Isn't time to ban sea-toilets on inland waterways all together??

[magnetman]

I think there were service blocks at Brentford plus of course one can put the solids on the fire if it is running hot. 

 

It is a bit of a dodgy assumption with this sort of thing. Was someone watching them every moment of the day and night to ensure they were not taking the suitcase to the elsan point?

 

Sounds like a bad place to be. 

 

[Telstar]

It would be interesting to hear from any forum members who use a sea toilet, on the permitted rivers, to hear their ethical stance on the matter.

[GUMPY]

13 minutes ago, Telstar said:

It would be interesting to hear from any forum members who use a sea toilet, on the permitted rivers, to hear their ethical stance on the matter.

I did for two years (2011/2012) when I had a cruiser on the Gt Ouse. I don't have an ethical stance on it at all. Its a drop in the ocean compared to  what is being dumped by the water companies.

   

[Alan de Enfield]

23 minutes ago, Telstar said:

It would be interesting to hear from any forum members who use a sea toilet, on the permitted rivers, to hear their ethical stance on the matter.

 

In this country anything that is not illegal is legal.

 

This is where the appeal becomes very interesting. Lord Justice Mummery thought that in deciding whether the boat was moored “without lawful authority” the first instance judge should have asked whether Mr Moore was committing an actionable wrong in doing so, not whether he could point to a positive right. He cited Sir Robert Megarry V.-C in Metropolitan Police Commissioner [1979] 1 Ch 344 at 357C:

 

"England, it may be said, is not a country where everything is forbidden except what is expressly permitted: it is a country where everything is permitted except what is expressly forbidden".

 

So, if discharging sewage is not forbidden, it is allowed, and why would one feel guilty about doing something legally allowed ?

Edited March 22, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[Naughty Cal]

20 hours ago, Bee said:

Can't imagine there are many sea toilets on inland waterway boats these days except for older boats with a history of sea or estuary use. As has been mentioned France has few emptying facilities but quite a lot of overnight stopping places are shared by camper vans and quite frequently there are emptying places for cassette loos. 

When we were at Burton Waters a few years back they reckoned only about a third of the boats in there had either a cassette toilet or a holding tank for their sea toilets.

 

No doubt the same will apply to the marinas on the Trent and Ouse which are largely occupied by sea going boats.

[Scholar Gypsy]

On the Great Ouse system, there are now signs on the Cambridgeshire Lodes asking people not to use sea toilets (Wicken Fen, Burwell, Reach). Even though legal, it can be unpleasant.  At Reach the mooring is somewhat ironically about 10 metres from the village's Sewage treatment works. 

[magnetman]

Maybe it would be best if people who discharge overboard only did so when there was extra water about after decent rainfall. 

[Annie cariad]

Errr that had to include all plastic fantastics etc 

 

BIGGER issue live on board bucket & Chuck it tribe ....just check the clarity of water as you head south ....

 

 

[LadyG]

On 22/03/2023 at 21:27, Telstar said:

It would be interesting to hear from any forum members who use a sea toilet, on the permitted rivers, to hear their ethical stance on the matter.

Or the boat (My Boat) that was downstream from a barge moored near Goole. Absolutely disgusting and even if permitted, it's just outrageous. Common sense dictates other boats are not going to be happy about raw sewage floating down towards them.

 

 

 

[AG2]

On 22/03/2023 at 21:49, Alan de Enfield said:

 

In this country anything that is not illegal is legal.

 

This is where the appeal becomes very interesting. Lord Justice Mummery thought that in deciding whether the boat was moored “without lawful authority” the first instance judge should have asked whether Mr Moore was committing an actionable wrong in doing so, not whether he could point to a positive right. He cited Sir Robert Megarry V.-C in Metropolitan Police Commissioner [1979] 1 Ch 344 at 357C:

 

"England, it may be said, is not a country where everything is forbidden except what is expressly permitted: it is a country where everything is permitted except what is expressly forbidden".

 

So, if discharging sewage is not forbidden, it is allowed, and why would one feel guilty about doing something legally allowed ?

I try my hand at a bit of cut & paste from 

the 1993 Thames Bylaws. That are on the Gov website.

 

Might be of interest 

 

 Use of vessels with sanitary appliances
66 (a) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) below no owner or master of any vessel shall keep or use or knowingly permit to be kept or used on the river any vessel provided with a sanitary appliance of such design that polluting matter normally passes or can pass into the river.
(b) Where any vessel is fitted with a sanitary appliance, such appliance shall be so designed, constructed and at all times maintained as necessary to prevent any such passage as aforesaid.
(c) The master of every vessel present on the river, at the date of coming into force of these Byelaws, and of every vessel on the river on or after such date, if such vessel is fitted with sanitary arrangements or appliances so designed or constructed as to permit the passage into the river of polluting matter, shall without undue delay give notice to the Lockkeeper at the lock nearest to the vessel’s point of entry to the river or to any Officer of the Authority specifying the nature of such arrangements aforesaid. The master shall also, upon being requested by such lockkeeper or other Officer of the Authority so to do, afford such Officer of the Authority facilities for the taking by him of such steps by way of sealing or otherwise as may be reasonably necessary for preventing the passage into the water of polluting matter from the vessel so long as the vessel remains on the river. So long as the vessel remains on the river, no interference or alteration shall be made with the sealing or other steps so taken as aforesaid except with the approval of the Authority.
(d) No person shall discharge polluting matter into the river from any vessel or from any sanitary appliance used thereon.