I bought my 1972 P-26 Oct '00 and it still had it's origional head w/y-valve in the overboard position, a holding tank that was never hooked up, and most of the fittings loose. We have never used it. I have a brand new 1972 holding tank if anyone's interested. My wife gave me a gift certificate for $100 to Boaters World with the idea that I would buy a new porta-potty (Plumbing is a guy thing!) and get rid of the broken monster. I plan to rip out all the old head and replace it with the new porta-potty. We only use it one or two days a week and it should be adequate. The through hulls are closed and fine. What do you think? Is a porta-potty just as easy as a holding tank? David Guthridge
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
If you're determined to do this,
I strongly recommend that you buy a 5-6 gallon model that can be permanently installed and fitted for pumpout...and install it permanently. The 2-3 gallon portables barely hold enough for two people overnight. The 5-6 gallon tanks hold the equivilant number of flushes to a 12-15 gallons holding tank connected to manual marine toilet, but weigh about 50 lbs full...which IMO is a bit much to carry off the boat and up the dock to dump it. Portable tanks are completely sealed except during flushing, which makes 'em anaerobic...and anaerobic means odor that's almost impossible to eliminate. Permanently installed models have to be vented same as any other holding tank, which allows them to relatively aerobic and therefore they can be odor-free. However, if it were my boat, I'd buy a new toilet and hoses and connect the holding tank. Everything is already in place to do that...the intake thru-hull, the tank vent thru-hull and the deck pumpout. Installing a portapotty will mean that you'll have two below-waterline thru-hulls and seacocks to remember to maintain (check regularly to make sure the bedding isn't leaking, lubricate the seacocks to keep them in working order even though you aren't using 'em) and you may have to move the vent thru-hull and deck pumpout fitting if they're too far away from the head. Whichever way you decide to go, read the articles on replacing hoses, installing a head and holding tank, and "holding tank odor--odor out the vent" in the HM forum reference library before you start. And if you ask questions first, you'll save yourself a lot of unnecessary effort. Plumbing is a "guy thing?" That's certainly news to me! Your wife expects to use whatever you install...therefore, she should at least help select it. And if she also helps you to install it, she'll have a much better understanding of how it works. Since she's also likely to be the one who has to keep it clean and odor-free, she should read some of the articles in HM forum library too...so that she knows what kinds of cleaning products should and should not be used in any marine sanitation system.
I strongly recommend that you buy a 5-6 gallon model that can be permanently installed and fitted for pumpout...and install it permanently. The 2-3 gallon portables barely hold enough for two people overnight. The 5-6 gallon tanks hold the equivilant number of flushes to a 12-15 gallons holding tank connected to manual marine toilet, but weigh about 50 lbs full...which IMO is a bit much to carry off the boat and up the dock to dump it. Portable tanks are completely sealed except during flushing, which makes 'em anaerobic...and anaerobic means odor that's almost impossible to eliminate. Permanently installed models have to be vented same as any other holding tank, which allows them to relatively aerobic and therefore they can be odor-free. However, if it were my boat, I'd buy a new toilet and hoses and connect the holding tank. Everything is already in place to do that...the intake thru-hull, the tank vent thru-hull and the deck pumpout. Installing a portapotty will mean that you'll have two below-waterline thru-hulls and seacocks to remember to maintain (check regularly to make sure the bedding isn't leaking, lubricate the seacocks to keep them in working order even though you aren't using 'em) and you may have to move the vent thru-hull and deck pumpout fitting if they're too far away from the head. Whichever way you decide to go, read the articles on replacing hoses, installing a head and holding tank, and "holding tank odor--odor out the vent" in the HM forum reference library before you start. And if you ask questions first, you'll save yourself a lot of unnecessary effort. Plumbing is a "guy thing?" That's certainly news to me! Your wife expects to use whatever you install...therefore, she should at least help select it. And if she also helps you to install it, she'll have a much better understanding of how it works. Since she's also likely to be the one who has to keep it clean and odor-free, she should read some of the articles in HM forum library too...so that she knows what kinds of cleaning products should and should not be used in any marine sanitation system.
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Ray Bowles
Dave, Peggy's right on about keeping the holding
tank. Our 95 H26 had a "porta potty" and the first owner removed it and installed a marine head with 20 gal holding tank with deck pumpout. Packing a pot of poo up a dock to a dumping station, if you can find one, is not a chore you'll enjoy. Since they spill and generally make mess of everything many marinas will not allow them to be dumped although they will pump out holding tanks for nothing. I would either do as Peggy sugested with a pumpable potty or put the marine head back in order. Ray S/V Speedy
tank. Our 95 H26 had a "porta potty" and the first owner removed it and installed a marine head with 20 gal holding tank with deck pumpout. Packing a pot of poo up a dock to a dumping station, if you can find one, is not a chore you'll enjoy. Since they spill and generally make mess of everything many marinas will not allow them to be dumped although they will pump out holding tanks for nothing. I would either do as Peggy sugested with a pumpable potty or put the marine head back in order. Ray S/V Speedy
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David Guthridge
Replace with porta-potty
Peggie, I think you have convinced me to go ahead and keep the marine head and hook up the holding tank. The porta-potty is still in the box so I should be able to return it. I will read the articles in the HM forum berore starting. There is a deck pump out so all I need to do is instal a hose from the head to the holding tank and one from the tank to the pumpout. Sounds easy enough. Any advise?
