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Portable Toilet enclosure for the Marinaut 215

 
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C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
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Vessel Name: Betty Ann
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PostPosted: Fri May 11, 2012 3:43 pm    Post subject: Portable Toilet enclosure for the Marinaut 215 Reply with quote

In my opinion and that of my wife, why would one need a phone-booth sized head enclosure, when a private, 12 square foot, portable toilet enclosure surrounding a luxurious Thetford Curve toilet be deployed in less than 3 minutes? Granted, in order to make this work, one needs a camperback. Also, the design of the Marinaut 215 allows the Thetford Curve to be stowed completely under the splashwell. However, this set-up could also be deployed in a C-Dory 22, albeit the toilet would have to be stored in a corner of the cockpit.

When you think about it, one of the great things of Dave's design was to open up the Marinaut's berth, and use the rear dinette seat cushions to extend the berth's length. Using that same line of thought, why not double-up on the use of the cockpit space to use it as a quickly-deployed or stowed portable toilet enclosure? When the curtains are folded back and the toilet is stowed away, the entire cockpit space is freed for normal use. Also, a lot of credit goes to Dave for his vision of saddle tanks that allows such an enormous storage space under the splashwell.

Among the reasons why we bought the Marinaut 215 is its superior fuel economy, simplicity (in the way of maintenance), and creative use of space. This toilet enclosure really works well without compromising the reasons why we bought our boat in the first place.

In my album C-Nile, I just added a folder called "Portable Toilet Enclosure" that shows ample pictures, diagrams and a parts list. There also exists a folder on the Thetford Curve. We like this toilet, because like many of you, we are retired, and we find most portable toilets too low to be comfortable -- particularly when one is arthritic. The Thetford Curve is actually about 1 inch higher than our toilet at home, and is of the same general dimensions. It has a tremendous holding capacity.

Hope this helps some of you,

Rich

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Marinaut 215 - "Betty Ann" Sept-2011
CD 16 Cruiser "C-Nile" Sold 06/2011
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C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 2:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

After using our Thetford Curve in our portable toilet enclosure for several trips, we wanted to give the group an update. We have had friends join us, and the enclosure works perfectly; they were impressed with the space, privacy and convenience afforded by this curtained enclosure. In addition, we have found that when we are alone for overnight stays, reconfiguring the arrangement to curtain-off the entire cockpit affords a very nice large space for the toilet as well as to serve as a changing room. If you are interested in this arrangement, please see our photo album.

Thanks!

Rich
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dotnmarty



Joined: 03 Nov 2003
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 2:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You know, we have a similar setup on our 16 foot angler. It just happened that our boat came with a drop down canvas at the back of the hard cabin AND a drop down canvas at the back of the two foot canvas cabin extension. Voila!, a spacious head on a 16 footer!

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C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Marty, it's great to see you have met with similar success. We used to have a 16 cruiser, which is not as well configured for a portable toilet enclosure as an Angler.

Rich
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starcrafttom



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PostPosted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Its really amazing the amount of room that was opened up by getting the fuel tanks off the floor. We did some thing similar with our 22 but only at night. Glad si see you likeing the boat. I canbt wait to see the bigger cruiser les is working up.
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hardee



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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 1:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice writeup and nice solution to a continually pressing issue Laughing Do like storing the PP in the cockpit. Thanks for sharing.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

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Will-C



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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 8:39 am    Post subject: Portable Toilet enclosure for the Marinaut 215 Reply with quote

Why not just carry a poncho slip it on and drop trow and do your business? Fold up the poncho keep it for a rainy day. What's next a portable tea room? Laughing best to keep things simple INMHO. Mr. Green
D.D.

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C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 10:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Will-C,

When my wife and I were looking into getting a bigger boat, my wife wanted a head (like so many wives do.) This would have required a larger, less-fuel efficient and inherently more complex boat. I suppose keeping things simple when having guests are to have them use the portable toilet in the berth, but to me this is not convenient.

