I moved to Marathon in the Florida Keys just over seven years ago. I came down on my nephew’s 36-foot Topaz, that’s a sport fishing boat, the Double D. I only meant to be here for a few months then I would head back to the real world. I didn’t go back. The real world wasn’t really that much fun. So I stayed in the Keys.
The place I ended up in the Keys was Captain Pips Marina and Hideaways. It’s a nice little place behind Porky’s Bayside in Marathon. When I showed up at Pips, I had about fifty bucks in my pocket and that was it. I wasn’t homeless. I had a home a 25-foot recreational vehicle, but it was in St. Augustine, Florida with my Jeep and everything else I owned.
That forced me to live on the boat. While Pips was a nice place, there was one thing they didn’t have, high quality facilities for the live aboarders. My first mission at Captain Pips was to change that. The facility I built is called the Tajma Potty.
The Tajma Potty is the finest outhouse in all the Keys. With its walls of privacy fence, the Taj is about the most well ventilated toilet in the world. Complete with the porcelain throne, sink placed on a custom made vanity and a shower, what more is needed is life’s quest for a comfortable constitutional.
The fixtures for the TP, paper towels, coat/towel hanger, soap dish and magazine rake were all hand made by myself. Using only the finest quality leftover fencing. It was a beauty to behold.
I have since left Captain Pips. Following Hurricane Wilma, I wondered how the Taj had faired. Despite the six-foot store surge, the Taj is still intact. The finest out house in the Keys was still standing.
The Tajma Potty is my crowning achievement in outhouse building. I may never attempt to build another due to its universal acceptance. While many are shaken by the Taj’s humble exterior, the interior is the hallmark of outhouse luxury. The oaken seat was the essence of comfort. And the magazine rake was always well stocked.
Following hurricane Wilma, the owners had to change the Tajma Potty. There were no handicapped accessible facilities on the property. With true respect to a historic outhouse and an architectural work of art, they made the changes without disturbing the artistic and spiritual influence that had I bestowed in the original design.
The Tajma potty was my gift to a community in need. To find that my gift is still well used and well received, leaves a warmth in my heart. If you are ever in the Florida Keys, stop in Marathon at Porky’s Bayside and visit the Tajma Potty. The finest outhouse in all of the Keys.
