Blake's Victory

[yottyboy]

No it's not a famous sea battle, it's a potty. If you have ever run across one, you will know that it's one of the finest crappers on the water. Mine is worth way more than the boat I'm putting it in, that's for sure.
Anyway, I am looking for any other owners out there who may have one installed or could help me with some questions vis a vis holding tanks and such. Does it matter if the holding tank is above, below or even level with the bowl? Does the flapper valve have enough oomph to keep stuff from back flushing? Has anyone been able to fing a replacement seat or do I have to have one made? The screws have stripped out and as this is an older example, repair is not an option. The seat is something like $500 from the UK if they even have one.

 

[Benny]

It was indeed a sea battle on the Island of Tenerife 1657 against the spaniards. If I ever run into one of them heads I will run away from it as fast as I can. Just the price of a repair kit could purchase my fuel for a couple of years. Those units are for fancy Mega Yachts where the competition for having the best or more expensive outstrips any practical or sensible considerartion.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Woohoo!

Does it matter if the holding tank is above, below or even level with the bowl?

The Blake Victory is a VERY fine toilet, but the answers to your questions are no different from those pertaining to any other toilet. So, within limitatiions, it shouldn't matter whether the toilet is above, below or on the same level as the tank...'cuz the factors that will impact that will impact it no no matter what toilet you have.

Does the flapper valve have enough oomph to keep stuff from back flushing?

It proviides the same amount of protection as any other toilet, because joker valves/flapper valves are rubber parts that have about the same life in any toilet.

Has anyone been able to fing a replacement seat or do I have to have one made?

Have you bothered to take any measurements so you can compare it with toilet seats that available from both marine sources and retailers like Home Depot and Lowes?

The screws have stripped out and as this is an older example, repair is not an option. The seat is something like $500 from the UK if they even have one.

I guarantee you that a seat from a "stock" source WILL fit...you just have to find it.

And Benny...your comments aren't THE silliest about a toilet, but they're definitely a contender! :dance:

 

[Head Master18695]

Re: Woohoo!

Here's a link to their U.S. distributor (in Florida): http://www.blakes-lavac-taylors.co.uk/distributors.htm#USA

 

[yottyboy]

Yeah thanks, but the US people want nothing to do with a Victory or a Baby. They referred me to the UK who referred me to Pipler's for rebuild parts. Pipler's doesn't carry the seats. Apparently they (like all the other bits) are hand made by someone in the UK. Thanks for suggesting a local source, but I think a $15 Home Depot toilet seat on a $5000 toilet seems skeevy. I have a friend who will make one up for me from the on line pics and drawings. Won't be "original" but a mahogany seat with 20 coats of Epifanes will still be a pretty nice perch.
The rebuild parts were not terribly expensive. I bought two kits for less than $200. The rechroming is what is costing me big money. I'm getting the white parts powder coated.

 

[yottyboy]

If I ever run into one of them heads I will run away from it as fast as I can.

Hey man, when you gotta go, you gotta go. If you ever get the chance to use mine, I promise you won't be scared of it.
If you mean you wouldn't own one, well that's another thing.This one came up on Ebay a few years ago and I paid a very reasonable sum for it. Now mind you these pots are over 5 grand retail...no kidding. It's worth rebuilding for sure. Since I own a couple Land Rovers, hunting up scarce parts is familiar turf.

Those units are for fancy Mega Yachts where the competition for having the best or more expensive outstrips any practical or sensible considerartion.

Aw, those people have people for that. Mega yachters have those computer controlled Japanese toilets that give your rear end a shower and dry you off when you're done.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Reality check

Thanks for suggesting a local source, but I think a $15 Home Depot toilet seat on a $5000 toilet seems skeevy.

That makes almost as much sense as refusing to put $15 wiper blades on a $100K Rolls Royce.

But...it's your boat, your toilet and your money.to spend as you choose...but you won't have a leg to stand on if you ever try to make a case against gov't spending $9k for a hammer!

 

[Don12364]

All Is Not Lost

Why not make your own seat. You already have a perfect pattern with the original one and I presume the hinges are still good.
Just get a nice 1" thick piece of mahogany, oak or teak and go to it. Several coats of good quality varnish and you will have something to be proud of.
You will get lots of pleasure making it and years of sublime enjoyment in using it!

For information I am good friends with the owners of SeaSure who own Blakes. SeaSure makes a wide range of stainless small boat and dinghy fittings. The company is less than a mile from home and both the father and now son, who is the CEO, are members of our club and have sailed with me, but mainly they race a 35 footer. They once said that getting wooden seats made was a nightmare and I put them on to a small wood machinist in our area.

There are two good reasons why the Blakes parts are very expensive, the first being the toilets are made from the very best materials - no cheapo plastic mouldings, and, secondly these toilets are no longer in serial production so all parts have to be made from scratch.
Interestingly, when Blakes was sold to SeaSure it was because the cheap plastic toilets tore the guts out of the market and yacht builders fitted these regardless of how long they would last. I believe the purchase of the company was mainly to keep the Blakes seacocks and toilets alive and to give a service to those owners who had them. I can assure you they don't make any money from supplying spares despite the on costs of distributors, freight and taxes.

BTW My claim to fame is that I once sat on the Baby Blake installed in Bloodhound which our Queen and Duke bought and whilst he was refurbishing it. It had a willow pattern interior to the bowl.
So I sat on the same throne as the Queen - beat that!

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

BTW My claim to fame is that I once sat on the Baby Blake installed in Bloodhound which our Queen and Duke bought and whilst he was refurbishing it. It had a willow pattern interior to the bowl. So I sat on the same throne as the Queen - beat that!

A willow china toilet bowl...who else but the Queen?

What a great story!

 

[yottyboy]

>So I sat on the same throne as the Queen - beat that!

While my ass has been in some very interesting places I can't say it has rubbed the same splinters as royalty.

I have the set of seacocks that go with it; they say "Blakes" on them and are as precious a set of fittings as you'd ever see. I'm glad to know the parts are being supported. I don't think I'll ever need any of the actual bits other than the consumables as they are certainly going to outlive me.

While these pots are works of art, I have to admit that I have a Raritan PHE on my little flybridge. There is a place for plastic and marine toilets are an excellent application.
Now with that said, I have never experienced a feeling of solidity on any plastic molded base on a toilet. No matter how much they are firmly bolted down they still wobble.
Hope the Blake's will not as it is a big honkin' hunk of bronze.

 

[yottyboy]

>$9k for a hammer!

But oh, what a hammer! See, nobody notices what brand of windshield wipers are on a Rolls, but they know a nice toilet seat when they see (sit on) one.