Installing a Jabsco manual marine head

[Martin15377]

Hello,

With spring coming up shortly (not enough) I'm thinking about the next mods I will do to my Mac25.:dance:

I plan of installing a new marine head, Jabsco or other. Since being good with plumbing, pipes and pumps is not one of my major qualities I would like to know if anyone has done it, which is probably the case, and maybe someone has a few diagrams, pictures or informations on what to do, and most of all, what NOT to do...

What I'm looking for is the most simple and efficient way to fix the head, and tips on where to safely install the water intake, tank, pump out, etc.

Thank you for your help !

 

[Sumner]

Are you in Quebec? Can you discharge overboard there or is the tank you talk about a holding tank? Will you be putting in a through-hull connection? Does the boat already have a marine head? Seems like a lot of stuff to put into a 25 foot boat and maintain.

Sorry for all of the questions. Down here it looks like once you have a marine head and not a portable head things can start getting complicated depending where you sail. I was really skeptical of using Wag Bags and Double Doodie Bags in a portable head, but I sure am sold on them now. We would never go back to a porta-pottie or anything that needed to be emptied/cleaned.

For anyone not familiar with them I go into more detail on this page of one of our trips.....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/MacgregorTrips-3-Powell09/09-10-16-Powell-09.html

....Maybe these aren't for everyone, but we love them, well love them about as much as you could love something related to this situation.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

 

[Doug J]

Well, I don't know if you have decided for sure you want to install a marine head with holding tank and all. I know it's been done in M25's.

I've thought about this a lot. I think you have about the same amount of room as I have in my 26S. What I've decided to do is install a MSD toilet. One with a self contained 5 gal holding tank, which can be plumbed for deck pump out. But still leaves the versatility to carry it off the boat to empty it if there's no other option.

It can also be setup with a direct overboard discharge, which I may or may not do, I'm not sure yet, but probably not.

I think going this route with a MSD toilet, is sort of an in between option, and installation will be real easy.

 

[Doug J]

Hang on! I just read a few reviews of the MSD toilet I thought I'd get, sounds like there's a lot of trouble with them, so I'll have to make another selection.

Right now I have a 2.5 gal Sealand unit, that seems to be very reliable, it might be 19 years old. I see they make a 5 gal MSD unit, that might be the way to go.

I tried to edit my previous post, but I can't figure out how to delete the pic. Anyway, that one might not be good one to get

 

[Sumner]

........I think going this route with a MSD toilet, is sort of an in between option, and installation will be real easy.

Think about giving those Double Doodie bags..........

http://relianceproducts.com/products/sanitation/191.html

.........a try. You can find them at most Walmarts.

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/inside-1.html

We have no smell when the head is not in use and no more than a porta-potty when it is in use. No cleanup and no hauling a john around and no water issues. As I said before I was real skeptical of them before we used them, but I'm sold on them.

There is no way we could of made a porta-potty work on our Idaho/Canada trip or the 18 day trip on Lake Powell. We would of been tied to the porta-potty and its schedule of where we were going to dump it next and would of been planning the trip around it and not us.

Just trying to pass on what we think is a good deal if you are going to be out for more than a day or so and even then we would use them. I also think that if you put in a thru hull you also have to install a holding tank so that you can prove to them that you have the ability to not discharge overboard when you can't. Maybe the tank on the bottom meets that requirement.

c ya,

Sum


Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

 

[Doug J]

Sorry Sum, I don't think they're for us. We prefer a porta pottie or MSD toilet. There's always a pump out station at the marinas. I can see in your situation, you and Ruth go to places that are very much out of the way, probably not much facilities available. If you didn't use the wag bags, I'm not sure what you would do, you can't discharge overboard in Lake Powell for instance.

Someday when I go there I'll have to come up with a new strategy.

We always lauch and retrieve at a marina where there's always a pump out dock. Even if we are anchoring somewhere, we could plan the pump outs as needed.

I'll tell you one thing the carrying of the full tank and manual dumping has got to stop. That is one job I won't miss doing.

 

[Martin15377]

Well, I don't know if you have decided for sure you want to install a marine head with holding tank and all. I know it's been done in M25's.

I've thought about this a lot. I think you have about the same amount of room as I have in my 26S. What I've decided to do is install a MSD toilet. One with a self contained 5 gal holding tank, which can be plumbed for deck pump out. But still leaves the versatility to carry it off the boat to empty it if there's no other option.

It can also be setup with a direct overboard discharge, which I may or may not do, I'm not sure yet, but probably not.

I think going this route with a MSD toilet, is sort of an in between option, and installation will be real easy.

