[[email protected]]

I just have to do this poll! I would like all ladies to answer this poll, or if you are male, and have a favorite lady fishing partner, you could answer for her.
I get several letters about what is the best way for women to use the restroom on the boat.
Although I still fail, most often, Bill has a large plastic poncho on board, and a bucket with a porta potty lid.
Please answer as honestly as you can!
(Guess who spent 6 hours on the boat yesterday, uncomfortable and unwilling?) :smile:

Also, if you have any tips, please, please, post them here!
Thanks,
Jen

[ 05-29-2003, 06:20 AM: Message edited by: [email protected] ]

 

[[email protected]]

Here is a little story:

Once upon a time, as a young girl, I was fishing in the Willamette hog line, at the falls, with my Dad. I could not see well at the time, in fact, I was legally blind before my diagnosis with marfan.

So... had to go to the bathroom. I was probably 5. You know that at the Willamette Falls hogline, even 30 to 40 years ago, if you got a good spot, you didn't leave it!

So... I told my Dad I had to go. "Hang it over the side!" He said... "There is no one close around, and no one can see you."

So, I obeyed... pulled down my pants, and he held onto me, as I went. The minute I started to go, he yelled, "Water level is rising, guys! Adjust your gear!"

I heard a loud roar of laughter all around me, and you guessed it! Ever since then, I have been potty ruined for life! I was SO embarrassed! :blush:

I'll NEVER forgive my Dad for that, so PLEASE do not ever do that to your children!!!
I swear, I have tried to hard to get over it, that Bill suggests I practice in the garage, while the boat is in there!!! Still... no luck in public. I just HAVE to get over this!

:smile: :smile:

Jen

[ 05-29-2003, 06:28 AM: Message edited by: [email protected] ]

 

[Pete]

Interesting topic, Jen. One that isn't dealt with seriously very often - usually just a flip remark or a joke, but clearly one that is important to all of us that fish in boats. I hope folks will answer honestly.

"Relief" can also be an issue for men. While over-the-side is easier for men, I believe the Coast Guard finds a large percentage of men drowned while boating to have lost their balance while taking care of personal business. I've heard the number is more than half, though I haven't seen it in any official document.

 

[Blue Fox]

Well Jenny, after a couple of years of us pulling anchor and running into the beach so I could use a bush or tree, I finally decided to heck with that! My husband switched from a peach can to a coffee can for me to use. So now we don't have to stop fishing and I can just wriggle down in the front of the boat and use the can! It is a little embarrassing at times, mainly when we are in a hog line, but for the most part no body really cares and I am covered with a coat anyway! :smile:

Blue Fox

 

[fish assassin]

One of the requirements for outfitting Pacific Mistress was that I have a
head big enough for my wife to feel comfortable in!! After years of sitting
on (squatting over) a five gallon bucket in the dory she informed me that with
a bigger boat there was no reason she shouldn't be taken care of in this matter!

Us guys still use the back rail ... :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

-assAssin-

 

[AuntyM]

Jenny,

LOL! I am not quite so modest. I was sitting in a hog line once and had to go. I took the rain gear and put it over the windshield/side windows, put the potty between the seats and went. Yeah, lots of guys looking our way wondering why the windshield was covered.

We didn't have a poncho.

Lots of other instances of having to go when we have guys I barely know on the boat with us. I got used to it. It's more embarrassing to me when men don't turn their backs to me when THEY go!

I hope your post will remind men who have fishing females along to use good manners. Please guys, insist other men nearby not be pigs. Chivalry isn't really dead is it?

 

[Dipnet]

I try to last as long as possible, but sometimes you just can't wait any longer!!! :blush: What I find a real hoot, is when a guy on another boat will turn away from the people on his boat and be facing me and letting it all hang out(so to speak)!! :laugh:

Dipnet :grin:

 

[FEAR NO FISH!]

My wife has this way of scooching her posterior over the gunnel and holding on to the radar arch. She cannot understand why everybody likes to fish around us! Doh! :blush: :cheers:

 

[Seefood Man]

About 8 years ago I took a father and his 2 kids 5 and 6 yo down the NF Lewis in my drift boat. The kids were very good kids and were good little fishermen as well. Well, the 5 yo kept asking for the pee bottle time and time again, and going as well, even though he wasn't drinking anything. I asked the dad if he had the kid to the doc cause this might be a sign of dibeties. Dad just said he always pees alot around water. OK what the heck, so down river we continue. Well all day I kept hearing
"can I have the Pee bottle?"
"can I have the pee bottle?"
"can I have the pee bottle?"
Well for a while all was very quite and as we were coming up on the top end of Turpins Hole the little one rang out with
"CAN I HAVE THE POOP JAR?" :shocked: :laugh: :laugh:
Well needless to say there was about a 20 foot rooster tail coming off the back end of that drift boat as I headed to the shore.
Well I still chuckle about years later and thought I share it with you.
Kids ya gotta to love em! :grin:

 

[Flatfish]

Dawn does pretty good out there. But if we are in a hogline, or close to our neighbors, we may mosey off a bit so she has some privacy.