The great thing about the Marinaut is that one can use a Thetford Curve, which is actually a very large portable toilet, yet completely stow it under the splash well. When we are taking guests out on an extended trip, it takes me less then 3 minutes to unbind the curtains and form them into a secure, rectangular enclosure that is approximately 6' long by 5.5' high by 2.5' deep. People love the privacy and convenience of our enclosure. When the curtains are drawn back, the cockpit is restored back for normal use. When my wife and I are alone for extended stays, the entire cockpit can double as a head and changing room. Believe me, it makes a big difference for two people to have two separate areas for getting dressed in the morning. This is no different, in a way, then using our rear dinette cushions to extend our berth, then breaking down the berth in the morning and restoring everything to normal. Doubling up on the use of space is very efficient and practical.

We even kept our shore power set up simple, and actually don't even need to be attached to the grid. We are self-contained.

We find our boat, and its enhancements, to strike a perfect balance of simplicity and function for short-duration trips -- the reason we procured this kind of boat in the first place. Originally, we bought our boat with the intention of taking many day trips with only occasional overnight stays. Now, we enjoy our boat so thoroughly, that most of our trips have been for single and double overnight stays.

My goal in being so descriptive about these matters is to share with others that one can have a CD 22 or Marinaut 215, have quite a lot of conveniences on board -- such as an excellent head-alternative, and can be very well pleased with the results.

As for a portable tea room -- that's got possibilities; we have to seriously thing about that, too.

Rich
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Will-C



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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 11:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When my wife and I are alone for extended stays, the entire cockpit can double as a head and changing room. Believe me, it makes a big difference for two people to have two separate areas for getting dressed in the morning.Rich[/quote]

I just had to wonder where does everyone else hang out when someone is doing their business in partition in the cockpit? I would guess everyone goes inside the cabin as to not laugh at any of the loud noises that could occur. As for the two separate areas for getting dressed Really? We don't sleep in our birthday suits and change in the shower after we get cleaned up. We must be mimialists. We keep our toliet just slid under the vberth easy to pull out get er done and reinstall without having to lift anything up etc. People other than myself not participating usually adjorn to the cockpit leaving the person the privacy of the cabin as we have tinted windows and window coverings. Not that what you decribe is wrong just seems much different from our mode of operation. I'm thinking my baby girl wants to stay inside a locked cabin when working the night time potty moves. Especially if it's cold outside. Moon
D.D.
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C-Nile



Joined: 09 May 2008
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 11:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Will-C,

You bring up good points. On our boat, when we have guests, everyone goes into the cabin, and we close the cabin door for people to have privacy in the cockpit. People are very pleased with the situation. If we had a small child, I think we would do exactly as you do. In the spirit of helping others to talk about something that is seldom mentioned in detail, here is our reasoning in detail:

1) Normal Porta Potties sit low to the floor so they can fit under the berth cushions. When people are older and arthritic, it is very difficult to sit on a low toilet. We mitigated this somewhat initially by placing our toilet on the dinette floor. The larger Thetford Curve is actually 1 inch higher than our standard toilet at home, so it would not fit in the cabin. It fits great tucked under the splashwell. The couple we traveled with were in their seventies, so they really appreciated our set-up.

2) The Thetford Curve has a very large waste and water capacity. This is important, because if one needs to use the toilet for solid waste, one has sufficient fresh water to first pre-fill the bowl with water. As taken from Thetford's website, here are some of the specifications:
- --Height: 17-5/8" Fresh Water: 4.0 gal
---Depth: 17-3/4" Waste Tank: 5.5 gal
--- Width: 15-1/4" Average Flushes: 56
--- Battery-powered flush
---Comfortable seat height
---Increased bowl size
--- Hidden controls
--- Improved water tank carrying handle
---Integrated toilet paper holder
--- Holding tank level indicator for fresh water and waste tanks

3) It one uses the toilet for solid waste in the cabin, odors can linger, which is why we prefer the cockpit for the toilet.

4) Not everyone has directional control (if you know what I mean). I prefer the cockpit, because the consequences of lack of direction in the cabin are not desirable.

