Please select your home edition
Edition
Excess Catamarans

Coming to a head - issues of onboard toilets

by Lee Mylchreest on 20 Jan 2013
Ron Leishman clipartof dot com SW
If you want to seriously test whether someone gets seasick or not (or if you don't want them to come again), give them the job of clearing the blocked head while sailing. Heads, the nautical term for onboard toilets, can be one of the most vexed issues on a boat, depending on where you sail.

Which head you will choose for your boat when you are upgrading will firstly depend on the regulations of where you sail, or where you are likely to sail in the future. Then it may depend on the facilities available where you sail. The following information ignores these various regulations, or proposed regulations and the available facilities, all of which should be checked thoroughly.

There are five types in common or not-so-common use: gravity feed, manual pump, macerating, vacuum and composting.

Gravity-feed toilets:
These work usually by having the unit positioned directly above a holding tank, which can be separate or integral to the unit. Porta Potties are a common example. Bowl contents drain directly into a removable tank which has to be removed and dumped in the appropriate receptacle ashore. Flush water (if provided) is supplied by an internal reservoir, and while most require no plumbing, some larger units can be plumbed to draw flush water from the vessel’s freshwater system to a deck pumpout.
One of the most simple of these that I ever saw was rigged off the stern of the boat and emptied directly into the sea. This was a sure way of ensuring the toilet never smelt and was never blocked.

Manual-pump toilets:
These have a hand pump which brings 'raw' water into the bowl, where it mixes with the sewage and is then pumped clear. Installation requirements include a below-the-waterline skin fitting for the flushing water, a seacock, a holding tank and pumpout options, which will depend on the regulations in your area, as well as the various hoses, fittings, etc., needed to connect each one of them. Sometimes you are offered an optional electric pump.

Macerating toilets:
These are designed to puree solid waste, much like a garbage disposal. This is typically accomplished by an electric-powered 'grinder' (aka macerator) that uses blades to simultaneously chop and pump waste clear of the bowl. Flush water can be raw or from the vessel’s onboard freshwater system. These are noisy contraptions, which may or may not faze you or your crew/guests. Some types of macerating toilets claim that the waste they put into the sea has been treated by electrolysis so that the matter is inert and not harmful to marine life.

Vacuum heads:
These use an electric or manual pump to generate a vacuum in the system, which pulls sewage from the bowl to its final destination when the toilet is flushed, be it a holding tank or overboard depending on regulations and your own view of the world.

Composting toilets:
These very 'green' alternatives use peat moss to turn waste into compost. As they’re completely self-contained, they can be an attractive alternative to traditional toilets. No plumbing is needed; however, they do require you to install a fan and a vent pipe. While they are reputed not to smell, I have never seen one in operation which doesn't.

Correct installation is critical for all of these head varieties, and your choice will depend on the comparative convenience, the regulations where you sail or are likely to sail, your attitude to how 'green' you wish to be, and, finally, how far you have to travel each time you want to empty the holding tank.
Selden 2020 - FOOTERPantaenius Sail 2025 AUS FootersMRT AIS Man Overboard Beacons AUS / NZ

Related Articles

Cure Marine and McConaghy join forces
Leveraging McConaghy's world-class manufacturing and advanced composite technology Cure Marine has always been synonymous with high-quality, high-performance cruising catamarans, and we are excited to share news that will elevate our brand even further.
Posted today at 5:45 pm
52 Super Series 2025 Porto Cervo day 2
Immaculate Sled on song in breezy Sardinia With a race win which they delivered with a near perfect execution in brisk Mistral conditions, Takashi Okura's Sled today moved further ahead at the top of the leaderboard at the 52 SUPER SERIES Porto Cervo Range Rover regatta on Costa Smeralda.
Posted today at 3:34 pm
The latest in fleet monitoring and tracking
Join us on October 22nd for an in-depth exploration of the latest in tracking technology Fleet monitoring and tracking are essential for efficiency, safety, and compliance with real-time visibility into fleet movements critical.
Posted today at 9:30 am
Record fleet set for 13ft Skiff 2026 Championships
The biggest fleet in the event's history is set to line up in January The pain of handing over the national 13ft crown after owning it for a year is driving Manly's Theo Franklin to recapture the title when the biggest fleet in the event's history lines up for the 2026 Australian Championships in January.
Posted today at 5:29 am
2025 Six Metre World Championship Day 2
Eau Vive and Jill claim first victories in Oyster Bay After the disappointment of a wind and raceless day one, the 2025 International Six Metre World Championships at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club finally got under way in warm sunshine and a south-westerly of around 6-8 knots.
Posted today at 3:23 am
46th Cannes Royal Regatta day 2
A dream day! If we had to give a score for the entry of the "classic " and 5.5 m on Tuesday 23 September, we would hesitate between an 18 and 19/20... knowing that you never put a 20/20!
Posted on 23 Sep
Middle Sea Race set to attract exceptional fleet
Royal Malta YC has 118 entries already At midnight on Friday, 19 September the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race had amassed a fleet of 118 yachts. The entrants represent 30 countries and territories: from Australia and New Zealand to Finland and Norway, and from the United States to Romania.
Posted on 23 Sep
52 Super Series 2025 Porto Cervo day 1
Solid Sled earn early lead in Sardinia Takashi Okura's Sled lead the 52 SUPER SERIES - Porto Cervo - Range Rover regatta after the first two windward leeward races.
Posted on 23 Sep
Melges 24 Worlds 2025 at Trieste, Italy Day 1
No racing possible on the first day Good things are worth waiting for, and that was the adage at the opening day of the Melges 24 Worlds, which ended without any races in the scoreline. The weather in Trieste proved too unstable, with storms in the morning followed by a lack of wind.
Posted on 23 Sep
Formula Kite Worlds Quartu Sant'Elena preview
9th Sardinia Grand Slam is the first major step towards Los Angeles 2028 Next September 28th to October 5th, the Poetto beach will host the event that crowns the new World Champions. Among the top contenders: Maeder, Vodišek, and Pianosi in the men's fleet; Nolot, Aldridge, and Kampman among women
Posted on 23 Sep