Pump out v cassette

[luctor et emergo]

Let me just chime in here for a moment, as somebody who is daily on the sharp end of both pumpouts and cassettes

 

A pumpout beats a cassette, everytime, but only if used properly. Many pumpout users make the mistake of trying to make it last as long as possible, or worse, using it 'just for no. two's'. The concept of the pumpout tank needs suspension of solids in liquid, because the pump will move liquids freely, and accumulated solids not very well at all. To expect a pump to suck the solids out of the tank, would require a vacuuum that will likely suck in the sides of the tank..

So you need to stir the contents of your tank, or better still, use a macerator, and then the sludge will freely empty. No need to carrry a 20kg container through the interior of your boat, down the towpath, in the boot of the car :blink: , and then tip it into a big sink, without spilling it over yourself..

 

If your mooring, or cruising pattern, mean that you are mooring next to an elsan point every week, then I can just see the point of a cassette. Anything else, a holding tank is the way to go.

 

 

As you ask, I have a porta potty....

But hey, I do have a 2000 liter tank.....

[Proper Job]

For my two penny worth, I have a pump out loo (dump through) with a big holding tank that is set across the boat (no listing problems when it get full).

 

The tank last me about 2 months, but that can be reduced to two weeks when females are involved.

 

I prefer a pumpout and it was on the boat when I bought it. Had there been a cassette loo on the boat, I'd have still bought the boat and lived with the cassette loo.

 

It always makes me laugh when the cassette brigade put up the "who wants to carry around all of that poo" and then have a pile of 'spare cassettes' in the cockpit.

 

If you're on board in the Winter, you do need to keep an eye on the weather and try to empty the tank just before a big freeze. But hell........ you also have to do that to make sure you have a full water tank just before a big freeze.

 

At the end of the day, buy the boat that you want first. Worry about the toilet arrangements in the longer term

[IainW]

We use green rather than blue in our cassettes, so in theory we don't have to find an emptying point. Somewhere suitably wild and away from the water and a shovel is a legit option i think? Not sure how long it would take for 20L to disappear but can't see too much harm if hardly anyone is doing it.

[luctor et emergo]

We use green rather than blue in our cassettes, so in theory we don't have to find an emptying point. Somewhere suitably wild and away from the water and a shovel is a legit option i think? Not sure how long it would take for 20L to disappear but can't see too much harm if hardly anyone is doing it.

 

 

Such a slippery slope..

 

One day, one goes through the trouble of digging a suitably deep hole. And fill it up again. After a while, one starts to think, why bother? Nobody knows', nobody cares...

Lets just tip it over board...

 

 

Whats is the problem, emptyi g your toilet properly? Facilities are available, and there are even boats that will do i for you.

really, is paying that small a fee, to much?

[boathunter]

..............

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.

That's the ones. Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky me. Sometimes, (very rarely in my case) you land on your feet when you fall over. Pure fluke in that a friend owns one and now doesn't now have a boat. I had no idea he had the plot or they had lived on narrowboats, but I was describing my ideal future life after divorce and next day he offered it to me. Some things are meant to be.

[Ronniesonic]

do those Boatowners who have a pumpout because they 'cannot stand the thought of poop & all that' pick their doggy do do's up when they have been for a walk?

 

'''''''incoming'''''''''''

 

 

Cassette all the way for us. Fill up 2 as it allows you to balance when walking on an icy dark towpath in a squally shower 1/2 mile from an Elsan on New years Day with a stinging hangover. On arrival, realise you have forgotten your BW Key Start to cry, break a new year's ressie by scaving a fag & a light, momentarily wish you had not thought that this Boating lark was the best thing since sliced bread. Dust yourself down, get a grip, borrow a key, watch the clouds clear & the sun suddenly peep through, empty cassettes with elsan door open & breath held, scamper back to Boat to be told there is no gas left............................

[Proper Job]

do those Boatowners who have a pumpout because they 'cannot stand the thought of poop & all that' pick their doggy do do's up when they have been for a walk?

 

'''''''incoming'''''''''''

 

 

Cassette all the way for us. Fill up 2 as it allows you to balance when walking on an icy dark towpath in a squally shower 1/2 mile from an Elsan on New years Day with a stinging hangover. On arrival, realise you have forgotten your BW Key Start to cry, break a new year's ressie by scaving a fag & a light, momentarily wish you had not thought that this Boating lark was the best thing since sliced bread. Dust yourself down, get a grip, borrow a key, watch the clouds clear & the sun suddenly peep through, empty cassettes with elsan door open & breath held, scamper back to Boat to be told there is no gas left............................

 

Haven't we all been there in one way or another

[Ange]

do those Boatowners who have a pumpout because they 'cannot stand the thought of poop & all that' pick their doggy do do's up when they have been for a walk?

 

'''''''incoming'''''''''''

 

 

 

 

Yes

Edited October 30, 2012 by Ange

[matty40s]

do those Boatowners who have a pumpout because they 'cannot stand the thought of poop & all that' pick their doggy do do's up when they have been for a walk?

 

No

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't have a dog. I just stand in other peoples Doggy Doos who are carrying a cassette and havn't got a hand free to do the honour of picking it up on the way there.

[JerryP]

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

 

Sorry i have no idea on the tank size ,the boat wasn't new when i bought it and the tank was already installed .