Peggie, I think you have convinced me to go ahead and keep the marine head and hook up the holding tank. The porta-potty is still in the box so I should be able to return it. I will read the articles in the HM forum berore starting. There is a deck pump out so all I need to do is instal a hose from the head to the holding tank and one from the tank to the pumpout. Sounds easy enough. Any advise?
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David Guthridge
Replace porta-potty.
Ray, You are right. Peggie has convinced me to repair the marine head and hook up the holding tank. I'm returning the porta-potty tomorrow! David
Ray, You are right. Peggie has convinced me to repair the marine head and hook up the holding tank. I'm returning the porta-potty tomorrow! David
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Replace the toilet, don't try to repair it
Don't even THINK of trying to repair a 30 year old toilet unless it's a Wilcox Skipper or Imperial (bronze "thrones" that are built to last at least 100 years and cost around $1,000). Any lesser toilet was either worn out beyond repair at least 15 years ago, or is so obsolete that you can't even get parts for it any more. Buy a new one. You'll need new 3/4" hose for the head intake, 1.5" hose from the head to the tank and the tank to the pumpout fitting, and hose for the tank vent. Use sanitation hose throughout...don't try to save money by using water hose for the head intake and tank vent. What's the tank made of...metal or plastic?
Don't even THINK of trying to repair a 30 year old toilet unless it's a Wilcox Skipper or Imperial (bronze "thrones" that are built to last at least 100 years and cost around $1,000). Any lesser toilet was either worn out beyond repair at least 15 years ago, or is so obsolete that you can't even get parts for it any more. Buy a new one. You'll need new 3/4" hose for the head intake, 1.5" hose from the head to the tank and the tank to the pumpout fitting, and hose for the tank vent. Use sanitation hose throughout...don't try to save money by using water hose for the head intake and tank vent. What's the tank made of...metal or plastic?
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David Guthridge
Replace porta-potty
Peggie, All the e-mail has been overwhelmingly in favor of replacing the marine head with another marine head, not a porta-potty. I think I got the picture!! It is a plastic holding tank. David
Peggie, All the e-mail has been overwhelmingly in favor of replacing the marine head with another marine head, not a porta-potty. I think I got the picture!! It is a plastic holding tank. David
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Charlie Meyer
Porta-potty...purely decorative
I just bought a 22, but two of my last four boats had that insane contraption. I always told my hapless passengers that it was purely for decorative purposes only. Makes the 'go out 3 miles and do the bucket/backstay' method look real good. The prospect of emptying a porta-potty does do wonders for controlling the appetite when dieting, tho. In inland waters, a call to nature is always a good excuse to find the waterfront bar and pull in for a cold one! Charlie Single Party Girl 72 O'day 22
I just bought a 22, but two of my last four boats had that insane contraption. I always told my hapless passengers that it was purely for decorative purposes only. Makes the 'go out 3 miles and do the bucket/backstay' method look real good. The prospect of emptying a porta-potty does do wonders for controlling the appetite when dieting, tho. In inland waters, a call to nature is always a good excuse to find the waterfront bar and pull in for a cold one! Charlie Single Party Girl 72 O'day 22
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Jerry
Porta-Problems Away!
I must comment on this question/situation and agree with a porta unit for boaters who only use their boats a few times a week like most of the sailers who I know. This view is not very popular with several. Holding bio waste in a plastic tank with hose fittings in a confined space with chemical treatment and sloshing this mess aroud under 25/30 knot wind conditions is asking for big bio trouble. The new hose materials seem to be getting much better although I will never take the chance again to have bio ordor bake itself into my interior surfaces of my very expensive investment because the hose leaked through. I changed my hoses a few times and again hose ordor problems. This is just not worth the risk to me because the damage last a long,long time. A short trip to the toilet at the end of each trip with a porti-unit and two minutes later, no more problem, period. Don't hold this stuff in your boat, send it down to the people who know how to treat it correctly.
I must comment on this question/situation and agree with a porta unit for boaters who only use their boats a few times a week like most of the sailers who I know. This view is not very popular with several. Holding bio waste in a plastic tank with hose fittings in a confined space with chemical treatment and sloshing this mess aroud under 25/30 knot wind conditions is asking for big bio trouble. The new hose materials seem to be getting much better although I will never take the chance again to have bio ordor bake itself into my interior surfaces of my very expensive investment because the hose leaked through. I changed my hoses a few times and again hose ordor problems. This is just not worth the risk to me because the damage last a long,long time. A short trip to the toilet at the end of each trip with a porti-unit and two minutes later, no more problem, period. Don't hold this stuff in your boat, send it down to the people who know how to treat it correctly.
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