Well, having done with my tenure at a big box store to build up some cash for boat revisions and whilst waiting for parts and paperwork to arrive and for my knee to recover from the concrete floors (ow) at work, I thought I'd reflect on some of the small things we've learned this year. Little stuff, but nontheless important. Ready? Here we go.
On Composting Toilets
It really amazes me, now that we have a functioning urine separator, how much of the bulk of human waste coming out of the boat is pee. Not just by volume, but the bulk of the odor, certainly, is urine. By comparison, solid waste is virtually undetectable, smell-wise. We wind up emptying the 1.5 gallon urine container about every two days, but the solid waste can go ten days or more, depending on how much we stay on the vessel. Like I said in an earlier post, we shoulda done the separator ages ago.
On Solar Systems
The addition of the new, heavier battery bank has been a bit of a revelation. Since it's installation, our system has only needed once to go back onto shore power, and that was before the last four of the 100AH batteries were installed and at the end of a period of ten days of rain and overcast this spring. We were clearly wasting power before, our 650W system generating more power than we could store. Currently, we're running our lighting, electronics, and refrigeration 24/7 without taxing the system. So if you're wondering about the configuration for your boat or tiny home, put your cash in the storage.
On Water Systems
Manual marine potable water pumps suck (both literally and mechanically). In The Floating Empire, our water system was a traditional, cast iron pitcher pump, which worked beautifully and without complaint. We have now been through FOUR hand galley pumps in our current vessel, one piece of Chinese-made crap after another. None of them has lasted six months. Some didn't make it six days. It's dispiriting. In the next iteration, it's either going to be a pressurized system or back to the cast iron pitcher pump. At least you can count on them.
On Boat Cats
Get one. They're adorable.
We're both jonesing to get the boat up and at sea. More in a couple of days as we get closer to this.
M
On Composting Toilets
 | |
| This was so easy, why didn't we do it sooner? |
It really amazes me, now that we have a functioning urine separator, how much of the bulk of human waste coming out of the boat is pee. Not just by volume, but the bulk of the odor, certainly, is urine. By comparison, solid waste is virtually undetectable, smell-wise. We wind up emptying the 1.5 gallon urine container about every two days, but the solid waste can go ten days or more, depending on how much we stay on the vessel. Like I said in an earlier post, we shoulda done the separator ages ago.
On Solar Systems
 |
| When it comes to solar systems, size--or at least capacity--DOES matter. |
The addition of the new, heavier battery bank has been a bit of a revelation. Since it's installation, our system has only needed once to go back onto shore power, and that was before the last four of the 100AH batteries were installed and at the end of a period of ten days of rain and overcast this spring. We were clearly wasting power before, our 650W system generating more power than we could store. Currently, we're running our lighting, electronics, and refrigeration 24/7 without taxing the system. So if you're wondering about the configuration for your boat or tiny home, put your cash in the storage.
On Water Systems
 | |
| Both the pump in the background and the one in the foreground failed within a few months. Bah! |
Manual marine potable water pumps suck (both literally and mechanically). In The Floating Empire, our water system was a traditional, cast iron pitcher pump, which worked beautifully and without complaint. We have now been through FOUR hand galley pumps in our current vessel, one piece of Chinese-made crap after another. None of them has lasted six months. Some didn't make it six days. It's dispiriting. In the next iteration, it's either going to be a pressurized system or back to the cast iron pitcher pump. At least you can count on them.
On Boat Cats
 |
| Magellan rocks. |
Get one. They're adorable.
We're both jonesing to get the boat up and at sea. More in a couple of days as we get closer to this.
M
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