in a position to say how it would compare to using a high gain whip. Input very much appreciated!

Actually I take that back. I've just a another look at the site and they do a much range nowadays. In fact, it seems you can get just about anything!

Bedaazzled do adaptors for large bayonet and large and small screw fit bulb holders. The only thing you can't get an adaptor for is small bayonet. That said I have a fitting which had small bayonet so I simply replaced the bulb holders. Simples.

Are narrowboats really green? Yes they really are.Here's how; As pointed out by another poster narrow boating isn't just about transportation, in fact, it's not really about transportation at all, it's about living. When you travel from A to B in a canal boat that fuel is also providing you with much of your daily energy needs and those needs are already considerably lower than house dwellers.It's also considerably easier on a boat to use alternative renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels which, it seems to me, more and more boaters are now doing. You also consume on average a fraction of the water consumed by equivalent flat/house owners (about one twelfth in fact) and because the grey water goes into the canal you don't need an expensive infrastructure to remove it. It also seems to me, although I have no idea how you would measure it, that boat-dwellers generally consume less in the way of needless material possessions. Because of space restrictions boaters generally only shop on an immediate need basis which alone will be responsible for drastically reducing your carbon footprint. It is true that maintaining the inland waterways does, in itself, carry a carbon footprint but it's nothing in comparison to that of the road and urban infrastructure. Furthermore, the waterways are,essentially, Britain's largest nature reserve, at a time when natural habitats for wildlife are rapidly disappearing. In short, even without trying, your carbon footprint if you live on a narrow boat will be vastly smaller than the average householder and, if you are determind to bring it down further it's a lot easier if you're living on board. I spoke to someone recently who had reduced his to one tonne per year. That's a tenth of the average UK resident. The same as someone living in Guatemala.

Thanks everyone for your input. Very helpful. Especially Davidb, many thanks. (Love your boat!) Actually I was thinking more along the lines of 13' x 65', so by the sounds of it I should be OK. Don't worry Grahame R, I certainly won't be taking a 14 footer down there any day soon!

Well that's what I always thought until boaters started telling me otherwise and I've yet to meet someone who actually does it. I know you can get some quite good processing kits nowadays which cost a bit but which would repay over time, I was wondering if any boaters used them. Do you mind me asking why and what processing system you were using?

Does anyone here make their own biodiesel? (such as using a processor to convert from chip fat) Does it even work in boat engines? Many thanks.

I would be really interested to hear from anyone who has taken a fairly large vessel down the Kennet and Avon canal. I know what the official dimension limit statistics are but would be eager to hear from boaters about their personal experiences. Has anyone ever tried to take a boat as large as the official width and length resistrictions? Would love to hear your stories. Many thanks.

I keep reading posts about people with cats on their boats and homes in the uk and no one seems to consider the damage to what's left of your native animals.It seems o.k to let your cats out to do their own thing i.e. kill every small creature they can before returning back to their bed for the day.Most places here, it's mandatory in a lot of cities if you own a cat to keep it confined to an enclosed run on your property.Letting them out to "Hunt" is surely irresponsible and if you are allowed to bump them off if not on their owners property that's what I will be doing whilst on your canals.Look after your wildlife and look after your pets in that order. I'm afraid it's not legal to kill people's cats in the UK but if you are still planning a holiday here you ought to be aware that (although it was outlawed in an Act of Parliament in 2004), the hunting of obnoxious Australians is still widely practised in most rural communities.

Dear boat owners, For the last few years I've been thinking about undertaking some sort of boat project as the craving to be on the water, which I'm sure many of you share, is overcoming all other considerations such as common sense and social acceptance. I now fully intend to go through with this in the next year and a half. However, up until now I have only really considered static houseboat or boat schemes. Now tales of cruises around the waterways of Europe and coastal areas of the UK are starting to get under my skin. My question is this: What sort of training qualifications would I need to say, motor around Europe? I tried googling but could only find narrow boat courses. As I already have 30 years of narrow boating experiencing and can practically make one jump through a hoop, I don't really want start here! I'm hoping that wielding a Dutch barge will be slightly similar just bigger, drier, with slower response times and more dire consequences. Can someone point me in the right direction as I'm hoping to get this underway whilst I'm waiting to find the right boat. I'm also living in Hampshire which I felt was probably a good place to find somewhere. Your collective wisdom would be much appreciated. Tove. PS. If anyone out there has done this on a liveaboard I would so love to pick your brains!