Toilets on small boats - using and maintaining a manual sea toilet.

In this video we tackle the usage and maintenance of one of the most popular sea toilets - The Jabsco twist and lock manual.
00:00 The Jabsco twist and lock toilet.
00:54 How it works
02:01 Using the toilet
03:43 How to maintain your toilet
05:14 Greasing the piston
06:00 Sea toilets and the law
Link to our video on changing the base valve:
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[@edwarddennis2035]

Congratulations on an excellent and well put together video. Some people recommend using white vinegar monthly to fill the toilet system, they say it helps dissolve mineral deposits such as calcium carbonate found in sea water if left within the system for a while. It might be mentioned in one of the Nigel Calder books.

[@confidencesailing]

Thanks for the comments. Yes white vinegar is something I use regularly - if I'm honest with varied results. Once the limescale gets properly a hold then really vinegar isn't powerful enough. But on a newly cleaned mechanism, the vinegar definitely keeps the worst of it at bay

[@terrygourlay404]

Brilliant. Answered all the questions I had👍

[@confidencesailing]

Thanks for watching

[@markkitson6594]

Brilliant video, very informative, to the point, no waffling & BS unlike sooooo many others.

[@confidencesailing]

Thankyou so much for your kind words. Much appreciated. And thanks for watching

[@nikolaucznaum4312]

The best explanation thus so far. Thank you.

[@peterstewart1859]

Best video on the topic that I have found. Cheers!

[@confidencesailing]

Thanks Peter. That's really appreciated. Thanks for watching.

[@marktaylor484]

First time I have seen such a video, well done you.

[@confidencesailing]

Thanks for watching Mark

[@PISTOL_SHRIMP]

Great Video!!!!

[@confidencesailing]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@nonojim2252]

thank you it's really useful for neophytes

[@confidencesailing]

You're most welcome. Thanks for watching

[@szymondworski]

We had two nasty blockages in Yarmouth earlier this year. The problem was sucking seaweed through the water inlet. There was loads of it in the water there. Little did we know then that it also partially blocked the engine cooling seacock, causing engine overheating problem.

[@confidencesailing]

Nightmare!!!

[@trangiathoai]

Thanks from Vietnam

[@confidencesailing]

Thanks for watching

[@erents1]

Awesome video but I was hoping you would explain how the holding tanks and the macerator work and how you can use it AND avoid polluting inland waterways.

[@confidencesailing]

Because Confidence has a deep keel and tall mast she doesn't get onto the inland waterway network and doesn't have a holding tank or macerator. However my new boat is having a holding tank and macerator pumps, and whilst I haven't done videos for this quite yet... As I get around to it I will be creating video content on that very subject. Please subscribe and click the bell to get notifications. And thanks for watching.

[@alangoulding9140]

Great Video, The seacocks do you leave open or closed while boat is underway? In general if the toilet seacocks are awkward to get to, would you leave them open or closed?

[@confidencesailing]

Usually the seacocks for toilet in and out, and both sink drains are left open when we are aboard and underway just for convenience. In rough conditions though, bouncing into waves can force water up the piping at some pressure but that normally affects the sink rather than the toilet as there is no non return valves on the sinks... So certainly under those conditions we would shut all seacocks apart from the engine intake.

[@user-gl5xn3wr1x]

I don't know about Jabsco, but pumps from companies like SeaFlo don't hold up! Today I installed a new one, and it is leaking from under the upper valve cover... When I tried to unscrew the 6 screws securing the cover, one of the cylindrical castings into which these screws are unscrewed broke off! Is it really impossible to make a design with screws and nuts? Now what, should I change the pump again or try to drill through and secure it with a screw and nut?

[@lumberingshenanigans]

Thanks for this, very informative. I'm contemplating using one of these on dry land for one of my campsites. I'll have a rain catchment tank for water source, and basically a septic tank on the outlet. Can you see any reason this shouldn't work?

[@confidencesailing]

None. But I've been looking into composting toilets for my new boat... I'll be doing a video about that at some point fairly soon.

[@lumberingshenanigans]

@@confidencesailing Yeah, I was looking into composting as an option too, but the units seem to be about $1000 for a good one, and they need a powered vent to handle the odor. This hand pump style doesn't need any power and I'm hoping can integrate into a more traditional septic/storage tank situation. I'm currently using a two-stage camping toilet and, as with composting, the worst aspect is always dealing with emptying it. Thanks again!

[@giog714]

Thanks for the video ! What type of grease shall we use for the plunger ? Can we use silicon base grease ? Thanks

[@confidencesailing]

I use seacock grease because it doesn't wash off easily. but anything that doesn't damage rubber will do.

[@meatdog]

My sign in my head reads: "Do not put anything in this head unless it passes thru your head first". Absolutely NO toilet paper, wet wipes, etc.!!

[@richardbyrd7268]

So you flush waste and toilet paper out into the water ?

[@confidencesailing]

Yes. That is correct.

[@richardbyrd7268]

Imagine the filthy polluted bodies of water if everybody did that

[@confidencesailing]

Unfortunately most yachts have little choice. It is illegal in most UK harbours, marinas and inland waterways so we can't use the toilet until we are out at sea. But most marinas have superb toilet facilities, so in reality it's not much of a problem. You use the shoreside loo before you sail. Some yachts do have holding tanks to keep the sewage in, but there are only a handful of 'pump out' facilities on the coast of the UK, so they have to discharge the holding tank over the side when a good distance out to sea.

[@WidleyWesident]

Toilet paper? Absolutely not. Fit a shattaf and be clean whilst drying off on a piece of toilet paper which goes into a plastic bag (Greek style).

[@TOMVUTHEPIMP]

Composting head. No stink, no leaking sewage, no poop clogs, no teens clogging it with toilet paper, no holding tank.

[@confidencesailing]

I looked into a composting toilet for my new boat... But in small boats and motor homes they don't actually 'compost' as there isn't the time or capacity for a true composting process to break down the solids... So it is literally a bucket that you poop in and then cover it up with sawdust... The urine is separated and you have to throw that in the sea anyway. You have to bag up the solids and sawdust (or coconut coir... whatever medium you prefer) and dispose of it. It is non recyclable and to remain legal should be double bagged and labelled 'offensive waste' and isn't accepted in most UK Marina bins. I was very disappointed when I found all this out, but I'm back to a Jabsco!

[@edwardmacnab354]

complicated

[@confidencesailing]

Thanks for watching though 👍

[@bobthecreator106]

Why not simply use an electric pump? im sure there are other more convenient ways to flush a toilet.

[@confidencesailing]

I had an electric toilet on my previous boat, and quite splendid it was too. Two pumps needed... One for the water in and a second macerator pump for the outlet. But they take up space and are very noisy to operate - not good during the night with guests aboard.