Pump out v cassette

[Guest]

Yes if you don't mind.

 

Then use the forum search facility as there is oodles of serious and comedic information already there - at the end of the day it's an issue of personal choice - which nobody else can make for you.

 

My work here is done.

 

Night Night...

[Offcumden]

You misunderstand I was just entering into the spirit of yet another comedic PO V cassette discussion.

 

Was it meant to be serious?

 

 

 

Thats for me to know and you wonder about, but as the original poster implies it was a serious post but you always seem to be able to to take the pea out of others without your or google encyclopedic knowledge

 

John

[Paul C]

Then use the forum search facility as there is oodles of serious and comedic information already there - at the end of the day it's an issue of personal choice - which nobody else can make for you.

 

My work here is done.

 

Night Night...

 

To be fair on the original poster, he has explained why he didn't find any useful information from using the search engine. The search engine isn't the answer to everything.

[Guest]

To be fair on the original poster, he has explained why he didn't find any useful information from using the search engine. The search engine isn't the answer to everything.

 

Totally agree - the OP will never find the definitive answer on here now or by using the search engine as the definitive answer for an individual boater does not exist, no matter what others might claim.

[JerryP]

My PO loo lasts on average around 7-8 weeks ,and i liveaboard ,when i was boat hunting i wanted a cassette loo ,but the boat i bought has a pump out ,I'm sooooo pleased i dont have to empty cassettes every few days .

[Guest]

 

 

Thanks John

[Looby Loo]

I don't know enough to have strong views either way. All I would say is if it's a bad winter and you get frozen in with a full waste tank make sure you have a porta potti handy.

[Rustykev]

This topic has apparently been covered ad infinitum, but searching for it brings up every thread on every board!

 

Please explain the pro's and cons of each system. Thanks in advance for your calm thoughtful input and no, this isn't a wind-up though I'm ready to duck all the same, I'm genuinely confused and have no experience of either.

 

As background I'll be living on the canal opposite tow path with no services. Where the nearest pump out or elsan disposal is I have yet to find out but it's not a million miles from Hillmorten. I may well cruise continuously through the spring/summer/autumn or I may not. I simply don't know what's round the corner in life right now but will be on the boat 24/7 along with grown-up son.

 

Presumably getting a boat with pump out then finding I don't like it, it would be an easier mod to go cassette than the other way round?

 

Hi Boathunter. As expected, the usual round of japes and jokes and opinions. To add my ha'peth worth:

We have a pump out. The tank size last for about 30 man days, ie, 2 peeps for 15 days, 3 for 10 days etc. Cost is about £15-£20 depending where done. We like it, because that is what we have. I will admit that I don't fancy cassettes (and thats comming from someone whose 30 year career was spent "in sewage"). We find that pump out access points are easy to find.

 

It depends what you want to do, as others have said. With cassettes, you need to find an elsan every 3 days or so. With a PO, then its 15-20 days. Cassette free, PO £'ss. Cassette, possibly messy, but on PO, unless its done for you, you get to see it all disappear before your eyes courtesy of a handy sight glass. Either way, you will need to chug to access the PO or elsan and DO THINK about winter when you might be frozen in.

 

BUT, as others have said, don't put off buying your dream boat on the basis of the Loo set-up, unless your view of bodily functions is that you flush and forget! Had we not wanted a pump out, we would not have a gorgeous traditional oak lined gem with a RN to drive it!

 

Hope this helps.

[Starcoaster]

I'm beginning to think there's something seriously wrong with me, because I really do enjoy most of these toilet threads.

 

Funny the composting bog was mentioned, MB and I were given an in-depth demonstration of two different types of them yesterday (but not so in-depth as to be real) and it was fascinating.

We walked away initially thinking, actually, that seems like a really good idea... But within half an hour we'd come up with some many reasons for why it was, in our opinions, likely to prove imperfect/ icky/ likely to go wrong, it seemed crazy.

