I checked a couple of threads via Google on this.
Today I was out in force 5 winds today coming from the west so I was on a port tack heading north out on Lake Ontario.
About an hour or so into it I thought I smelled odors from the bilge. When I went down below the head was completely full and it was leaking ALL OVER the place. It was a god awful mess...
I cleaned it up and tried to continue and after a few minutes the bowl was full again. I had turned the pump to the dry switch and the water intake valve was shut AFTER the disaster... The head is about 2 years old and is a Raritan/Jabsco type simple manual pump model (I can't remember exact model and make)
The water intake hose has a vented loop and the through hull is located on the port side. The holding tank is on the port side too and the intake hose from the head to the holding tank in on the upper port side of the tank so when I was healed this intake was at the highest point.
When I turned around and headed back it didn't happen again.
I pumped the tank a few months ago so I am pretty sure the tank was not full.
This has never happened before and I sail in some pretty sporty conditions...is it possible the holding tank was fuller than I thought? I just don't see how ram water or siphoning could be the issue.
Thanks for any thoughts
Chris
...it was like a scene from that Karen Silkwood movie when I got home...I can't scrub enough to get the smell out of my mind!
Today I was out in force 5 winds today coming from the west so I was on a port tack heading north out on Lake Ontario.
About an hour or so into it I thought I smelled odors from the bilge. When I went down below the head was completely full and it was leaking ALL OVER the place. It was a god awful mess...
I cleaned it up and tried to continue and after a few minutes the bowl was full again. I had turned the pump to the dry switch and the water intake valve was shut AFTER the disaster... The head is about 2 years old and is a Raritan/Jabsco type simple manual pump model (I can't remember exact model and make)
The water intake hose has a vented loop and the through hull is located on the port side. The holding tank is on the port side too and the intake hose from the head to the holding tank in on the upper port side of the tank so when I was healed this intake was at the highest point.
When I turned around and headed back it didn't happen again.
I pumped the tank a few months ago so I am pretty sure the tank was not full.
This has never happened before and I sail in some pretty sporty conditions...is it possible the holding tank was fuller than I thought? I just don't see how ram water or siphoning could be the issue.
Thanks for any thoughts
Chris
...it was like a scene from that Karen Silkwood movie when I got home...I can't scrub enough to get the smell out of my mind!