Electric Head Recommendation

Jan 22, 2008
34
Catalina 2005 36 MK II (1656) Lake Texoma
Good day Ms. Hall,

I wasn't sure how to convert the original private message to this forum, so I am cutting and pasting below. Thank you for your response (which is also copied below). Heading to the boat this weekend to take some measurements. I will keep you posted on progress and questions.

Thank you

Original post starts here:

Reading your new book and enjoying it. However, technology seems to change over night, so I thought I would reach out and ask your current opinion on electric head recommendations. Boat is a 1997 Catalina 36- MK ll located at Cedar Mills Marina on Lake Texoma. My wife and I are weekend "sailors". Mostly a long weekend at the dock tinkering mixed with a few hours of lake sailing. Promised my wife we would add an electric toilet to make our life easier. The manual head is OEM-Catalina Jabsco. It works, but time for a change. We have a ready supply of fresh water on the boat. Unlimited when we are at the dock, so I am leaning towards an "on board" fresh water model rather than raw (lake water). The original macerator wiring circuit is unused. (Macerator removed when boat first commissioned on fresh water in '98.)

Any recommendations are appreciated. I anticipate this will be a DIY project. However, if it gets too complicated, I am all too familiar with the Service Department. Prefer quality and reliability over "bells and whistles".
Head 1.jpgHead 2.jpg
Two photos of current installation are attached.

Be well and be safe,
Jay Acquaviva
JTAcqua@al.com
(405) 650-1200
S/V AWOL
'97 C-36 MK ll
Cedar Mills


Check out the Raritan Marine Elegance, which is TOP rated by Practical Sailor. Raritan Marine_Elegance Promo.pdf Raritan Marine Elegance Owners Manual It's the closest marine toilet to a household toilet in existence and the quietest by far...your wife will LOVE it! Don't panic when you see the list price on the promo sheet...Raritan shows it with every add-on and upgrade they offer. This retailer has it without any of 'em for <<$650. Boatersland Marine Elegance (Note that all of the boxes on that page are menus...I'll be glad to help you chose the right ones for your installation). However, there's one upgrade I strongly recommend that you do add: one of the optional flush panels. Using it will greatly increase the number of flushes your tank can hold.

I've also included the link to the owners manual because it includes the wiring specs. I doubt that the macerator wiring will be adequate for any electric toilet.
 
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Likes: Bob S

DaveJ

.
Apr 2, 2013
449
Catalina 310 Niagara-on-the-Lake
I added this head to my boat in the fall, while on the hard, haven't has a chance to use it yet. I have a 2001 Catalina 310, I used the macerator breaker to power the head since I do not have an original macerator and ran new wires. It was an easy install, but I had to fill in the original holes for the base and drill new ones. I changed out the hoses at the same time, all easy if you are a DIY'er. My hoses were run slightly different from yours, so I slide the head over to the right a bit and had the motor on the left side (facing the head). My friend did his 98 Catalina 34 at the same time and had no issues to speak of either.
Cheers
dj
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,919
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
I installed a Raritan Sea Era about 6 years ago. Zero problems. Lower price point than the Elegance.
 
May 25, 2004
436
Catalina 400 mkII Harbor
i also wanted the elegance but had no way to get under the platform of the rear head on the 400. so i did the sea era cq, wife couldnt be happier. gonna add to front head this year!
 
Jan 22, 2008
34
Catalina 2005 36 MK II (1656) Lake Texoma
Thank you all. Headed to the boat this weekend with tape measure in one hand and credit card in the other.
 
Jan 22, 2008
34
Catalina 2005 36 MK II (1656) Lake Texoma
Ms. Hall,

I finally made it to the boat this weekend. Looks like the Raritan Marine Elegance standard slant version will work with a slight resection to the liner. A fellow C-36 owner installed the Marine Elegance and had to make a small cut in order to avoid lip overhang. Photos below are from that installation.

I have Ancor 10 gauge wire. Need to order the circuit breaker, new hoses, control panel and of course the toilet itself. Do you have a list of supplies to order. Also, what size circuit breaker for the pressurized fresh water version?

Appreciate you advise and assistance.

Thank you very much.

Jay Acquaviva
AWOL
6DA49E3D-E58B-4FD5-BB52-7E9A42D5AF8F.jpegE38F655C-8A97-47B3-9560-E231D1497E47.jpeg
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
All of your questions should be answered in the "Installation, Operation and Maintenance Instructions" (aka "owners manual). One will be in the box with the toilet, but you can download it from here now so you'll know what to have on hand when it arrives: Raritan Marine Elegance Owners Manual.
Pay close attention to the wiring instructions and specs and follow them!! Better yet, pay a certified marine electrician to do that much...plumbing it correctly is also important, but it's hard to screw up if you read and follow the directions, and not a catastrophe if you don't get it right the first time.

--Peggie
 
Jan 22, 2008
34
Catalina 2005 36 MK II (1656) Lake Texoma
Thank you very much. Any recommendation on discharge lines and hoses?
I intend to replace all hoses.
-Jay
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,709
- - LIttle Rock
I'd use Raritan SaniFlex hose RaritanSaniFlex hose toilet discharge and tank pumpout line, all of which are 1.5"...It's proven to be 100% odor permeation resistant and has the added advantage of being so flexible it can be bent almost like a hairpin without kinking, which makes many jobs a LOT easier!

You can get away with Shields or Trident flex pvc # 148 for toilet intake line and holding tank vent line if it's the standard 5/8"...but upgrading the vent to 1" would be a smart thing to do, and a fairly easy job, thanks to a li'l doodad called the Uniseal UNISEAL.

We can discuss details specific to YOUR system when you have the toilet and all your ducks ready to be lined up in a row.

--Peggie