NEW BOAT HOLDING TANK/PLUMBING

[Tim Leighton]

Peggy: Just about to take delivery on our new Catalina 400. One too many heads (and holding tanks), but the admiral insisted! Since this is really my very first totally new boat, I'd like some of your sage advice on plumbing/tank maintenance. I really don't want to EVER have to replace another "Y" valve, head line, etc. again. I'm happy to perform preventative maintenance on the system, but I want to do whatever I can to ensure the entire system remains odor (and debris!) free. Your assistance would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.Tim Leighton (S/V "Magic) S. Chesapeake Bay

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

Never? A nice dream, but only a dream

Everything has a lifespan, even with the best of maintenance...the only way to avoid replacing anything ever again is to keep buying new boats before anything wears out.Your toilets will last longer without a rebuild if you keep 'em well lubricated. They'll come from the factory that way...once a year, slather the pump innards with the same stuff--SuperLube, which is thick teflon grease.Once a week--or when you close up the boat or when it can stand at least overnight--close the seacock, pump the toilets as dry as possible, then pour a couple of quarts of clean fresh water down each one, followed by a couple of cups of undiluted white vinegar. Catalina's approach to holding tank venting through a slit in a rail stanchion almost guarantees foul odors out the vent when the head is flushed. It doesn't allow enough oxygen in the tank for K.O. to work, but Odorlos might. However, in your waters "no discharge" areas are few and far between (and so are pump out facilities), making it unnecessary to use your holding tanks if you install a Lectra/San. It requires virtually no maintenance and will last for decades. I'd put one on the most-used toilet, save the tank on the other one for use only if when you visit "no discharge" waters. As for the rest, read the articles in the HM forum reference library, and I'm always glad to answer specific questions. Btw...if boiling water softened hose enough for you to get it onto fittings, great. I've always found a blow dryer a lot easier than crawling in and out of tight spaces to get to a pot of hot water and having to reheat it for every connection...and maybe not leaving it in the water long enough.

 

[Buck Harrison]

Tim,

I took delivery of a new Hunter 420 a year ago, and had your very same feelings about the heads. I have used Peggy's suggestions, (KO, etc), but most of all, I have used fresh water exclusively (except when offshore) to "flush" both heads. I use the shower spray nozzle to fill the heads and always leave the head valve in the 'closed'('dry bowl') position, to prevent outside water from being pumped into the heads. It's been a year, and I have had absolutely no odor problems. I have left the boat for periods of a month at a time, leaving (fresh) water (w/ a small amt. of KO) in each head, and returned to find heads just as fresh smelling as when I left them...

 

[John Cole]

It CAN be done!

Two years ago, tired or replacing hoses, toilets, pumps, valves and even tanks, I fitted a totally stainless steel system in my boat. Now, the weakest point is the toilet itself, but, as has already been discussed, proper maintenance of this will keep it in good shape.I used 1.75" stainless pipes and had a header tank made to fit the boat (approx. 75 gallons).The pipes I used are in 3' lengths (actually 1 metre), can be cut to length with a special tool, and are designed with a flexible slip-on joint at both ends. Bends are dealt with using 16, 33, 66 and 90 degree fittings. There is no need to change through hull or deck fittings, a Furnco reducer will make a good fit. The only tools used were a large pipe wrench (to hold the pipes while joining) a wooden mallet and a large screwdriver.The total cost of this operation was approximately $2,000, and, after the header tank was made, took about 12 hours to install.The piping used is the same product as used on cruise ships, where the system works under vacuum. In a sailboat, the system works under pressure, so I tested mine to 1.5 bars with no leakage.One thing I neglected in the prototype was to put in some sort of level guage. I discovered this neglect when, on a long passage, I suddenly saw sewage coming from the vent. Fortunately, I was in blue water at the time, and could deal with the problem.If anyone is interested in the detailed specifications of this product, e-mail me at jcole@coledata.com