Ewww.... Gross!

Now, I've never been to sea on a diesel sub, so I guess I never noticed something missing from the few I've been on inport -- a Trash Disposal Unit, or TDU (a partial picture of one is here). Apparently, at least the Australian Collins-class boats don't have them.

Via The Sub Report, here's a report on how the RAN is planning on "taking care" of the stink that comes from the trash that gets collected during a long underway.

"The stink is the rancid odour from solid garbage stored in Collins-class submarines, that will literally be covered up by a new biofilter blanket that DSTO has recommended as the best cost-effective solution.
"The biofilter blanket was successfully trialed by HMAS Sheean during its record 55-day deployment to North and South East Asia recently.
"During the trial, the biofilter blanket was used to cover garbage and significantly reduced the vile smell that usually wafts through the narrow confines of a submarine on a long deployment."

Maybe all those DBF guys are right, and us nuke boat Sailors are spoiled... at least all we had to put up with was the cloying smell of amine, and not last week's midrats.

On a not-so-gross note, The Sub Report also has links to other good stories about Australian submariners: an RAN Captain who was awarded a Bronze Star from the U.S., profiles of several submariners, and a story on a recent ASWEX.