I'm the new custodian of a 1969 Paceship Westwind 24 sailing yacht. There's a waste outlet on the starboard deck, with a hose leading to an empty space under the v-berth. The holding tank and the toilet are long gone, and there's a disused fresh water tank in the bow. Having read some of Peggie's comments, I've purchased a Dometic 972, MSD discharge kit, and hold-down bracket kit. I'm new to this but we're at a club and it should be easy enough either to bring the cassette to a toilet, or bring the boat to the pump-out station. The MSD kit includes a hookup for an air vent. I don't see any outlet for this on my boat. Perhaps I'm not looking in the right place? Maybe they weren't vented back in the '60s? If I do need to add a thru-hull, what's the best practice? We do heel pretty hard, so presumably just below the rub rail, under the pump out? Then I could run the hoses together. The toilet's going in the centre of the boat, just forward of the mast. There is a bilge pump outlet on the port side. It's between the water line and the rub rail and it does take in some water. Any general advice and ideas would be most welcome.
Marine head conversion to MSD972 in a 24ft yacht
- Thread starter John Cornellier
- Start date
Portable portapotties aren't vented... "MSD" in the name /model number means it has fittings for a pumpout line and vent line. If there was ever a marine toilet and holding tank on the boat, the tank had to have been vented, so there should be a vent thru-hull somewhere near the location of the tank--which, since there's hose coming off the pumpout fitting that goes under the v-berth--means the tank was under the v-berth and was replaced with a water tank (which, btw, must also be vented). The vent thru-hull was most likely just below the rub rail and MAY still be there because boat builders used the same vent thru-hulls on all tank vents, all designed to keep sea water out of the fresh water and fuel tanks. So it's likely to be a "cap" with some perforations or a slit in the bottom of it--and most likely being used by the water tank...in which case you'll need a new thru-hull. If so, I recommend you go with an open "bulkhead" aka "mushroom" thru-hull that will actually allow some air exchange with the gasses in the pottie tank.
--Peggie
--Peggie
If it's helpful, here are my notes on a similar installation. And a parts list from later in that thread.
Peggy is the master of all such things, and she didn't correct me there, so perhaps I got the right parts
These photos illustrate my setup, such as it is. The waste hose terminates in the opening in the floor. Not much space there for a tank, so the original configuration remains a mystery. Nor is there any sign of an air vent. The triangular hole at the front was intended as a 12 gallon water reservoir, according to the label on the brass inlet. The inlet is on a cover (removed in the photo) that screws on and a copper pipe leading to the sink in the cabin, but no vent. Had a look at Aaron's links and that's very helpful, thanks! Going to be a fun post-haulout project in a few weeks.
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The center space at the aft end of the v-berth is likely to have been the holding tank's location. I wouldn't be surprised if the dangling hose went to the tank's discharge fitting at the bottom of the tank on that side (it would obviously have been a good longer than it is now). The inlet fitting for a line for the toilet most likely was on the end of the tank at the top. If the triangle space in the bow held a 12 gal. water tank, that center space looks big enough for at least 18 gallons unless it's a lot shallower than it appears in the photo...but that also depends on the depth of the triangle space.
All of the above is just some guess work....
--Peggie
All of the above is just some guess work....
--Peggie
