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Ensure the Portable Commode Stays Upright!

INDEX - Ceramic Marine Head, Portable Black Water Tank

Panache

NOTE: As a person goes through various journeys in life, sometimes an event occurs that "wakes you up" to the unexpected.  The "enlightening" experience that prompted me to write this Tech Tip doesn't usually happen in a vertical oriented world and my "grey matter" kicked into overdrive for a solution.  Sometimes s__t just happens. (Sorry but I just couldn't resist this).

CONSTRUCTION - Panache's head is manufactured by VIPi.  It is located in the factory designated spot, between the port bulkhead and the V-berth.  It can be no taller than 13.5" to allow the filler board to lay across the aft end of the berth.  If I'm sailing solo when nature calls, I generally flip the boat to starboard hove to so I have right of way.  In hove to the head is calm and I don't have any accidents.

The portable head consists of two sections; the lower section is the holding tank and the upper section houses the flush water tank, pump and waste bowl.  There is a very robust seal and valve between the two sections with two over center clamps holding them together on the sides.  The clamps are brutally strong.  Both sections have a formed carrying handle at the back that make for secure handling.  This is pretty standard construction for most porta-potties. 

INSTALLATION - This head sits on the cabin floor between four vinyl corner brackets to prevent it from sliding.  Oh so important when nature calls while under way.  This is a very nice feature installed by the previous owner.  I have no idea where he got the brackets from.  The steel screws will stay till they corrode free, or I get ambitious.  I have not seen a reason to be that ambitious!

To keep the head upright and prevent a spill, I installed a small cleat low on the wall, directly behind the head as you can see below.  This creates a strong spot to tie the head to.  Each fitting is through bolted to a mahogany backing block that can be accessed by going through the forward berth hatch.  It helps to be a contortionist.  Use a nylock nut so the assembly stays secure and doesn't surprise you by coming apart.  Later I added a fairlead above the cleat to hold the line up as it is impossible to reach with the head in place.  I use a locking slipknot (shoe knot) for compactness in this tight spot.  The location is simply too confined while lifting/placing a heavy fully loaded head. 

Variations of the following technique can be applied to the head on your boat as not all porta-potties are designed the same.  The trick is to make it very strong and convenient to secure.

PS: The wire ring in the photo has nothing to do with sailing.  It was used to attach a lift ticket to my ski jacket.  By the end of a ski season it is not uncommon to have 10 tickets glued to the same ring, one over the other.  It was bugging me so I ripped it off and ended up in the photo by accident.  Now you know. 

KEEP THE COMMODE FRESH - There is nothing worse than a head that smells.  It is better to do something about the problem just after the "paper work" is done, than leave it for later.  So I screwed a 2" ABS pipe in the back corner of the head compartment to drop a bowl brush in.  The bottom is left open for ventilation and cleaning.  Aaagh!  Enough said.

A SLICK IDEA:  My wife and I really didn't like the head under the V berth.  It's a hard place to get to, especially when someone is sleeping in the V berth, and the headroom (no pun intended) is pretty low.  Plus, the floor space under that removable board can provide a LOT of quality storage without a porta-potty there!
I solved the problem by putting the porta-potty that came with Knotless II under the companionway hatch, behind the ladder.  It makes it very easy for "The Mrs." to get to and she has room to move around, even stand up if the sliding hatch is open.  Privacy is assured (as much as is possible on a 23 foot boat) by having the drop boards in place.
The porta-potty we have is kind of small.  One with a bigger tank would be better.  Alas, it works so replacing it with something bigger is not much of a priority.  Just my thoughts on how I solved the potty problem.   Bill Ward.
 

______________________________ CERAMIC MARINE HEAD ___________________________________

The majority of SJ23s are equipped with a portable potty as shown above.  However, there are a few SJ23s that can sail beyond the 3 mile limit, where a boat  is allowed to discharge a holding tank.  For these folks a ceramic head is definitely the way to go.  There is nothing like using a head that is firmly bolted to the floor.  Oh the joy of it all.  On the other hand, words can't describe the "thrill" of repairing a plugged head or one with leaky plumbing.  A portable unit is far more pleasant to repair, if I can use that expression.  I'm not going further with this.

Ceramic marine heads are manufactured with various mounting arrangements.  The one shown at right is the only one I know installed on an SJ23 and gives you a good idea of an installation.  It is firmly bolted to the floor with about 3" of vertical clearance under the flat floor to accommodate the plumbing.  This installation was done many years ago but I recall the owner had a difficult time with it which is why he added the extra access hatch behind the head.  Even if this hatch is not required to install the head, it opens access to a huge storage volume and the bulkhead mounting bolts.  See Tech Tip B07.  This is all I know of this installation.

