Mother nature has won. Man has strived from day one to make a marine head with more than one moving part, (a bucket) which works. Well, they kind of made one that works, but usually for only one season, and guaranteed it will break at the most inopportune moment. Turning an otherwise beautiful day, into a day you wish you were never born.

I treat this subject like I would a bee's nest, taxes, or a traffic jam, all necessary evils, but can be dealt with using a little finesse. Call another charter boat outfit and they will tell you the head works great. They do not tell you your nose must be disconnected to agree. We don't use these guidelines because we like guidelines; we do it for our nose, your nose, and the noses around you.

At Sea

The seaman's mindset toward the bathroom must be different than the land based one. We do not sleep with our head 2' from the head at home, we do not cook in the same room as the bathroom, we do not invite guests to the bathroom to socialize and use the bathroom at the same time. Thus the marine head is different and must be treated as such.

But we must work with what is. Ladies need the head more often for #1. Ladies need more privacy. Ladies have better aim, and Ladies should be treated like Ladies. Thus Ladies use the head for #1 (all paper goes in the trash).

In all but the first year of cruising we have never used the head for #2(see last paragraph). If at sea or ill, and outdoors or overboard is not practical, a 5-gallon bucket with paper towel in the bottom (of the bucket) works great, every time, without one instance of break down.

At Anchor

In closing, be aware of your surroundings. Are you in a crowded bay with swimmers, or at sea? Assess your impact and act accordingly. If you break the head, pull out your wallet and call someone to fix it, or roll up you sleeves and plan on spending a day or two on your head breathing the opposite of fresh sea air. We will send the head out in working order and expect it to return the same.