Well, thats exactly the same head I have right now on my boat. It works well, but I'm getting tired of having to take the whole thing out of the boat every time its full. Its not that its really complicated, just release the clamps that fix the head to the boat's bottom, seperate the tank from the top of the toilet and take it out with you to empty it in the marina's facility... But you know, at a certain point in his life, a guy's getting a bit lazy ... I'm just looking for an easier system, one that I wouldn't have to unfix and carry with me from my boat to the marina's service tank and back... I just hate to get that 5 gallons tank out of the boat and walk around the docks with it

You mentioned that the MSD can be rigged to use a deck pump out or an overboard discharge. Do you know where I could get some info on how to do that ?

Thanks for the tips !
Martin

 

[Martin15377]

Are you in Quebec? Can you discharge overboard there or is the tank you talk about a holding tank? Will you be putting in a through-hull connection? Does the boat already have a marine head? Seems like a lot of stuff to put into a 25 foot boat and maintain.

Sorry for all of the questions. Down here it looks like once you have a marine head and not a portable head things can start getting complicated depending where you sail. I was really skeptical of using Wag Bags and Double Doodie Bags in a portable head, but I sure am sold on them now. We would never go back to a porta-pottie or anything that needed to be emptied/cleaned.

For anyone not familiar with them I go into more detail on this page of one of our trips.....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/MacgregorTrips-3-Powell09/09-10-16-Powell-09.html

....Maybe these aren't for everyone, but we love them, well love them about as much as you could love something related to this situation.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

Thanks for your answer. Yes I'm in Quebec. I sail on a lake that is right on the border between Quebec and Ontario. Overboard discharge is against the law, altough most people who have sail boats here have older models that were built in the 60's and 70's and equiped with marine heads with direct discharge. Mine is a 1986 with a MSD portable head. Its working well, but I just hate to carry that 5 gallons tank out of the boat and walk across the marina with it to empty it and bring it back onboard... I'm looking for something easier as I'm getting lazy with age

Maybe the idea of rigging a pump-out system to my current head is not a bad thing... I'll have to see how its done. I dont like the idea of having to install a permanent holding tank somewhere inside the boat. It will add lots of extra weight to the boat, and its already quite heavy after all the modifications I made inside.

Thanks for your help, have a nice day !
Martin

 

[Doug J]

Martin, I tried to find the documentation to show you how to install the MSD toilet for deck pump out, but came up empty.

Here's basically how it's done. There is supposed to be an adapter that is screwed on the opening where you normally pour out the contents of the holding tank. If you don't have one, I'm sure you can find it at a supply store or online. That adapter has hose connections, one large for pump out and the other is for an air vent. All you have to do is install a deck pump out fitting, and an air vent fitting, and connect the hoses.

I'm curious. Did you say you have the model I posted in the pic, the one with push button flush? And you're not having any trouble with it? I like the concept of that one, but there were a few bad reviews posted.

 

[Martin15377]

Yes Doug I currently have the same model of portable head onboard. I bought it in 2007 and it works fine. The only problem I can foresee is that it will not last very long. The lid is made with very light plastic and the handles (one for pumping, one for opening the tank) are also made with cheap plastic. I'm afraid that someday, someone is going to break it.

On the other side, I appreciate the single button flush, although you still have to pump and pull the handles when you flush. I guess there is no perfect system !

Thanx for the tips by the way ! I will see what I can do to fit a pump-out on that thing

 

[Denis]

Head "aches"

Hi Martin , I'm also from Québec and looking to buy a Mac Gregor boat in the next few months.
Do you know if there some more recent MacGregor boats that comes whit the pump out system from the manufacture ?
And if so, from what year of fabrication?
I'm sorry I'm not helping you whit your questions about modifying your boat, but I would like very much to buy a boat whit a pump out system.
May be you could write to my e-mail adress since it is much easier for me to write in french.

Thnk you !
Denis

denisdeschamps@videotron.ca

 

[cscott]

To see how to hook up a Porta Potti for dock side pump out go to this web page
http://www.sealandtechnology.com/productpages.asp?pid=94
Than drop down to 975MSD and click on owners manual pfd document. It shows how in the manual. You can click on the parts list pfd to see the parts needed and their part number.

Hope this helps,

Chuck

 

[MSN-Travelers]

Hi Martin , I'm also from Québec and looking to buy a Mac Gregor boat in the next few months.
Do you know if there some more recent MacGregor boats that comes whit the pump out system from the manufacture ?
And if so, from what year of fabrication?
I'm sorry I'm not helping you whit your questions about modifying your boat, but I would like very much to buy a boat whit a pump out system.
May be you could write to my e-mail adress since it is much easier for me to write in french.

Thnk you !
Denis

denisdeschamps@videotron.ca

Denis,

MacGregor's, from the factory, do not come with a head of any type. They build in a space that is designed for that purpose.

MacGregor manages to keep the price of the boat low by providing a blank slate that the new owner can modify with the type of equipment that the owner needs/wants.