Head Removal

[ekalmus]

Hi everyone - I am a new cal 20 owner. Currently I have it in Marina Del Rey, and plan to sail to Catalina monthly (for work.) One issue I am hoping someone might be able to help with is the head.

The head on my 1965 Cal 20 doesnt seem to have a holding tank or a c-cock. To moor / Anchor in Avalon I cant have a head that goes to the ocean. I dont plan to use the head as it stands, but if the harbor master drop a dye tab in and it comes out the bottom I will be banned for a year.

So here is my question. How do I remove the head that is in there without removing the boat from the water? I will probably just replace with a porto potty....but need to remove and seal the current one first.

Any help is appreciated.

Eric

 

[kendall]

For temporary use, if there is a properly mounted through hull installed now and not just a fiberglass tube or similar, drive a bung in from outside, remove the head then screw on a ball valve or something that will close it off, swap out to a real seacock or seal the hole next haul out.
Precautions I'd take would be to keep a suitable bung in reach while working on it, and borrow or rent an electric trash pump to keep handy while doing the job, just in case you knock something loose have the pump already set up so all you need to do is turn it on. I don't mind working on a boat in the water, but I realy dislike having to say whoops and run, so I prefer having backup measures handy!

Ken

 

[Prime Time]

Look at the defender catalog for porta-potties with pump out abilities. You can install a porta- potty that has an integral holding tank that will allow you to pump out via a hose to a deck fitting or to a secondary pump and a thru-hull. I'd be alarmed at having any thru hull without a seacock. I'd look into getting a short haul at a yard and installing a proper seacock.

 

[bffatcat]

Old Head removal Its easy

A boat of that vintage will have either gate valves or sea caulks on the intake and exhaust valves. First make sure the old intake is not leaking. If its leaking
close it and take up on the nut. If you cant stop the leak your gonna have to haul the boat. 2nd If there are no leaks loosen the clamp and pull the hose off. Close the exhaust valve. This is less critical because you have to pump
the water thru this valve Dog Down the adjustment nut on the exhaust. If nothing is leaking take a couple of soft pine plugs and jamb them in where you took the hoses off. CAREFULLY you dont want to disturb, break or move those old valves around. Finally unbolt the head and take it out. When you haul the boat at a later date fiberglass the holes

Bob

 

[JoeD]

You have some good advice. That being said also look at the expert forum and look at some of Peggy Halls comments. She knows more about heads than anyone I have ever talked with. She is always willing to help all of us.

 

[cbsailor]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Your boat probably has a valve (gate or ball valve) screwed onto a thru-hull. Considering the age of your boat and not knowing the condition of thru-hull, I would be reluctant to “drive” a bung (wooden plug) into the thru-hull. The pounding could break the thru-hull or disturb the seal. I prefer to use a plumbing drain test plug instead. They can be found at any plumbing supply and the big box home improvement stores. From outside the boat, insert an appropriately sized plug into your thru-hull and tighten up the wing nut to expand the rubber which will seal the opening. With the hull sealed from the outside you can now work safely inside to remove the head, hoses and valve. Remove the bolts/screws holding the head in place. Then I recommend you “double bag” a couple of those large heavy duty yard waste bags and slide then in place under the head. Remove the clamps and hoses trying to keep any liquids contained in the plastic bags. You can then pull the bags up and around the head and remove it from the boat without any spillage. Do a close-up examination of the thru-hull. Look for corrosion, pink color, pitting, surface cracks, and especially thread area wall thickness. If it looks suspect any of these areas, its probably time to bite the bullet and do a haulout, replace the thru-hull, or remove it and fill the opening if you are moving to a porta potty. If it looks serviceable, you can replace the valve or just cap it. Don't forget to remove the plug when done. [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Although I keep wooden plugs at each thru-hull location for emergencies, I also keep a couple of plumbing test plugs in my tool box. Good luck with your repairs. [/FONT]