Down below things are smelling better. These lockers were full of head hoses which I'm convinced were installed before the head cabinet assembly went in! Now I have to figure out how to run the new ones. A bucket is looking like a good solution.
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Down below things are smelling better. These lockers were full of head hoses which I'm convinced were installed before the head cabinet assembly went in! Now I have to figure out how to run the new ones. A bucket is looking like a good solution.
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Last edited by BobJ; 11-27-2018 at 10:37 AM.
Actually, women have more alternatives - the SquatShot, the SheWee, etc:
"The only leak you want on your boat."
But be sure to hold onto your phone:
The threat is real!
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Last edited by BobJ; 11-27-2018 at 12:04 PM.
Surprisingly shiny stuff, but aren’t those outboard anti-siphon loops just below deck level a concern? They will not stop siphoning if they are below the waterline, as in when that side of the boat has its rail in the water. The bucket doesn't have these issues, but there are limitations to its use in civilized areas.
I just finished replacing the toilet and associated plumbing on Frolic, and the boat hasn't sunk or stunk yet, so I'm feeling pretty good (cuts, bruises and back pain aside). On Frolic I have the discharge anti-siphon under the sink cabinet, as high and inboard as possible. I got rid of the intake anti-siphon loop by teeing the water intake into the sink drain sea cock – the open sink drain acts to prevent siphoning. This also makes it easier to pickle the system. The new throne… https://photos.app.goo.gl/1qfkPLaKY6HXkFiS6
Anyway, during the process I took a deep dive into the options, and on the way came upon Peggie Hill's book on the sometimes dreaded head, and really recommend it:
https://www.amazon.com/New-Get-Rid-B...dp/1892399784/
Peggie is a frequent contributor to the Cruiser’s Forum and very approachable - I sent here message via Cruiser's Forum and she replied, and in the end, she gave me a lot of good advice (including the intake tee mentioned above), most of which I followed.
Thanks Steve. I discovered some of Peggie's CF posts just last night. I didn't know she'd written a book.
I've bought most of the parts to put the system back together, including an expensive chunk of Sealand's Odor-Safe hose. It's quite stiff so my choice of locations for the Y-valve and discharge loop will be driven mostly by what's possible with the hose. I'll use a heat gun to soften it but Sealand/Dometic says to go easy with that.
It won't be hard to improve the system. TPI (builder) installed a holding tank of a brand that Practical Sailor said wouldn't hold even minimum pressure without leaking. Moreover, the boat was owned by four partners and had no sending unit on the tank, which was installed where it was hard to inspect - a bad combination. ("Did you empty it?" "No, I thought YOU did!" etc.) The hoses were run where they could have multiple low spots that could trap effluent. Poor joints, loose hose clamps etc.
I keep reminding myself that this is a low-priority project for a singlehander so I'll take it slow and try to do it right.
One thing my last boat taught me is that if you have a rigid holding tank, it needs to be very securely mounted. The tank in that boat was held down by wooden chocks that did not completely immobilize the tank in a seaway. The little bit of movement of the tank relative to the boat gradually weakened the fittings. Departing Avalon harbor early one morning, I noticed that the cabin sole was wet and quickly realized it was neither sea water nor fresh. The joint between the output hose bib and tank had parted and the compartment in which the tank resided had become a rather imperfect containment vessel for what had been the contents of the holding tank.
I fashioned a hold-down system for the replacement tank with straps from a pottery supply house that were designed to hold the two halves of a casting mold together. I cut the straps to the length needed, and had a rigging shop sew in to each end the kind of low-profile eye straps that you’d use to install hiking straps in a dinghy. The clamp/lever closures allowed the straps to be pulled very tight, and the new tank never moved as far as I could see in the remaining years I owned that boat. No further leaks.
Last edited by AZ Sailor; 11-28-2018 at 07:42 PM.
Lee
s/v Morning Star
Valiant 32
Thanks Lee. The new tank is narrower than the old one and the wood chocks don't support it in all directions. Those straps look like a good solution.
I wish the new tank could go in the bilge like that. Surprise!'s hull doesn't have enough deadrise to provide much space under the cabin sole.
The picture is a little confusing. The tank was in a compartment under the starboard settee. The bottom of the tank was level with the cabin sole. I would definitely go with the straps again if I had a rigid tank to tie down.
Lee
s/v Morning Star
Valiant 32