5) Keeping the toilet in the cockpit is easier on my back. When we lived on our boat in Anacortes, WA for 3 weeks, my back nearly gave out moving that Porta Potti every day to the dinette floor and back under the berth.

6) We like the extra space to get dressed in the morning that a private cockpit offers; it's certainly not necessary, but for us it's our personal preference.

I hope this helps,

Rich
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C-Nile



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PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 11:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

We don't want to kill a dead-horse, but using the entire cockpit enclosure at night as a bathroom, and during the day, screening-off 1/3 of that space -- all in conjunction of using our wonderful Thetford Curve Portable Toilet -- has been very satisfying. We have had visitors on our boat, and those who have used it have loved the arrangement. A head adds complexity, expense and reduces fuel economy (because a person needs a larger boat to accommodate it.) It is undeniable that if a head enclosure is sufficiently large, it adds convenience and greater waste storage capacity. Having used our arrangement frequently this year, we do not see how a head could significantly increase our boating pleasure and convenience. This would change, however, if we were to stay out for several week's at a time. So it's all what people desire that counts. For any of you contemplating a Marinaut, if you set up your boat similar to ours with respect to the portable toilet and its enclosure as described in our photo album (C-Nile), I don't think you will be disappointed, either, if you intend to use your boat much the same as we do.
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C-Nile



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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is our fourth season on our boat, and my wife and I could not be more pleased with the toilet arrangements on our boat. We continue to curtain off the the cockpit area and utilize our Thetford Curve toilet. The thought of squeezing into a tight head as opposed to having a toilet enclosure the size of a bathroom in a house is unpleasant, given that we are not slight in stature. And when our Theford's 5.5 gallon holding tank needs to be emptied, we don't have to seek a pump out station. It is such a hassle-free and more-than-adequate arrangement. Granted, if a couple has a lot of visitors or if they intend to spend the whole summer on their boat, then a head in a larger boat is called for. But for the needs of couple like Betty and I, who spend between 10 and 21 overnights per year, this set up is ideal.
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ghone



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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

We've used this idea all this year as we've been cruising since early May. We just snap a shower curtain to the camperback frame and the potty lives in the corner of the cockpit so it's easy. We also shower there with a plastic tub that the potty sits in. Remove the potty, heat water for the converted garden sprayer, close the curtain and have a nice roomy stand up shower in your 22. This has worked very well. Our marina stays have dropped way off this season.
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williwaw



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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fwiw, we use the Cleanwaste GO toilet(http://www.cleanwaste.com/go-anywhere-portable-toilet). Stable, comfortable and light weight as there is no water. It folds down into the size of a brief case. Each bag comes with TP, a handy wipe and an enclosing zip-lock style bag that once sealed has no smell. Just dispose with normal trash like a baby diaper. No need to find a disposal station.

The army must use these things as there's a lot of surplus bags on the market. If you buy a box of 100 it's about 80 cents per use (http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-plus-LOW-SHIPPING-Wag-Bags-portable-Toilet-Bag-Paper-Gel-Powder-poo-powder-/201162955211?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ed63f19cb)
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C-Nile



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PostPosted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 7:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

williwaw wrote:
Fwiw, we use the Cleanwaste GO toilet(http://www.cleanwaste.com/go-anywhere-portable-toilet). Stable, comfortable and light weight as there is no water. It folds down into the size of a brief case. Each bag comes with TP, a handy wipe and an enclosing zip-lock style bag that once sealed has no smell. Just dispose with normal trash like a baby diaper. No need to find a disposal station.

The army must use these things as there's a lot of surplus bags on the market. If you buy a box of 100 it's about 80 cents per use (http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-plus-LOW-SHIPPING-Wag-Bags-portable-Toilet-Bag-Paper-Gel-Powder-poo-powder-/201162955211?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ed63f19cb)


For solid waste, we use clean waste bags as well. We place the bags over the Thetford curve toilet bowl, and then, like you, dispose of it in the trash. However, when dealing with liquids, the Thetford Curve is a far superior and far less costly solution.
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