Toilet on a yacht – what should I know?

Toilets on yachts are one of the most important indicator of their standard and comfort. Everyone who has had the opportunity to use them knows that the first acquaintance with them can be quite problematic one. It is worth becoming familiar with the basic rules of their operation in order to avoid possible accidents, especially since this topic is quite embarrassing for many people.

Manual toilets

The ability to manage the onboard toilet properly is one of the most important aspects of comfortable sailing. On-board toilets are not one of the largest and most convenient to use, and, moreover, many of them have a somewhat complicated flush system – a manual one, in many cases. It is not so difficult to master it, but it requires some caution and proper behavior. To flush a special holder is used, in most cases, located to the right of the toilet bowl, and a valve just above it. When we do not use toilets, the valve should be set to the position indicated as “pumping out”. While using it, we must move it to the opposite position and with the help of a handle (push-ups) to rinse all the contents of a sink. It is better to do this after a while (approx. 10-12 times) to make sure that no sewage remains in the pipes, where they like ... to come back ? You should remember not to clog the toilets, not to throw hygiene items, paper or garbage into it.

Electric toilets

Electric toilets provide greater convenience, but their disadvantage is that they are too loud, so you can awaken other crew members at night and a toilet paper is prohibited to flush, which can lead to blades damage. Electric toilets use two pumps and a grinding system. Not all electric toilets take sea water, some of them use special water tanks. If a yacht you have ordered has such solution, make sure to check out where a tank is located during the check-in procedure.

Emptying the toilet

While using a toilet, please remember that any impurities go directly to the sea. Therefore, we do not use it while berthing, but only during sailing. If you are in a marina, if it is necessary, you may just go to the ground-based sanitation facilities. Yachts are commonly equipped with mud tanks, which allows you to use a toilet also in ports and bays, but remember about closing and opening the tank drain valve at the right time.  Toilets on a yacht require proper and responsible service. In such a case, you will avoid any disruptions that can greatly upset your sailing adventure. If we are not sure about the operation of a toilet, it is better to ask about everything during the check-in procedure.

Always remember:

  1. Do not throw anything into a toilet that has not passed through your gastrointestinal tract first :). In particular, paper, hygiene items, hair removed from a hair brush, etc.
  2. Prepare a plastic bag in the bathroom where you will throw everything you cannot throw into a toilet.
  3. Always flush a toilet in 10-15 seconds after the impurities have gone.
  4. In a port and in the bays, close the ebbs from sewage tanks and open them in the open sea only.
  5. A clogged toilet is one of the most common yachting technical problems, eliminating such an accident is very awkward and unpleasant, and the cost of such service is also not often covered by deposit insurance.

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