Let's talk about sh*t

@millycf1976 73

9 months ago (Edited)

_{Warning: This is a Shitpost!}

One common question we get from people who are unfamiliar with boating and alternative living is, "What facility do you have for human waste?"

That's a legitimate question, don't you think?

Let's delve deeper into sh*t here.

You see, one of the popular collection and storage systems for human waste (eaten food) on a narrowboat is a cassette toilet—a clever mechanism with great engineering.

This cassette toilet is inserted in a designated cavity that's connected below the toilet and that's accessible from the outside.

Some mechanisms are connected to prevent backflow from the toilet bowl.

The cassette is neatly stored in a cabinet. Out of sight, out of mind.

Special toilet fluid for freshness, and breakdown of waste. Therefore, there's no unpleasant scent on the boat.

Elsan Point, also known as a Chemical Toilet Disposal Unit

Entering an Elsan is like going on a blind date. You never know what shit is in store for you.

Elsan facilities are dotted along the canals for boaters who are cruising, and they are also located at marinas, as in my case.

This is a flushing waste water system.

Not bad, eh?

This is built right over a manhole, so they can pump when needed.

An undesirable hole— a 'sh*t-hole'.

Something's got to be done, rain or shine, and emptying the toilet when it's full is not a load of shit!

The funnel's top left rotates and helps with precision in aim when emptying, and the button right helps to release pressure, which releases the 'eaten food'.

There's a hose that's convenient for rinsing out the cassette, and it's a good idea to run the hose and shake the cassette to ensure that all the content is completely disposed of. I make sure to rinse several times until the water runs clear.

One of the things I like about the material of the cassette is that I can hose it down and clean the entire cassette for proper hygiene before re-installing it back on the boat.

Waste disposal is made easy.

Wheelbarrowing my waste makes it easier and fun, as it helps to avoid spillage or accidents and helps reduce the number of trips needed to and from the boat.

The household waste and recycling area.

To save time, I combine disposing of my regular household waste in the facilities provided, and I aim to do this on a Tuesday when the garbage truck comes for collection.

The area is kept clean and orderly, and it pleases me to see that there are several bins for proper segregation of items: plastic, cardboard, general household waste, and glass.

In addition, there's a collection point for ashes from my wood burner that I leave at a pickup point for recycling.

My accumulated ashes for the week.

Alternative living requires alternative systems.

In general, garbage and waste disposal are responsibilities that boaters take seriously, or things could become catastrophic, as you might imagine.

This is also one of the most unglamorous sides of living on a narrowboat. However, something's got to be done, and with care, they don't have to be sh*t at all.

_{I'm pleased that my mobile was not ruined while capturing these shots in the rain because that would have been sh*t.}

_{Location: Devizes Marina, UK, on March 12, 2024.}

_{_{_{This banner was created using Canva.}}}

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41 comments

@teamuksupport 59

9 months ago

Hi @millycf1976,
Thank you for participating in the #teamuk curated tag. We have upvoted your quality content.
For more information visit our discord https://discord.gg/8CVx2Am

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

Thanks for all that you do @teamuksupport 😍😁

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@george-dee 74

9 months ago

Wow, I mustn't say what's in my mind because I have always thought many people who spend a great time in boats polite water a lot because it's easy to dispose our waste into the water when no one is watching which is at the detriment of the creature in the water.

The cassette is a good one for boaters and it's awesome that you can manage your waste easily. I can tell you enjoyed pushing the wheel barrow in the rain but phone, please be very more careful because it could have really be shitty truly.

Thanks for educating us on this...

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

It's easy to dispose of our waste into the water when no one is watching which is to the detriment of the creature in the water.

That's sad but true. It's one of the reasons why I think it's important to educate people about these things.

Knock on wood! I have never fallen into the canals, but other boaters keep saying "not yet". Therefore, I think boaters identify that the canal waters are naturally polluted and try not to contribute further.

The canals are policed by the Canal and River Trust to ensure that boaters do the right things:)

Yeah, I was lucky today 😊😁

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@edith-4angelseu 65

9 months ago

That's some sh*t technology and it's really very handy for boaters. Being able to dispose off waste appropriately is important to reduce pollution.

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

That's some sh*t technology

Yeah, you're not talking sh*t at all.
It's amazing how mess-free accomplishing such a task is:)

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@coolmidwestguy 71

9 months ago

Thanks for explanation of the human waste disposal on a narrow boat. I really had no idea how that was done and where you got rid of it. I was curious about the bathroom area the last time I read an article on your narrow boat. Much different than campers and mobile homes where a hose is put in an "undesirable hole" 😂 and dumped. Well sh*t that's all I got 😂

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

Yeah, the cassette toilet is fairly civilised.
We had hoped to find a boat with a more hassle-free compost toilet, but the good thing is that we have a spare cassette. They come in handy when cruising through areas where there's no Elsan point.