And at £700 for the smaller of the two units, not really something you could experiment with and write off as experience!

 

We were also shown an incinerator toilet, which to me is a frankly terrifying concept.

 

Ps, Boathunter, the nearest elsan for Hillmorton is at the locks (by Badsey's.) There might be another at Barby marina, but I'm not sure.

Edited October 29, 2012 by Starcoaster

[Machpoint005]

Macerator and self pump-out. Plenty of room for the holding tank and four storage crates on wheels under the bed.

Works particularly well when you have a pump out remote connection just 10 metres from your home mooring.

[Ange]

Hi Boathunter

 

Oo fun - I love toilet threads It'd be a rather stagnant forum if we couldn't discuss things that had been "done to death"! Besides we have new members joining all the time with new perspectives and opinions, so no topic should ever be put to bed.

 

Why not get a boat with 2 toilets, one of each type?

 

That's exactly what we've got - only we NEVER poo in the portapotti (neither of us fancies the idea of emptying it). It's there for wee only to make the p/out last longer, along with much use of land based facilities. We pump out every six weeks on average, have been continuously cruising for over 3 years and have never had any real problems finding a pump out. We've been lucky enough to have been iced in near to toilet facilities both times, I admit it could have been a problem if we were iced in in the middle of nowhere!

 

We bought our 1st narrowboat 12 months ago. Prior to buying, I liked the idea of a pump out, but the toilet wasn't going to decide what we bought.

 

 

Totally agree. We bought a boat with a pump out loo because the boat we liked had a pump out loo.

 

As for the space the tank takes up, it's under the bathroom floor and I can't imagine that we'd use it otherwise. I certainly don't have any under floor cupboard in any other part of my boat!

 

Best of luck and please don't be put off asking questions

[boathunter]

Then use the forum search facility as there is oodles of serious and comedic information already there - at the end of the day it's an issue of personal choice - which nobody else can make for you.

 

My work here is done.

 

Night Night...

If you read my original post, or even searched yourself, you'd soon discover 99% of the topics on any board on this forum mention pumpout v cassette at some point so the search just brings up every topic ever posted, hence the question. Can't see the wood for the trees...

 

I don't care what you post, where you post, or if you post at all, and before you say it, I don't care that you don't care what I think either and yes I know it's a discussion forum and you can post what you like.

 

Totally agree - the OP will never find the definitive answer on here now or by using the search engine as the definitive answer for an individual boater does not exist, no matter what others might claim.

I'm not daft. I'm not looking for a definative answer, nor did I ask for one. Just some info from first hand experience of using each system so I can take a slightly less blind stab in the twilight.

[johnmck]

If you read my original post, or even searched yourself, you'd soon discover 99% of the topics on any board on this forum mention pumpout v cassette at some point so the search just brings up every topic ever posted, hence the question. Can't see the wood for the trees...

 

I don't care what you post, where you post, or if you post at all, and before you say it, I don't care that you don't care what I think either and yes I know it's a discussion forum and you can post what you like.

 

 

Well said that man.

[boathunter]

My PO loo lasts on average around 7-8 weeks ,and i liveaboard ,when i was boat hunting i wanted a cassette loo ,but the boat i bought has a pump out ,I'm sooooo pleased i dont have to empty cassettes every few days .

Thanks Jerry - just the kind of info I was after. How big is your holding tank?

[boathunter]

......

Ps, Boathunter, the nearest elsan for Hillmorton is at the locks (by Badsey's.) There might be another at Barby marina, but I'm not sure.

Thanks Star - that's handy for a pump-out - I could throw stones into Barby marina from my mooring but I don't think they'd take kindly to me toddling over with a cassette. From the look of the photos I've seen I somehow doubt there are many facilities there as yet though. After using Barby I'd be facing Hillmorten so I could go up there the next time and so on. And Hillmortens not far for a cassette empty as I'll no doubt be running engine to charge batteries, two birds with one stone. Hope it's my side of the locks though...

