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May 12, 2023

Baby on board: the thorny choice of cloth or disposable diapers

Managing diapers on board a boat is not easy. First of all, you have to choose

Managing diapers on board a boat is not easy. First of all, you have to choose between cloth diapers and disposable diapers. The answer is not so obvious.

Cloth diapers have the considerable advantage of being much more ecological. When you live on a boat, this is a very interesting argument. There are now many types of cloth diapers, both aesthetic and practical.

They usually consist of a waterproof panty and an absorbent cloth insert, and often include a sheet of tissue paper to collect and dispose of the stool. They are very simple to use. They are a far cry from the diapers and safety pins of our grandparents.

However, as their name indicates, they must be washed, which is not always easy on a boat.

If the boat has a watermaker, a washing machine and sails in warm countries, the choice of cloth diapers is simple. Of course, it is possible to wash the diapers by hand and with sea water. However, if the diapers are not rinsed in fresh water, the salt in the fabric will slow down the drying process and may irritate the skin.

On the other hand, if hand washing is already not very attractive, manual spinning often leaves something to be desired. Indeed, cloth diapers are thick and made to retain liquids, which makes the drying time longer than other textiles. This is not a problem in warm places, but can be problematic further north.

Nevertheless, cloth diapers are a real asset in areas where disposable diapers are not readily available, and where supply is complicated. They are also perfect for the transition to potty training, when the child is regularly potty trained but still keeps diapers on at nap time and during the night.

Generally speaking, it is better to be used to using them before bringing them on board. They will be an asset during a transatlantic trip for example, where disposable diaper garbage cans are difficult to manage.

Indeed, if the disadvantage of cloth diapers is to have to wash them, the big disadvantage of disposable diapers is to have to throw them away. In boats, waste management is complicated. On the one hand, the space available to store the waste is not expandable. On the other hand, you have to find a place to dispose of it.

In general, in marinas, this is not a problem. There are containers available for household waste, in addition to the selective sorting containers. Nevertheless, in some countries, and especially on some islands, the deposit of garbage bags is charged in addition to the place at the pontoon.

Moreover, we will try not to leave too many garbage cans in the small islands which have much more difficulties to treat the waste, and cannot sometimes manage the selective sorting on the spot.

Finally, to escape the hell of diapers on a boat, you can encourage potty training on board by taking a potty on the boat.