Storage of Trash (rubbish)

[MedSailor]

So it's not as sexy as debating which makes a better anchor in a storm, gel or AGM batteries, but I believe it's an issue we all deal with.

How do you effectively stow your cruising refuse? As a liveaboard I tend to use every last cubic inch of storage space on my boat, and when I go cruising, I find that I don't have the necessary cubic footage to deal with good ol' trash.

On my last boat I had a capacious bilge, which held the goods in double bagged trash bags. I also would put all burnables (paper towels, food packaging) in the fireplace and it would provide a short-lived but hot fire each day that took the morning chill off the boat.

Now I have less bilge storage and no fireplace (for now). I stuff what I can in the bilge but space is limited, and if I am at anchor for a while it starts to smell. I try and help the situation by throwing anything that sinks and resembles fish-food overboard (past whatever zone the coast guard requires of course! )

I was thinking about rigging up something like a 5 gal bucket for a trash can with a metal disk I could place on top when it was getting full, jump on it thereby making a poor man's trash compactor. I could then seal up the bucket, place it in the lazarette and rotate in a new one.

What do y'all do with your cruising trash?

MedSailor

[billyruffn]

How you deal with trash depends on where you are when you need dispose of it. What are your cruising destinations / plans? If you're near civilization, take everything ashore and find a dumpster (so it can be thrown in a land fill, which we all know is far superior to dumping it in the ocean)! If you're at sea or cruising is out-of-the-way places, the routine varies depending on what you're trying to get rid of.

The 5 gal trash compactor will probably be more entertaining than efficacious. As for dealing with the odor issue -- try storing your trashbags in the dinghy. If you smell anything, let out more line.

[T37Chef]

I like the idea of a poor mans trash compactor, thanks, I'm going to get a trash can with a lid and store it in the lazarette

[lshick]

One of the tactics is simple separation. On Moira:

"Wet" (garbage) goes into a Tupperware container and gets put in the bottom of the 'fridge/freezer. This is the only stuff that should ever have a chance to get "smelly," and storing it in the 'fridge should defer that eventuality.

"Dry" (paper, trash) goes into a plastic bag in the quarterberth.

"Plastic" goes into a separate plastic bag in the quarterberth.

"Plastic" must be kept on board until one reaches a suitable shoreside disposal. "Dry" and "Wet" may be disposed of overboard in compliance with the requirements of MARPOL, or burned on a beach in the right areas.

Remember that volume shouldn't be an issue--after all, you stored it somewhere on the boat before it became effluent! De-packaging stuff when you bring it aboard, and disposing of the packaging before you head out, will remove an astonishing amount of volume.

[mgmhead]

Not being a long distance cruiser my solution isn't for everyone, but when I'm out on the hook for a short period of time I bag the trash and keep it in the anchor locker until I can dispose of properly ashore. Out of sight, out of the way and out of mind.

[firehoser75]

I follow much the same plan as Ishick. Separate out all of the "non-smelly" stuff such as paper, cans, plastic, dry waste, etc. Put the potentially smelly stuff in double plastic garbage bags, and I store these inside a plastic garbage can (with sealable lid) inside my deep lazarette. The other "dry garbage" can be stored anywhere you find space. Disposal follows all applicable regulations. Certainly removing all unnecessary packaging prior to leaving your provisioning stop or port is a very good idea to reduce the volume of garbage you later have to deal with. I find that just doing the above means that it takes a couple of weeks before the one plastic pail is full and needs emptying.
It will be interesting to hear from others who have "better" ideas.
Regards,
Tom

[LarryandSusanMacDonald]

Med sailor said:

So it's not as sexy as debating which makes a better anchor in a storm, gel or AGM batteries, but I believe it's an issue we all deal with.

I didn't know we had had such a thread - I think gel batteries would make a better anchor in a storm. They're a bit heavier aren't they? What was the consensus?

All kidding aside, one thing I found out on being boarded by the Coast Guard, if your boat is over 39.4 feet you have to have a written "garbage plan". I have one now - it's a little sarcastic near the end, but it's gotten past three courtesy Coast Guard exams.

Here 'tis:

To All Crew and Guests of S/V Kanau:

No garbage is to be thrown overboard. All garbage will be placed in appropriate containers. These containers will be periodically emptied into garbage bags or other appropriate (and government approved) containers and carried ashore to be placed into suitable, approved containers. The contents of these shoreside garbage containers will, of course, be collected by the appropriate governmentally approved garbage collection authorities, placed aboard governmentally approved barges and subsequently will be dumped into the governmentally approved sea.

Larry MacDonald

Captain, S/V Kanau

[CaptainForce]

We keep our dinghy on davits and bags of accumulated trash go in the dinghy. When we're prepared to use the dinghy we are normally at a place where trash can be received. When we are in areas where there is not an overabundance of nutrients in the water, we don't hesitate to toss in the stems of our grapes or the shells of our pistachios. As posted earlier, much of the excess packaging can be discarded before bringing it on board. We normally don't cruise more than a couple weeks without disposal availble. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[labatt]

With cans and bottles, fold the ends of the cans in and then flatten to take up less room. For bottles, crush the bottle and then put the cap on. It will keep its crushed form.

[Vasco]

At the risk of offending a lot of people, we throw it in the ocean. All the edible stuff and glass bottles go in the ocean. We break the glass bottles first. In a thousand years this glass might wash up on the shore and some lucky person will find some beautiful beach glass to make jewelry out of. The burnable waste, including aluminum cans, we burn on uninhabited islands when we have a beach party. Old engine oil we keep in a jerry jug for disposal at proper disposal sites, although a bit of it goes to starting bonfires.