Mark and the dog.

[ 05-29-2003, 09:19 AM: Message edited by: Flatfish ]

 

[[email protected]]

YAY! There are three other women on the poll that are as weird as me!!

I want to go fishing with you ladies!!!

We'll all go to shore together, and no one has to feel badly! :smile:

I feel so good that I'm not the only one in the world! I am still going to practice in the garage, though. :smile: I will overcome this! I WILL!

..and by the way, I have a thing against potty humor on the board... it's another one of my quirks. Nothing is bad, so far, but please, please don't use this as a thread to tell gross potty stories... OK? You know, like the ones about going in your waders? YUCK!

Thanks,
Jen

 

[OceanBlue]

Jennie,

We often don't have a choice of going ashore. :wink: 30+ miles is a long way to run for the restroom!

Sometimes it can be a chore to use the bucket on board and "hanging it over" is impossible, even for the guys, on a rough day. :shocked:

But I'll tell you what, there's sure more privacy out on big blue than there is in a hogline!

 

[fishingfirst]

My wife and daughter do not like to use the facilities on board the boat (read as coffee can). It is rare enough to get them to go with me, I want the experience to be fun for all, so I just make sure we fish close to a ramp with restrooms. I figure I can sacrifice a little fishing time and enjoy the company of my family too.

Scott

 

[Hogmaster]

Hey, how come we can't view the poll unless we vote????

I can see how you were traumatized, Jenn. But the truth of it is there is nothing to shy away from. Everybody has to go and to not go causes more discomfort. Nobody really cares or thinks about it when others do it. Women in my boat generally ask to go to shore facilities and the requests are always granted, but only if the fishing is slow. :grin: :shocked: :grin:

What's all this stuff about coffee cans? Wow! A 5 gallon bucket is much more user friendly! My anchor rope container is available for multiple duty purposes. :grin:

 

[Wreckless]

Jennie:

My girlfriend was the one who e-mailed you a little over a month ago about this "problem"....she still hasn't "gone" in the boat. In her defense, my open sled has no "hiding place". She says she will eventually.....we'll see.

 

[BrionLutz]

Jennie,

I'd bet that most Ifisher's don't have porti-potties onboard.

Our rule is that with ladies on board we always hit the land based porti-potties. I have had some of the female crew offer to use the bucket but no sane man would take them up on the offer.

Nor would he accept the "I'm OK for a while" reply...that translates to "Head for land now you fool!".

On losing a spot in the hogline, we just leave the anchor, head in, head back out and grab the ball and hook back up...nothing to it.

An etiquette issue, if we hit a gas dock bathroom, we always buy stuff in the store.

Brion

 

[sinker]

Only fished out of a boat a couple of times.
My buddy took me out in his up at Mukilteo.
Water was a little choppy on the way back in and the launch was a zoo.
Told him he better shut it down cause I was gonna go now instead of waiting forever at the launch.

So he shuts her down and I whip it out. Ya know how if you're holding it for a long time it makes it harder to go?? So I'm standing there with all the world to see me and along comes a boat with about 5 guys in it going the other way. Should have seen the stares!!! Like they never seen anything like that before. :hoboy:

 

[lucky duck]

My wife, mother in law and sister all go on the boat. They really don't care but it might be different if I didn't have a covered boat. Probably not though because they want to fish every minute they can. Dry line is not fishing :wink:

The results of the poll are very interesting. Thanks Jen.

Chris

 

[thebetterhalf]

My daughter and I both use a bucket with a toilet lid. Daughter is 3 years old with no inhibitions. I use a blanket over the windows if there are people around otherwise, nada. The arrangement may need to change when my son gets older. I heard a rumor that the coast guard may soon require boats to have a potty on board to reduce the pollution. Anybody else here this? :whazzup:

 

[[email protected]]

OK Brion, from now on, I fish with you. :smile:

Jen