Shooting the Sh*t
by Jim "Lucky' Gordon
Domestic Routines in Submarines
It can be naturally assumed that existence in submarines is very unique and difficult to understand. But there was an aspect of life down there beneath the waves that was very comparable to the routines of normal everyday life at home. Ordinary things like getting up out of bed and having breakfast; curling up in bed with a good book; or taking the garbage out, don't forget to shut the screen door or flies will get in; and the simple act of flushing the toilet.
On Second Thought
Hmmm. On second thought I guess it was not quite the same as normal life. There are many not so ordinary routines to describe. And there are some very amusing yarns about day-to-day living in an upholstered sewage pipe. This one should not be read at mealtime..
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Where Does it Go?
Ever thought about where it goes when you flush the toilet? At home it goes into a sewage pipe system that leads to a treatment plant or a septic tank and dispersal field; or perhaps, in very rustic dwellings, into the hole in the ground under the outhouse.
In Ojibwa it went into a holding tank. And the flushing routine was not as simple as pushing down the little lever on a white porcelain tank. Nope! Like everything else on the boat it was very complex. The head is a stainless steel bowl with a spring loaded non-return flap valve that is operated (opened) with a foot peddle. There is a seawater hose with a hand operated flushing valve.
In Ojibwa it went into a holding tank. And the flushing routine was not as simple as pushing down the little lever on a white porcelain tank. Nope! Like everything else on the boat it was very complex. The head is a stainless steel bowl with a spring loaded non-return flap valve that is operated (opened) with a foot peddle. There is a seawater hose with a hand operated flushing valve.
Part Way Out and About Face
Once you've done your business, you must step out into the passageway, turn around and the step part way back into that tiny little space. Pull the flushing valve and hose off of its' hook, (something like a very short garden hose and spray gun), open the seawater supply valve, point the flushing valve into the bowl and squeeze the valve lever so that the jet of seawater causes a swirling motion as it fills the bowl.
Once the bowl is part way full and everything is swirling satisfactorily, you step on the flap valve foot pedal and….presto!… it's all gone down the hole, along the soil pipe and into the holding tank. And that's the end of that. At least until that holding tank fills up. Then we have to blow the contents of the tank out to sea. Yuck! |
The Traps
There are five tanks in Ojibwa. One sewage tank from the four heads (we called them traps. That's another story), located just aft of the control room. And four slop drain tanks for waste water from wash rooms and sinks located one in the accommodation space, two in the control room and one in the after ends (After Torpedo Room). We tried to blow them once a day after supper during the Last Dog Watch (1800 - 2000).
At 1900 the pipe was made: "Domestic Routines, Domestic Routines, Blow Slop Drain and Sewage, Heads and Wash Places are Out of Bounds". We also checked all of the bilges and pumped them dry, to sea. That's another lesson. The procedure was similar for each tank so I will describe the basic steps for blowing the sewage tank. |
The Perils of Pressure
The first check was that the traps were unoccupied, the bowls were empty and the flap valves were not fouled with anything so that they were seated tightly shut. High-pressure air was used to blow the tank and it could seep back, pressurizing the line (soil pipe) all the way back to the flap valve of the bowl. Don't want that stuff spraying and spitting out past a poorly seated flap valve all over the place.
Next, the tank top valve was shut isolating the tank from the soil pipe and bowls and inside of the submarine. Then the Screw Down Non Return (SDNR) Flap Valve and the Hull Sluice Valve were opened. This opened the tank up to the sea.
Next, the tank top valve was shut isolating the tank from the soil pipe and bowls and inside of the submarine. Then the Screw Down Non Return (SDNR) Flap Valve and the Hull Sluice Valve were opened. This opened the tank up to the sea.
"Permission to Shoot the Sh*t"
Now that the system was configured for blowing: "Permission to Shoot Sh*t" (Blow Slop Drain and Sewage) was requested from the Control Room (CR).
With the order: "Shoot Sh*t" (Blow Slop Drain and Sewage) from the CR, the vent/blow cock was set to blow and the high pressure air valve was opened to apply the air to the tank.
With the order: "Shoot Sh*t" (Blow Slop Drain and Sewage) from the CR, the vent/blow cock was set to blow and the high pressure air valve was opened to apply the air to the tank.
Imagine
The effect was that the air filled the upper part of the tank forcing its' contents out of the bottom, through the flap and hull valves to sea. Imagine a large black whale having a….. Oh, never mind. Once it was gone, (you could actually hear it, like a sigh of relief), the air was shut off, the hull and flap valves were shut, the vent/blow cock was set to vent and the air pressure in the tank was vented through a charcoal odor filter, (that was not very effective BTW), back into the boat.
Once the pressure was vented off, the tank top valve was opened and the report to the CR made: "Sh*t Shot".
There. Just like hitting that little lever on the white porcelain tank at the back of the toilet.
Once the pressure was vented off, the tank top valve was opened and the report to the CR made: "Sh*t Shot".
There. Just like hitting that little lever on the white porcelain tank at the back of the toilet.
For a humorous dit about 'Shooting' click on the button: