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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Porta- Pottie Brand?

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John J.
Navigator

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USA
157 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/12/2003 : 16:32:57

I need to buy a porta-pottie. I've had my limit of projects for one spring, so I dont want to do any modifications, at least for this project, this year. Just looking for one I can set in there. Can you recommend any brands or models you like?

Edited by - on

ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 06/12/2003 : 22:04:09

Practical Sailor rated the Sealand Sanipottie the best buy a while back in a rather extensive evaluation. I bought the large capacity one that could be plumbed to deck pumpout in future if I decide to go that way. I got a price from the Defender catalog and took it to West Marine and they met the price, although they writhed and grimaced about it. I said, "hey, it's YOUR policy...???" So they shut up and ordered it for me. Fair winds, ron srsk Orion 1981 SW FL

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 06/12/2003 : 22:15:11

Way to go, Ron! Maybe if we all took a lower price into WM they might just get competitive...nah!
Derek

<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3dc30b3127cce942c608d6f1e0000001010" border=0>
TRFK#2262"This Side Up"

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Dave B
Admiral

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Mali
863 Posts

Response Posted - 06/12/2003 : 22:33:28

Sanipotties are very good, and the large (5-gallon) is the best buy if you expect to have more than one person out for more than one night. The increased seating height is nice, too.

BTW, I've even taken Sailnet prices to West and had them matched, although the prices have to include the shipping from Sailnet. My local West even has a Defender catalog at the checkout counter, so if you ask, they'll look it up for you!

Dave Bristle, 1985 C-25 #5032 "Passage" SR/FK/Dinette/Honda in SW CT

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lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2003 : 01:03:45

The only thing I don't like about the Sealand (and Coleman) units is the rear-mounted drain cap. If this ever leaks, the waste will be all over your boat (eeewwww!!!). The Thetford brand porta-pottie has NO penetrations in the sides of the holding tank, the bowl inlet and drain outlet are both on the top of the holding tank and therefore less likely to leak and make a horrible mess in your boat or RV. For some reason though, the Thetfords seem to be harder to find, most retail outlets that sell RV stuff and camping or boating equipment carry the Sani-pottie brand. Given a choice, I would buy the Thetford, even with a smaller holding tank, just to have the "safer" more leak resistant design. There's nothing worse than cleaning up spilled sewage in a boat. No, wait, I can think of one job that's probably worse, and that's doing an oil and filter change and re-packing the propeller shaft stuffing box on a Catalina 25 with the inboard diesel. If you are taller than 5'-2" or weigh more than 120#, it's just about impossible to get at the work area behind the engine without putting yourself through yoga-like body contortions that rival medieval tortures for pure agony.

Larry Charlot
Catalina 25 #1205 "Quiet Time"
Sacramento, CA

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Ed Montague
Captain

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USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2003 : 01:06:04

Bought mine at Sears. Why pay more for the word 'marine'. The unit looks and smells the same as the marine unit.

Ed Montague on 'Yahoo'
1978 #765 SK, Stnd, Dinette ~_/)~

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2003 : 01:26:41

I also have the Sears brand. It is very well designed, easy to empty and never spill a drop.

<img src="http://www.indiscipline.org/cat25/pictures/icon.jpg" border=0>Indiscipline 1978 FK #398

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f_sondergaard
1st Mate

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USA
92 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2003 : 07:18:09

We bought our Sanipottie at Wal-Mart in the camping section. I don't remember how much we paid, but I know it was less than West Marine.
Jason ands Fran
1982C-25
swing to wing

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2003 : 11:55:08

We purchased the large capacity Thetford brand only to discover that it wasn't designed for sailboats (and Thetford wouldn't admit it) - we couldn't get it to stay put when the boat was heeling. Finally had custom brackets made from aluminum.

Edited by - OJ on 06/13/2003 21:54:19

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Mark Maxwell
Captain

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USA
329 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2003 : 15:30:37

I have the SeaLand large capacity model and recently discovered that a crack had formed in one of the corners of the water tank. The unit is 2 years old and well outside the warranty period. I wrote an e-mail to SeaLand to ask about parts and they sent me a new tank no charge. To me that speaks volumes about a company.

<img src="http://www.chaplin-nest.com/unkarock/usflagwav.gif" border=0>
Mark-
'Impulse'
C25 #533 DINN/FIN ~_/)~
Bakersfield, CA.

Edited by - on

Ed Montague
Captain

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USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2003 : 19:53:27

I built a three sided box, stained it to match the teak in the head and cut a hole in the front so you can pull the slide open. This is mounted with L brackets to the shelf the pottie sits on. Now when the boat heels the pottie doesn't fall over. To remove the pottie you just lift it straight up. The box camo's the less then pretty port-a-pottie. I had photos of the set up on Shutterfly, but it seems as though I left them there too long and they have removed them. So I will try to find the photos and rescan them in to share with you.

Ed Montague on 'Yahoo'
1978 #765 SK, Stnd, Dinette ~_/)~

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ronrryan
Admiral

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USA
561 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2003 : 19:59:15

The Sealand I got came with hold-down brackets in the box, which I installed. They may keep the Pottie in place when heeling, but I doubt they would keep an occupant AND pottie in place in a good gust, likely the latches would self destruct...but it is the current solution on Orion. By the way, the Practical sailor test included dropping a variety of units from the top of a stepladder to a cement floor. They were not filled with waste, thank god, ron srsk #2343

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 06/13/2003 : 21:56:59

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
. . . To me that speaks volumes about a company . . .
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Great choice of words there Mark <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> !

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Ed Montague
Captain

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USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 06/14/2003 : 12:12:59

Ok, here is a picture. No lock down latch on the Sears pottie.
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2da34b3127cce9d353928d3730000004610" border=0>

Ed Montague on 'Yahoo'
1978 #765 SK, Stnd, Dinette ~_/)~

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Dave B
Admiral

Members Avatar

Mali
863 Posts

Response Posted - 06/14/2003 : 16:44:59

Time for a reminder... Before using a porta-potti, and before pumping some water into the bowl, open the slide valve slightly to "burp" the pressure out of the holding tank, and then close it. Otherwise, some bad things can happen when you open it to flush--I'll let those who've experienced it first hand elaborate on what I mean.

Be careful out there! <img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>

Dave Bristle, 1985 C-25 #5032 "Passage" SR/FK/Dinette/Honda in SW CT

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