Envirolet Composting Toilet on Award-Winning Narrowboat

Envirolet Composting Toilet System on award-winning Shoehorn, a Simpson-made narrowboat in the UK.

“The toilet was Marion’s choice and, if you can get over the notion of a W.C. without any W, it has a lot going for it on a boat – chiefly that a single live-aboard boater will probably only have to empty it once a year and then what comes out is a tray of flowerpot ready compost. Compare that with expensive pump-outs or weekly cassette emptying!”

Via Canal Boat Magazine.

See more photos of Shoehorn.

What's a Narrowboat!

Many readers of Composting Toilet World, especially those in North America, may not know what a narrowboat is. I admit that I didn’t until a few years ago. Narrowboats are quite popular in the UK.

A narrowboat is what it sounds like. It is a boat that is long and narrow. According to Wikipedia, modern narrowboats are just under 7 feet wide and typically up to 72 long (although some locks restrict them to 40 or 62 feet in length).

I would compare them to the North American houseboat. Basically, a boat that moves leisurely down a river. They are a great way to spend a vacation with your family and can be rented (or hired) for as little as a half day or as long as the entire summer!

Composting Toilets & Narrowboats
Obviously, sanitation can pose as a major problem on a narrowboat. A composting toilet offers a clean, sanitary and environment-friendly solution.

Compared to the alternative, a chemical toilet, composting makes a lot of sense. Well, we think so!

Where to get a composting toilet for your narrowboat
The Canal Shop in the Whilton Locks sells composting toilet systems for narrowboats. We hope to add some photos soon. Contact them if you have any questions about adding a composting toilet to your narrowboat.

Do you already have a composting toilet in your narrowboat?
Let us know. Email your experiences and photos to info@compostingtoilet.org.