While I am waiting for my new spar, I was looking at the through holes to get seacock valves recommended on the survey and noticed that what I thought was the through hole for the head was the sink waste and that the supply for the head is connected to the water blast tank under the sink. Is this normal for a WB Hunter 26 or water blast in general? Do I need to keep the blast fill plate open alittle or the siphon plug hole open to use the head? I have not owned a boat with a head before so any help would be welcome. I have lots of time to work on the boat 4 more week on the hard maybe. Carl S/V Wind Shadow
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Ray Bowles
Carl, Something is wrong with this picture!
I have a 95 H26 with a previously owner installed marine head and holding tank. To the best of my knowledge H26 boats only had a porta-potty. The head sink has a port thru-hull drain fitting. The galley sink has a starboard thru-hull drain fitting. The factory bilge pump also has a starboard thru-hull drain fitting. These fittings all appear in my owners manual. Absolutly nothing ties into the water ballast tank, for intake or exhaust!!!!! It appears you may have a modified water/waste water system. It would be a very good idea to trace down all items, both stock and aftermarket, to understand its functions and lines. Marine toilets and their ability to dump their contents overboard are looked upon very harshly by the good people with badges. Good luck, Ray
I have a 95 H26 with a previously owner installed marine head and holding tank. To the best of my knowledge H26 boats only had a porta-potty. The head sink has a port thru-hull drain fitting. The galley sink has a starboard thru-hull drain fitting. The factory bilge pump also has a starboard thru-hull drain fitting. These fittings all appear in my owners manual. Absolutly nothing ties into the water ballast tank, for intake or exhaust!!!!! It appears you may have a modified water/waste water system. It would be a very good idea to trace down all items, both stock and aftermarket, to understand its functions and lines. Marine toilets and their ability to dump their contents overboard are looked upon very harshly by the good people with badges. Good luck, Ray
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Alan
well..............................
I think most h26's started out life with porta-potties. They attach to brackets on the floor and need no plumbing. The sinks thru-hulls are well above the waterline. The faucets are attached to tubing which are in turn attached to 2 1/2 gallon water jugs under each sink. Now, it seems a little strange that someone would tap into the water ballast tank. Are you sure that this is where the toilet is charged from? Is it a china-bowl marine head or a porta-pottie? Are there hoses comming from the toilet? Some porta-potties can be configured to pump out. If you have one of those then there will be a small vent hose and larger waste hose comming from the back of the toilet. It still does not require a hose for pumping water as that is stored in the upper half of the unit. If you do have a marine head then trace the hoses under the seats by the table or look under the access panels under the rear mattress. Somewhere you should find a holding tank for waste. There are a few marine heads that are directly attached to their holding tanks. The ballast tank inlet should be completely closed during sailing. If not, water (the ballast in this boat) on the windward side (elevated when heeling) would drain out, and then you would only have ballast on the leeward side and would go for a swim! I am not sure what you mean by the siphon plug hole but I am guessing that you are reffering to the vent hole plug next to the controll for the ballast tank under the companionway stairs. This must also be closed when sailing (tightly) or your cabin will be very wet. alan
I think most h26's started out life with porta-potties. They attach to brackets on the floor and need no plumbing. The sinks thru-hulls are well above the waterline. The faucets are attached to tubing which are in turn attached to 2 1/2 gallon water jugs under each sink. Now, it seems a little strange that someone would tap into the water ballast tank. Are you sure that this is where the toilet is charged from? Is it a china-bowl marine head or a porta-pottie? Are there hoses comming from the toilet? Some porta-potties can be configured to pump out. If you have one of those then there will be a small vent hose and larger waste hose comming from the back of the toilet. It still does not require a hose for pumping water as that is stored in the upper half of the unit. If you do have a marine head then trace the hoses under the seats by the table or look under the access panels under the rear mattress. Somewhere you should find a holding tank for waste. There are a few marine heads that are directly attached to their holding tanks. The ballast tank inlet should be completely closed during sailing. If not, water (the ballast in this boat) on the windward side (elevated when heeling) would drain out, and then you would only have ballast on the leeward side and would go for a swim! I am not sure what you mean by the siphon plug hole but I am guessing that you are reffering to the vent hole plug next to the controll for the ballast tank under the companionway stairs. This must also be closed when sailing (tightly) or your cabin will be very wet. alan
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Alan
and....................
Wow, when I started to reply there were no responses. Ray pushed that submit button first. Anyhow, as he pointed out make sure your system is legal. When I bought my 26 last year, I made sure the person (dealer in my case) who sold it showed me the ropes. The 26 is relatively simple but as you discovered it's better to have someone who knows the boat next to you when trying things out. Reading owners manuals and getting advice here are great, but IMHO no substitute for being shown first hand. Hope your spars come quickly the boats a gas! alan
Wow, when I started to reply there were no responses. Ray pushed that submit button first. Anyhow, as he pointed out make sure your system is legal. When I bought my 26 last year, I made sure the person (dealer in my case) who sold it showed me the ropes. The 26 is relatively simple but as you discovered it's better to have someone who knows the boat next to you when trying things out. Reading owners manuals and getting advice here are great, but IMHO no substitute for being shown first hand. Hope your spars come quickly the boats a gas! alan
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Describe your toilet for me...