Much different than campers and mobile homes where a hose is put in an "undesirable hole" 😂 and dumped.

Come to think of it, I saw a bucket system online recently, which was an eye-opener as to just how luxurious a cassette toilet is 😆😅

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@coolmidwestguy 71

9 months ago

Been on plenty of boats but none with a bathroom. I wonder if the cassette toilet is pretty standard on most non industrial type boats. It would make a lot of sense.

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

The 3 main toilet options on narrowboats are:

Compost 👏
Cassette 👌
Pump out 🤔

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@qurator 80

9 months ago

Manually curated by ewkaw from the @qurator Team. Keep up the good work!

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

Thank you very much ewkaw and the @qurator team.
Your support is highly appreciated:)))

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@trucklife-family 79

9 months ago

That's great that you have these facilities available. It's pretty good for campers as well, usually at petrol stations and camp sites. As I'm parked up, I've built a compost toliet for me and my girls. Xxx

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

I've built a compost toilet for me and my girls.

👏 Awesome!

A compost toilet is our aim for our next boat.
We get rave reviews about it from other boaters. xxx

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@leaky20 78

9 months ago

That's actually really interesting seeing how that all works.

I like the humorous play on a shit post. Literally! 😂

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

That's actually really interesting seeing how that all works.

Yeah, processing all this shit is fascinating.

I like the humorous play on a shit post.

Who doesn't like to play with shit like that, eh? 🤣

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@leaky20 78

9 months ago

Lol pun pun pun pun

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

🙌😆

Man, I could talk shit all day 🤣

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@scubahead 76

9 months ago

I usually wouldn't let @millycf1976 empty it as its nasty and here she is making it look like emptying the shit is living her best life!

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@leaky20 78

9 months ago

Lmao 😂
The things we do for Hive!

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@millycf1976 73

8 months ago

😆👐

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@ybanezkim26 77

9 months ago

Entering an Elsan is like going on a blind date. You never know what shit is in store for you.

I'm living! 😂 An interesting take on sh*t!

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

😊🤗

I'm living!

That's right! When sht hits the fan, you just gotta shift focus onto different sht!🤗

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@ybanezkim26 77

8 months ago

When sht hits the fan, you just gotta shift focus onto different sht!🤗

Sums up my life lately. HAHAHA

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@millycf1976 73

8 months ago

I bet 🤗🙏

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@marlyncabrera 72

9 months ago

No sh*t! Haha. "Eaten food" 😂 That's clever.

This is the first time I see a cassette toilet. Congratulations to the engineers! I have seen compost toilets in the countryside, and to my surprise, the system was quite hygienic. They used coconut husk.

I guess life on a boat is like life anywhere else: you have to deal with your own sh*t.

This was fun and educational 😆

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

😊

I have seen compost toilets in the countryside, and to my surprise, the system was quite hygienic.

Yeah, I've heard great things about the compost toilet. That coconut husk sounds interesting.
I remember using a pit toilet at a relative's house in the countryside. The condition was grim, yet I was super fascinated by it. I was tiny then and loved to climb. Adults warned vehemently, that I should NOT climb on top of it in case I fell in. I was obedient on that occasion.
It's amazing how fascinating the topic of 'eaten food' is.

Emptying the Elsan was my husband's duty for the entire time we were on our first boat Badger, and I was always intrigued to learn about the process.

I have learned so much since living this way, and I am more environmentally conscious of how our actions affect the environment and all.

I'm happy that you found this educational 😊

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@balikis95 70

9 months ago

Your take on shit is not very shitty even when the post is all about shit😂😂😂. I really found this interesting to read, and it feels weird, but since I like weirdness, let's go!

I hadn't seen a cassette waste disposal before, so you should have seen my face when I saw this. I was like;

What the heck! Is this real? Did she go out to shoot a movie coming out very soon, or what?

This looks super fun and thrilling as long as the wheelbarrow is intact and doesn't trip 🤣🤣.

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

Yeah, it's a weird concept, indeed!

As long as the wheelbarrow is intact and doesn't trip

Haha! I prefer to wheelbarrow the cassette than to hold it. I think there's less chance of spilling. Although the cassette is secured and tightly sealed, there's always that one chance of a mishap, and I would hate to be holding it and have the contents spilt on me 🤣

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@balikis95 70

9 months ago

Ah!🥲 The mishap of life😂😂. You may end up directing a movie that day🤣🤣.

Thanks for the fun read.

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@millycf1976 73

9 months ago

😊 Hahaha!

My pleasure 😁🤗

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@balikis95 70