Holding tank leak.

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Lysle

Peggy, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. I have a 76 Catalina 27 with the dinette set up. (Face to face settees, with table to starboard and galley to port amidships.) I am almost certain that my head holding tank is leaking. Do you know if the holding tank in my boat should be able to be removed without cutting the settee? It looks like it might and at the same time it might not. I know that it is wider and longer than the opening in the settee access hole but it appears that the height is a little less than the opening. (about 1/4") Have you have any experience with this and is there a trick I should be aware of before I attempt removing it? Thanks, Lysle
 
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress

I have no idea how to take your boat apart

Only what to do with the various parts of the sanitation systems after you get it apart. Unless you're seeing smelly moisture, what makes you so sure the tank is leaking?
 
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Lysle

That's the problem...

I appear to be getting tank contents in the hold where the holding tank is. The reason I say I’m "almost" certain is this; Back in March my boat almost sunk because of a failed thru hull. It just so happens to be the one that delivers the sea water for flushing. After pumping the boat and in the middle of getting her back in shape I noticed blue/green water in the bilge. We use that blue stuff in the holding tank. Since the whole boat stunk at that time I assumed it was attributed the existing problem. Several weekends after getting the boat ship shape again, I noticed a foul odor and blue/green water in the bilge again and in the hold where the tank sits. I changed the hoses hoping that was the problem. This time I didn't put any blue stuff in the tank, and didn't use the head but rather would flush several times each time we would go out to see if in fact it was the holding tank leaking. Everything looked OK until we were caught in a bit of a down poor several weeks ago. Again, found water in the hold where the tank is. Pumped the water out and put blue stuff in. It hasn't rained since and has been dry every time I've checked until last weekend. We were out and in some good wind so we were healed quite a bit on our tacks. Before we left, I decided to check just to make sure we weren't leaking knowing that after that day if it was dry our problem was solved... It wasn't dry but there wasn't standing water this time either. Instead, it was very wet, sludge had washed from under the tank, and it stunk. Do you think I might have a different problem? At this point, removing the tank is not on my list of favorite things to do. Regards, Lysle
 
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress

Yep...I'd have to agree your tank is leaking

It doesn't have anything to do with your tank, but I'd like to know more about your "failed seacock"...What exactly happened? The article "Installing a Head and Holding Tank" in the Head Mistress forum reference library (just click on the link to it on the forum homepage) includes an excellent source for a replacement tank. "Replacing Hoses" and "Holding Tank Odor--Odor Out the Vent" has some information you can prob'ly use too.
 
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Lysle

It's kind of embarrassing...

I was working on the flush pump for the head and determined it needed all new seals, flaps etc... So I made sure the thru hull seacock was closed and went to get the parts. Well that turned into a two day trip and a monster rainstorm occurred in the meantime. Our cockpit drains got clogged and at some point the seacock failed as well. The boat started filling with water and after the rain stopped, the failed seacock didn't. It was a "gate valve" type and I have once and for all learned my lesson concerning seacocks. Ball valve only, no gate valves ever again. Regards, Lysle
 
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