What does it look like, and how does it work (if you know yet...you're obviously a first-time boat owner. If you don't know how it works, are there any more experienced boat owners handy who can explain it to you?)? Are there any hoses attached to it, and if so where do they go?
What does it look like, and how does it work (if you know yet...you're obviously a first-time boat owner. If you don't know how it works, are there any more experienced boat owners handy who can explain it to you?)? Are there any hoses attached to it, and if so where do they go?
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Carl
Hose connections
There is a hose the comes from the water balast under the port sink enclosure and goes to the pump on the side of the toilet. There is another hose that exits the side of the tiolet and goes to the holding tank under the port bench on the other side of the bulkhead for the head. The holding tank has a vent hose that runs under the port bench and comes up the port side and exits under the rub rail. The vent hose is hidden from view inside the cabin by the curtain and a cap tube. The holding tank has another hose that runs up the dry locker and is connect to port side cabin top next to the port winch, I assume it is the pump out fitting. What concerned me was it looks like the tiolet is charged from the water balast tank. I can take some pictures this weekend and post. Carl S/V Wind Shadow
There is a hose the comes from the water balast under the port sink enclosure and goes to the pump on the side of the toilet. There is another hose that exits the side of the tiolet and goes to the holding tank under the port bench on the other side of the bulkhead for the head. The holding tank has a vent hose that runs under the port bench and comes up the port side and exits under the rub rail. The vent hose is hidden from view inside the cabin by the curtain and a cap tube. The holding tank has another hose that runs up the dry locker and is connect to port side cabin top next to the port winch, I assume it is the pump out fitting. What concerned me was it looks like the tiolet is charged from the water balast tank. I can take some pictures this weekend and post. Carl S/V Wind Shadow
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Ok...I got it...and I think you're right--
A previous owner has plumbed the toilet to draw fresh water out of the ballast tank, either to avoid putting an intake thru-hull in the ull, or in an effort to reduce odors caused by flushing with sea water. Highly inventive, but not necessarily a good idea--for a couple of reasons: water left in ballast tanks is stagnant and can stink even worse than sea water...we see a lot of posts here about to what to do about that, and the usual recommendation is, "add bleach"...which is very bad for the rubber and neoprene parts in the toilet. And depending upon how much water in the ballast tank is used by the toilet--how often it's flushed--it can negatively affect the ballast. Otoh, maybe not such a bad idea if it doesn't negatively affect the ballast, and it's a reason to continually add "fresh" (as opposed to stagnant) water to the ballast tank, eliminating the need to put bleach in it. What do those of you who have boats with water ballast think?
A previous owner has plumbed the toilet to draw fresh water out of the ballast tank, either to avoid putting an intake thru-hull in the ull, or in an effort to reduce odors caused by flushing with sea water. Highly inventive, but not necessarily a good idea--for a couple of reasons: water left in ballast tanks is stagnant and can stink even worse than sea water...we see a lot of posts here about to what to do about that, and the usual recommendation is, "add bleach"...which is very bad for the rubber and neoprene parts in the toilet. And depending upon how much water in the ballast tank is used by the toilet--how often it's flushed--it can negatively affect the ballast. Otoh, maybe not such a bad idea if it doesn't negatively affect the ballast, and it's a reason to continually add "fresh" (as opposed to stagnant) water to the ballast tank, eliminating the need to put bleach in it. What do those of you who have boats with water ballast think?
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Ray Bowles
Peggy, Very scarry idea.
A thru hull fitting I can seal, inspect, reseal and plug. Whatever I want to do. A hole bored into my ballast tank allows very limited access, very little room for correction, and if placed in the wrong place could cause stress fractures that can not be repaired easly. A water ballast boat with a ruptured or broken ballast tank is a FLOWER POT at best! Ray.
A thru hull fitting I can seal, inspect, reseal and plug. Whatever I want to do. A hole bored into my ballast tank allows very limited access, very little room for correction, and if placed in the wrong place could cause stress fractures that can not be repaired easly. A water ballast boat with a ruptured or broken ballast tank is a FLOWER POT at best! Ray.
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Toomas Oja
Don't mix functions
The question was: should yopu take flushing water from the ballast-tank? And my strong recommendation is: do not mix functions in the vital parts aboard. If you use the same mug for coffe as well as for tea - OK. But if you do, as I did in my former boat: the bilgepump connected to the outlet from the sink (to save me from drilling another hole in the hull). That almost sunk the boat, when the water came in backwards, during a heavy cruise in open sea. Ever since I have separate functions in every vital part. Toomas
The question was: should yopu take flushing water from the ballast-tank? And my strong recommendation is: do not mix functions in the vital parts aboard. If you use the same mug for coffe as well as for tea - OK. But if you do, as I did in my former boat: the bilgepump connected to the outlet from the sink (to save me from drilling another hole in the hull). That almost sunk the boat, when the water came in backwards, during a heavy cruise in open sea. Ever since I have separate functions in every vital part. Toomas
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