Up grading the head -

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  • October 07, 2011 8:01 AM
    Reply # 717266 on 716769
    Alan Johnson wrote:

    Dear Bud: Without having to go into the particulars of why I hate convetional marine head systems( crew never respects what goes there) I am looking to install one of the pumpout type porta pottis from Domitec. One issue is storage. Adding a 16 gallon stainless steel tank connected with 11/2 hose gravity fed to this tank would solve the storage issue but would I be able to pump it out thru the Porta potti pump out? Will the stainless tank need a sleeve inside to draw enough suction? I am not clear on the dynamics of the pumpout process. Alan   

    First of all, I would never recommend a stainless steel tank for a toilet holding system.  Corrosion will make holes in it in no time.  Use a rotationally molded polyethylene tank instead.

    The usual system I recommend for a W32 is an 18 gallon poly tank, mounted just under the port side of the forward berth, with the bottom of the tank above waterline.  The outlet is on the end next to the bulkhead, and near the bottom.  The outlet hose goes through the bulkhead into the locker outboard of the head compartment, with a shutoff valve close to the bulkhead.  A tee goes up to the deck pumpout outlet, and the other side of the tee goes to a tee at the seacock.  If you want to empty the tank at sea, just open the valve on the outlet hose, and open the seacock.  Gravity will drain the tank.  Or use the dockside pumpout facility if one is available.

    Bud

  • October 09, 2011 11:55 PM
    Reply # 719037 on 631032
    Kia Ora,
             May be a bit late for putting my two cents worth in on the composting toilet issue, but I wrote an article for the "Cruising Helmsman" magazine earlier this year about installing our composting toilet, see the link below for a bit more about it,( not the article exactly)



    Cheers
    Wendy 
    S/V Kabuki
  • January 17, 2013 2:22 PM
    Reply # 1182379 on 631032
    Deleted user

    I appreciate the information.  I'm curious what everyone did with the 2 thru hulls ?  I've taken the old, nonfunctioning Jabsco and accessories out, and will be replacing with a Nature's Head.  I find myself staring at the thru hulls, thinking, "Ok . . . now what ?
    Thanks, Dan
  • January 17, 2013 3:51 PM
    Reply # 1182441 on 631032

    Daniel, we are replacing the 2 marine heads on our WS42 ketch with 2 Nature's Heads.  I'd enjoy chatting about your decision and thought process sometime.

    However, your question was about the what to do with the through hull and their obligatory holes.  Since we had to eliminate 4 through hulls, a good thing, we've had to cross this bridge.  We have glassed over the holes with fiberglass and epoxy.  I look at it as a 2 part process:  the inside of the hull and the outside of the hull.  However, the key here is to ensure that the fiberblass "patch" is large enough to create a good sized bonding area and thick enough to be strong enough.

    To do the inside, we put Gorilla tape over the hole in the hull, filled the hole with West System Gap Filler, and layered several layers of cloth and epoxy over the area.  Once that cures, we did the outside.

    To do the outside it is important to remember that the hull needs to be smooth.  One could just layer a bunch of fiberglass with epoxy over the area, but it would look like He** and not work optimally!  The outside process is more involved because you have to grind out a concave area into which you will layer cloth and epoxy.  Once the lay-up is done and cured, it must be sanded and faired with epoxy fillers to match the hull.  I would recommend a barrier coat over the area for protection.

    There are several You Tube videos on this under the title of patching a hole in the hull.

    For me the worst part is pressing the trigger to start grinding the concave area.  The thoughts of messing up twists the stomach a bit, but once started it fairly straight forward.

    I have done this on several boats and it is more nerve wracking than difficult.  Like you thought process on composting heads, I am available to chat about the heads and the patching.

    Doug

     

  • January 17, 2013 5:28 PM
    Reply # 1182493 on 631032
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Dan: Along with Douglas description - here is a series of images of my first hull hole repair.  With Westsystems epoxy and fillers - some glass cloth - this is very do able project.

    Jay

  • January 18, 2013 6:03 AM
    Reply # 1182883 on 631032
    Deleted user
    My 2 pesos:  don't get in too big a hurry to remove the old thru-hulls.  Wait until you've had a chance to really give your composter a thorough work-out.  I procrastinated removing my thru hulls and, in the end, I was glad that I had as I ended up putting them back into use.

    -Steve
  • March 19, 2013 6:18 PM
    Reply # 1247075 on 631032
    Deleted user
    I just received our composting head for our w32 and I am a little nervous my wife is going to hate it. My first task taking it out of the box was to sit on it and I got to say, sitting on the pot is not very comfortable at all. Man that is some hard plastic. Otherwise it looks like a nice unit. 


    Last modified: March 19, 2013 6:18 PM | Deleted user
  • April 24, 2013 1:42 PM
    Reply # 1277837 on 631032
    Deleted user
    Figured I would give an update on the natures head I installed a month ago. 

    For starters we have had a few accidents but we figure thats its part of the learning process. We happen to pee a lot more than I imagined and when I say "we" thats being my wife, 3 year old son, and me. We overfilled the pee tank twice because its difficult to see if its full at times, unless your pee is yellow. Ill need to drink more beer!  We now dump it every other day. If you don't know, when the tank overfills it will spill into the holding carriage so its not the end of the world. Just panic for a few seconds and clean up the mess takes about 10 minutes. Urine should to get all over the cabin. 

    Now installing the natures head in a westsail is not difficult but it doesn't belong anywhere organically - if that makes since. We mounted it facing aft, opposite the old heads mounting platform. This was decided for two reasons a.) when sailing it allows the urine to flow downhill into the proper holes. b.) it was the only place that made it not so elevated, my wife is short and my son is three. If we mounted it on top of the old head platform it would be so elevated that even for me to sit on, and I am 6'1", would have required that I make a stepping stool just for the head. 

    And a few other truths. The head works great so far and since its cheap for peat moss that's a bonus. We have not installed a fan or ventilation yet and I tell you No smell still. We will install the fan and ventilation as soon as we feel its in the right spot, I am considering cutting out the fiberglass head mounting platform but man that's a lot of scaring on our beloved westsail. One small issue I have is teaching my strong peeing boy to hit the holes or sit down and pee. He is still three so thats not natures heads fault, I'm glad I am not paying for diapers anymore. With that said at times a urine smell alerts me that the boy missed again. We do place brown sugar in the urine tank to neutralize the smell. 

    So far we have not needed to change the dark mater but I have peeked inside when changing the urine tank. Its look is of dirt and paper and smells like dirt and paper. Not sure how to remove it yet other than by hand or scoop. 

    I am seriously considering placing a electrical pump in the urine tank to discharge it overboard when out at sea but again it's just a thought. 

    An improvement would be - A better seat, this hard plastic is just to hard on the buttocks. 

    Since photos here are tricky here ill post something on my blog soon. 

    I forgot to mention that we use a small yellow flower print squirt bottle to sort of rinse the urine left behind afterwards. Going number 2 is simple and mess free.
    Last modified: April 25, 2013 6:50 AM | Deleted user
  • April 28, 2013 8:48 PM
    Reply # 1280863 on 631032
    Deleted user
    We're also considering a composting head, and had several emails with Aaron (sv Asia Marie). He has some great support for the head and also as mentioned, suggested keeping the existing through-hulls in place for the time being. Check out his blog on it.
    Rob
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