 

So it seems neither would be much of a problem for me in my particular circumstances - one less thing to worry about while I'm boat hunting.

Edited October 29, 2012 by boathunter

[Starcoaster]

Are we at cross purposes here? Elsan is what you empty a cassette into, not what you empty a pump out into. Often-times private marina's who have elsan will let you use it for a small charge, so it might be worth asking. They list 'sluice' on their website- this may be another term for elsan!

[Guest]

Well said that man.

 

Well it would be if if the OP hadn't just regurgitated a multitude of info. that was readily available with a simple search.

 

For a sec. I thought they were serious.. seemingly not.

 

Well said that man.

 

How so?

 

I don't care what you post, where you post, or if you post at all, and before you say it, I don't care that you don't care what I think either and yes I know it's a discussion forum and you can post what you like.

 

Fairy nuff that of course is your call. I think it's a shame you haven't actually properly read my posts in this thread, but hey ho.

 

You may be interested to know for future reference the forum offers an 'ignore users' function, I wonder perhaps if you perhaps need to use it.

[boathunter]

Not at all Martin and yes I read your posts in many topics including this one. The part of my reply aimed at you was in jest, based on reading lots and lots of posts where people have perhaps misunderstood your dry sense of humor. I thought you'd get it and I'm sorry if you're offended in any way.

 

 

 

I've found out just what I wanted to by starting the topic so I'm pleased I did and as far as I'm concerned it can now drift down the board...

[Grace and Favour]

Thanks Jerry - just the kind of info I was after. How big is your holding tank?

 

If you check with pump-out manufacturers Lee Sanitation, they will confirm that the standard flush is 2.5 Litres of water (so let's assume 3Litres of combined water and waste)

 

Therefore, a (say) 400 litre blackwater tank would facilitate circa 130 'visits'

[boathunter]

Excellent info. Thanks G&F.

[johnmck]

I reckon we met a chap in Banbury who got 130 " Visits" per casette! It was truly horrendous. He must have spent half an hour trying to, shall we say, dislodge, the rather compacted contents! The smell pervaded the adjacent bus station. Nice!

 

You can extend the life only so far!

[Ange]

See there is new stuff to be learnt! Like anything in life you should never close a topic and say everythings been said, we'll discuss this no more.

[matty40s]

macerator and Pump out all the way for me.

Last pump out was beginning of August and I will probably need another one withing a week or so looking at the list of the boat.

I did try using a porta-potty for liquid relief earlier in the year, however it took up too much space and I realised what an objectionable job carting a cassette to an elsan point really is.

If you have one of those moorings on the Barby straight, I am jealous, probably one of the few moorings I would look at if I decided not to CC any more.

[GSer]

For my life and cruising style a cassette toilet is ideal, i livaboard, I work and I continuously cruise (to the rules).

 

My old boat had a pumpout loo, just a drop through to a tank jobbie(?)ideal for marina life and holidays but was missing the flexibility CCing should be about IMO, so I bought a cassette loo as well. This worked well, but in the summers we found ourselves just using the cassette loo because it meant every weekend was free to cruise then without the need of a plan to find a pump out on every other one.

 

Latest boats now just have cassette toilets, 2 in Apache & one in Cygnus, Main loo is a C250 ceramic bowl job with two cassettes and I have a couple of the Lidl/Thetford type free standing ones. Because i work there is no problem emptying cassettes.

 

There is certainly not a 'one system suits all people' affair but it does for me OK

 

Good luck

 

Paul

[Tuscan]

We went with cassette when fitting out and have storage space for 3 to give us flexibility. It's not just the cost but the hassle of finding a marina for a pump out when they are not busy( hire boat turn rounds etc). Hillmorton is behind Badseys half way down the flight so a bit of a pain but the marina behind you must have somewhere. I think the moorings are very good one of the few that I would be tempted to buy but I've never seen one for sale.