Holding Tank

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Nov 2, 2004
19
Hunter 30_74-83 West Wareham, Ma
Has anyone put a new holding tank in a 1976 or similar Hunter 30. I am planning on putting it under the V-Berth (left rear side of the forward compartment), and I have the sizes but I cant seem to find anything real close at ronco, ocean link, and one other manufacturer. I am looking for themost gallonage possible (within reason) and I think it will probably be somewhere between 12 and 18 gallons. If you have a make, model, and vendor that would be great. I have about 30" front to back, but the opening is only about 22, and I don't want to cut it out if I dont have to, but Murphys law prevails. Peggy if your reading this is it okay for the waste line from the toilet, to rise to the holding tank, and if so what are tolerable limits. This installation I think would necessitate the waste line rising from the toilet to the holding tank outlet about 6 inches over a span of less than 2 feet. Is that okay?
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,958
- - LIttle Rock
It's ok...better yet...

Run the line with an arch in it above the tank and then down to it, to prevent waste in the tank from making its way back to the toilet when the boat is heeled.
 
E

Eric C Lindstrom

Ours in under the V

I have no idea where it used to be or even what size originally came with the boat but the first owner cut right into the top of the V-berth (constructing a nice door on top) and inserted a HUGE plastic holding tank (I think it's 16 gallons but I'm not totally sure). This works out great for the most part. All the plumbing has been run through the portside access locker (including a thru-hull exit for dumping overboard which we can't do since the lake we sail on is only 3 miles wide). Good luck!
 
Nov 2, 2004
19
Hunter 30_74-83 West Wareham, Ma
Hair loss over head installation

I think I am obsessing over a toilet, and I am seeing my shrink tomorrow. I have a few questions I hope you can answer. I am completely rehabbing a 1976 Hunter 30. The prior owner(s) disasembled most of the original equipment and used a band aid approach to repairs. New motor, new wiring, new plumbing, refinished interior. With what we spent for the boat (an absolute steal) , I am not terribly concerned about the cost of updating / repairing what has to be done. Its got a porta-potti right now, and that went in the dumpster this morning. My standards are to 1) do it right 2) pick the easiest approach 3)Maximum Gallonage possible 4) minimize cost. The original plumbing looks like a spagetti fight took place, so its all coming out. I think I have settled on a Sea-Era (at your suggestion) marine toilet. The problem I am having or what I need to know relates to the following. From a practical standpoint the best area to locate a holding tank is in the port V-birth locker, its immediately adjacent to the head, and would require the least hose, fittings and pressure from the toilet (I think). Heres the object of my confusion. In that same (Port V-Birth) locker, I have a Sea Cock (actually a sill cock) and a transduccer in the bottom, both in the way of seating a tank. I am not opposed to moving them as the boat needs new instruments and probably a transducer, and the existing Sill cock looks plain scary. That would open up the locker to something close to a 16 - 20 gallon Ronco (or equivelent) tank, and I can always draw sea water from a different location. I may need to cut the top of the V-bert to get the tank in, but thats not a big deal either. Assuming all that isnt to far fetched, is it okay to have the top of the tank (inlet) about 16" - 18" higher than the bottom of the head (that will put the bottom of the tank and head/pump below the waterline. The head and Tank will be no more than 24" apart. That would likewise put the Tank discharge (pumpout line) about 16" - 18" below the top of the tank (I think), and the discharge hose could be routed up to the deck (pumpout). This does however put the top of the tank and the vent fitting at about the waterline of the boat. There is a manual pump in the head cabinet (not in use) and I am not sure if thats even worth the effort at this point, and would like your thoughts. Do you think we would really use it that much? We live in Massachusetts and I think the only place you can discharge sewerage is on Beacon Hill, in downtown Boston (all the Massachusetts Politicians do it). My wife and I are novice sailors, probably wont be going on any real long trips any time soon, and will probably be looking for a bigger boat in 3 - 5 years. I was looking around the inside of the boat today, and noticed that both the head sink, and galley sink are drained straight to a seacock with no one way valve, is that the way it is supposed to be. If you can answer these questions I will e-mail you a bottle of wine and a dozen head freshners.........
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
H30 Holding.

On the subject of the hose angle. Install a marelon vented-loop higher than the tank and above the waterline. Easy to do and not too expensive. You only have to pump over the loop and then it is downhill into the tank. Use the best hose. Then you can do what we do. During the day just a few pump strokes with a cup or two of water from the sink. Then at the end of the day make sure everything is out of the hose and into the tank. We have a Raritan Cricket head. Excellent because of its very unique pump but it has an odd base. I had to add a piece of oak to support the leading edge. A search in the Forum Archives will locate a v-berth installation where the entire platform was cut out. I wish I had done that. My tank installation is also in the Photo Forum archives. I used a 22 gal. Ronco. I had to cut the opening slightly larger. Mine sits high and aft because I also have transducers in there. I can get to them forward of the tank. And I still have lots of storage. I wish I had moved the transducers and cut the entire top out. A 30+ gallon tank would easily have fit. My boat is an H37C but I think the v-berths are similar. Good luck.
 
Jun 10, 2004
22
- - New Bern, NC
Go For It Bob!

I'm anxious to find out just what kind of tank you end up with because I seem to have the same configuration on my '77 H-30. I tossed the Monomatic recirculating head a few months ago and had the greatest time dissassembling the plumbing, including the whale gusher pump apparantly used to pump the internal tank overboard. (Big Hint: DON'T spray windex, or any other kind of liquid on any kind of dried brown dust you may see around the fittings - better to take it off dry - much better) I also have tentatively decided on a sea era electric from Raritan, and further, I think I'll plumb fresh water to the head rather than a salt water intake. That should help prevent odors. It may be best to do what Ed does, and pour in flushing water from the sink out of a container, to prevent the possibility of contaminating the drinking water. I think there's another good set-up where the head intake is plumbed to the sink drain, so you turn on the sink and flush the head. I'm not a fan however, of doing much cutting on the v - berth since there is some structural function to that panel. I think my opening is the same as yours, and although its a guess, I think that a 14 gal will fit through the roughly 12 X 21" opening. Even though I dock near a good pump out, I do plan to install a Y valve beyond the holding tank so I can pump out from the deck fitting or through the thru-hull if I'm where I can legally do that. Finally, where possible I hope to use as much heavy PVC piping as possible, with sections of good quality hose where there might be flexing or difficulty fitting rigid pipe. I'd be interested to hear about your project. I'll be finalizing mine in January and February.
 
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