[Zayna]

The type of bog didn't influence me when we bought our boat, it could have been anything.

 

It is a cassette. I don't mind it, I don't mind emptying it - I know there are squeamish folk but if you've ever done your stint at nappy changing, you can do anything imho.

 

We do need to get a spare cassette though. We've never not been able to empty it but it will be better to have two for when we have guests.

 

We always take advantage of pub / supermarket loos, rather than fill our own, but that's a habit we've formed from our campervan days.

[boathunter]

I don't think it'll influence me either, but I do like to know what I'm getting into.

[Proper Job]

I don't think it'll influence me either, but I do like to know what I'm getting into.

Sh1t

[boathunter]

I asked for that.

[MtB]

Boatyhunter,

 

All bogs have major drawbacks, so you choose whichever set of drawbacks is less objectionable to you.

 

Cassette drawbacks:

 

They need emptying twice a week

They use expensive chemicals or they stink

They wear out, believe it or not. I reckon I buy about one a year.

 

 

Pumpout drawbacks:

They stink outside. Your neighbours will be well aware that you have a pumpout

The seal in the bottom of the pan wears out, then they stink inside too. NOT a nice job fixing it!

One has up to six months of poo sloshing about under one's bed

It can be tricky finding a working pump-out facility when you NEED it BAD

When you find it, they have you over a barrel and demand £15 usually

The tank occasionally needs, erm, cleaning out.... guess how you do this

 

 

Now stand back, and wash yer hands before opening the popcorn

 

 

Mike

Edited October 30, 2012 by Mike the Boilerman

[alan_fincher]

Cassette drawbacks:

 

They need emptying twice a week

They use expensive chemicals or they stink

They wear out, believe it or not. I reckon I buy about one a year.

The mind boggles - what are you doing to them Mike?

 

........ No! Forget I asked - I don't want to know..........

 

Alan

 

(Still on on first one.....)

[Ange]

 

Pumpout drawbacks:

They stink outside. Your neighbours will be well aware that you have a pumpout

 

Mike

 

My bote doesn't smell!

[tree]

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?

 

I have both on my 38ft cruiser stern, I dont like or use the pumpout and I was going to remove it, but decided against that option as I intend to upgrade to a bigger boat in a few years time and think that having the option of both will ( hopefully ) be a good selling point.

Being a Yorkshire woman I do not like spending money unless I have to and 'pumpouts' can be a bit pricey. I have bought a 'self-pumpout kit' which I will keep for when I sell the boat, but I prefer the cassette as its easy to keep clean and not much trouble to carry on my trolley

[Starcoaster]

Actually Ange, while I have to say I DO often find boats with a pump out do smell like a pubic toilet and that puts me off, as does the fact that the owners of said boats never seem to smell it themselves and get (understandably) defensive when it's mentioned, not all of them do and your boat is not one of them.

Edited October 30, 2012 by Starcoaster

[Ange]

Actually Ange, while I have to say I DO often find boats with a pump out do smell like a pubic toilet and that puts me off, as does the fact that the owners of said boats never seem to smell it themselves and get (understandably) defensive when it's mentioned, not all of them do and your boat is not one of them.

 

Thank you

[oarfish]

A carbon filter stops the tank stinking outside. Not cheap though. Smell gets pretty obvious to the doting owners if you flush the toilet when cruising in a headwind. Stopping using blue helped as well. Inside it's mostly 'saving' up pee between flushes that makes ours smell.

 

We had some bog tank fun replacing the filter when the tank was a little too full. Hopefully that's my next couple of years worth of liquid shit related disasters taken care of.

Edited October 30, 2012 by oarfish

[MtB]

The mind boggles - what are you doing to them Mike?

 

........ No! Forget I asked - I don't want to know..........

 

Alan

 

(Still on on first one.....)

 

Well the last one I replaced was due to it being covered in weld spatter....

 

WELD spatter....

[alan_fincher]

Well the last one I replaced was due to it being covered in weld spatter....

 

WELD spatter....

Do you think Thetford/Dometic/Whoever have failed you by actually not building them so they withstand that ?

[luctor et emergo]

I have both on my 38ft cruiser stern, I dont like or use the pumpout and I was going to remove it, but decided against that option as I intend to upgrade to a bigger boat in a few years time and think that having the option of both will ( hopefully ) be a good selling point.

Being a Yorkshire woman I do not like spending money unless I have to and 'pumpouts' can be a bit pricey. I have bought a 'self-pumpout kit' which I will keep for when I sell the boat, but I prefer the cassette as its easy to keep clean and not much trouble to carry on my trolley

 

Well, luckey you.....

 

 

So, what is it about paying for your shit to be moved, that you don't like on a boat, but would accept when living in a house?

 

Would you consider a self pumpout, if you were living in a house?

[MtB]

Do you think Thetford/Dometic/Whoever have failed you by actually not building them so they withstand that ?

 

Nah, it was Orion who covered it with weld spatter. I thought it was just grinder grit but each little black spot was 1mm deep when I eventually tried to clean them off! So I bought a new one.

 

Then another time I wanted a spare cassette, 50p cheaper than a complete bog so I bought a whole nother bog.

 

There is ALWAYS a reason to buy a new bog!