Small Boat Scene
It’s Time To GO! By Kim Couranz
Bathroom logistics, etiquette, and privacy (?) on small sailboats
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t’s New Year’s Resolution time. Getting healthier and sailing smarter and faster are two resolutions I’m sure many of us have in mind for 2026. How about combining them into one: Focus on hydration! It’s good for your body and good for your brain. If you’re not properly hydrated (water and electrolytes), you’ll start making suboptimal decisions out on the racecourse even before you start feeling thirsty. Proper hydration does come with one other adventure: Peeing! Having to pee is an indicator that you’re on the right path, hydration-wise. Recently I had a few conversations with friends about peeing while on small boats. One woman noted she was worried about spending the entire day out on a dinghy because, well, how would she pee? A few thoughts here. Look, everyone’s gotta go. One concern I heard was “I don’t want people staring at me.” Honestly, that’s pretty much the last thing on anyone’s mind in between races. Skippers are busy driving and avoiding other boats, and other teams are thinking about their rig tune, not your butt hanging over the rail. If they do happen to catch a glance, another sailing friend has a saying, along the lines of “If they haven’t seen it by now, they probably should!” So, following are a few different options that can work for different folks. Everyone has a favorite, and the technique du jour may depend on what kind of boat you’re sailing. No matter which option you choose, be sure to have your PFD on. We’ve all heard the stories of folks getting picked up after falling overboard with their pants down. Make your retrieval a little easier by staying afloat. And heck, if your PFD is securely fastened, maybe you can even pull your pants up before your boat swings back to get you.
##The author getting ready to go while waiting for breeze at the Snipe Masters Worlds last month on Lake Llanquihue in Chile. Yes, that’s a volcano in the background!
Finally, these techniques focus on the number one priority. For number two, modifications may need to take place. (Full disclosure: I have done that, too. In China. After having a ham and cheese sandwich. Let’s just say the ham might not have been super fresh, resulting in some, err, GI distress. Even number two is possible while sailing a small boat.)
som, tighten up the backstay temporarily to give you something immobile to hang on to. Speaking of hanging onto things, you know the saying “one hand for the boat, one hand for yourself” when working on deck in stormy weather? Same concept here: one hand hanging on to something sturdy on the boat, one hand… operating things.
Two Hands on Deck.
F—k it, Use the Bucket.
Guys, this one’s all for you: if you have the equipment to be able to face the water while peeing, go for it. Recommendations are to keep your center of gravity as low as possible (kneeling on the leeward deck of a dinghy is an option). If you’re on a slightly bigger boat that has a backstay and you like to stand at or near the tran-
Smaller keelboats and some larger dinghies often have buckets onboard. For some classes, it’s required equipment. If you have an extra moment, add a little water to the bucket first. Tuck the bucket on a flat surface, drop trou, and go for it. The Home Depot-style buckets are lovely—for most folks, they are even sturdy SpinSheet.com January 2026 57