New Head/Tank Installation (HELP !!)

[Richard Craig]

I've got a 1977 Catalina 25 FK/SR that is currently undergoing the change from porta-potti to a REAL head & tank. At the fun point now where decisions need to be made on thru-hulls, plumbing routing, etc.The boat is the L-shaped dinette model and the tank is located under the port side seating for the dinette. That leaves the area below the seating located next to the bulkhead as the most probable location for the thru-hulls. Original thought was to put in 2 new thru-hulls - 1 for the water intake and 1 for off-shore discharge w/ a macerator. There would also be a T off the tank outlet going topsides for pump-out.I have heard many opinions on plumbing, some say tap off the existing sink drain thru-hull for the water inlet, some say go w/ new. Some say forget the thru-hull/macerator & just stay w/ a pump-out only system. Most sailing is done locally, in-shore, so I could be swayed away from the macerator set-up. I am only looking for the most efficient, least invasive method to complete this installation.Are there any other opinions, horror stories, or accepted standards out there that can be shared. All input is much appreciated and I'd be happy to furnish more info if necessary.Thanks in advance !!! Richard C '77 FK/SR (as yet to be named)

 

[Harvey]

Check the CATALINA 25 SITE

There is a wealth of info on the Catalina 25/250 site. The parts catalog has a good layout of what you need and where to locate.

 

[Brian]

simple is usually best

I used to have a porta-potty on my old boat, now I have a head/holding tank on my new boat. Not having to dump the prota potty is a wonderful thing! But I cheated, I didn't have to do all the work you have to do. But I can say this, my experiences with heads on my boat and other boats I have cruised on have been up and down. Being able to discharge overboard offshore is great. But the complexity of plumbing can be a pain when some one unknowingly drops a bolt in the head (it really wasn't me!) and it gets flushed only far enough to cause a clog in the pipes. If this happens, you will wish you could just go dump the porta potty. It can even happen on it's own over time, as calcification builds up from the salt water mixing with waste. But with a properly functioning system, life is good. If you truly sail inshore most of the time, and would be using the holding tank anyway, not putting holes in your boat and using pump out eliminates the possibility of expensive problems. Just make sure you don't forget to pump out! Now you can chalk one up for overboard discharge being nice to have. Seems like were back at the beginning again..........it really is a matter of priority and how you use your boat. In simplest terms, only put holes in your boat if the issue is really affecting your boating in a negative way. If you can be happy without putting holes in your boat, don't. Put as big a holding tank as you can fit and stay on top of having it pumped out.

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

Use the sink drain for intake

There are two advantages to that: one less hole in the boat, and it gives you a means of flushing sea water out of the toilet (close the seacock, fill the sink with fresh water, pump the toilet) before it can stagnate and stink while the boat sits between weekends.The v-berth is a much better location for the tank if you want to keep it from belching foul gasses out the vent every time the head is flushed. For the reasons why, read the article at the link below. However, on a 25' boat, I'd reconsider the whole plan if I were you. There's more to installing a "real" toilet and tank than just running an intake hose to the toilet and a hose to the tank...you'll need a vented loop in the head intake (between the pump and the bowl, not between the thru-hull and the pump)and the head discharge should be plumbed to prevent waste from running back toward the toilet when you're heeled. The whole system only means increased maintenance and aggravation to keep it working well and odor-free, and the tank takes up a lot of space that can better be used for storage. A permanently installed 5-6 gallon portapotty fitted for pumpout requires no plumbing except a vent and pumpout hose and, because it uses so much less flush water, holds about as many flushes as a 12-15 gallon holding tank (so unless your tank is at least that big, you're going backwards). No moving parts, no new thru-hulls, no vented loops and other fittings, no hoses to permeate and stink, no thru-hulls and seacocks to maintain, and you get to keep all your storage space. Also costs a LOT less. Read the article, especially the section on Odor Control, and search the archives here for articles relating to odor and marine toilets. Then decide whether you really need that much increased aggravation to gain nothing over a permanently installed pumpable portapotty.