PLUMBING - A marine head is equipped with a joker valve (the grey handle shown at right) that macerates the solid waste to a consistency resembling a liquid which makes it possible to pump the stuff through a 1.5" ID hose.  It might surprise you but paper is actually the biggest problem, not the human waste.  The valve pumps only one way so it is possible to pump fluid uphill or install the drain hose around obstacles inside the hull.   Absolutely nobody installs a plumbing line with free space around it, do they?  Use PVC plumbing pipe and fittings for the rigid line from the bowl to the valve.  Approved PVC pipe and fittings are available at a local plumbing supply.  The ball valve is specific to this task and available at West Marine.  They also sell the 1.5" drain hose in white vinyl which has an absolutely smooth bore, for all the obvious reasons.  Soak the ends in hot water to slide it over a barbed nipple and use double stainless clamps to hold it there.  The flush water is drawn from the through hull fitting to the head through a 3/4" suction hose (fiber reinforced clear vinyl).  If you plumb your holding tank overboard (see note below) then do so through a sea cock equipped with a ball valve to keep the boat afloat.  Ditto for the flush water line.
All plumbing hoses MUST be none-permeable to contain odour.  Functionally it doesn't matter if a line or hose is sloped to drain dry, but that is the way I would install it for winter storage.  In the Fall you simply pump some RV anti-freeze down the lines and you are protected from freezing damage.  But it also makes sense to rinse them clean as much as possible by successive flushing before you add the antifreeze.  Leave your ball valve 1/2 open so the water isn't trapped between the ball and casing where it can break the valve case resulting in that nasty sinking feeling at the next launch.

VENTING - The holding tank must have an external air vent located high outside the hull.  Ensure that it stays open at all times.  If you can't flush the head or pump out the holding tank then quite likely the vent line is plugged or restricted.  If you have the tank pumped out at a shore facility then make double sure the vent line is functioning properly since the shore pump can quite easily collapse the holding tank down to the size of a quart!  This can happen so quick it'll make your head spin.  So be careful. 

PORTABLE BLACK WATER TANK - Many people will opt for a black water holding tank to make the boat compliant in coastal and inland water.  But a permanent tank is difficult to install on a small sailboat like an SJ23 and is virtually impossible to clean.  As an alternative you could install a robust portable vinyl gas jug that is both manageable and compliant.  I know of several people who use a 5 gallon gas jug for a holding tank on a 30' sailboat.  It meets all the 'pressure' and 'gas' permeability requirements to hold sewage, at a significantly lower cost.  Additionally it eliminates a thru hull fitting and simplifies the shore dumping procedure.  Five gallons is bigger than the average Portta-Potti so it should last 2 days for two crew, especially if the guys are agile enough to whiz overboard!  Carry a second jug to maintain system operation while dumping the full jug.  They aren't that expensive and can keep the crew back onboard from getting cross-eyed while you are looking for a pump out station.  Just saying.

On an SJ23 you could install the jug under the V-berth, standing upright on the center line of the hull, against the inside bulkhead.  If it is set in the upright position on a wood shelf equipped with fiddles and strapped to the fibreglass bulkhead it can't accidentally drain.  I haven't gone onboard yet to determine where the gas jug could fit.  The drain hose also requires a top quality plastic ball valve to shut off the hose while the tank is disconnected.  The valve must be positioned high so fluids drain away from it and NO fluid flows out when it is disconnected from the jug.  Make the last flush clean water, just in case!  Don't say I didn't warn you!  The loose cap is tied to the tank handle in the diagram above which saves having to look for it! 

• VENT - The vent hose can be screwed to the tank vent fitting and must be directed outside the hull. 
• PLUMBING - If this jug is used for black water, the flexible drain hose fittings are not readily available so this installation demands you do some research.  The inlet fitting consists of a modified version of the pour spout.  While the gas spout is tapered, you must find a straight one for sewage.  A straight fitting of the correct OD lends itself to a kitchen sink P trap connection.  Connect and disconnect would be done at the jug cap.  It should go without saying that it is prudent to install a second cap on the jug to transport it!
• PS: It's probably wise to label these jugs so you don't take them to the gas pump!  Damn that would be embarrassing.

SYSTEM OPERATION - Stick your head into the V berth access hole and shine a flashlight against the outside of the jug to see the fluid level.  When the tank is almost full, give it one last flush with clean water, let the water drain and close the ball valve, disconnect the hose, cap the jug and switch it out for a replacement jug.  DON'T wait till the jug is full to the brim!  The risk is too great!  Dump a glug or two of "blue stuff" in an empty jug to break down the new waste and control the odour.  Use biodegradable toilet paper.

NOTES

1. The through hull fittings for flush and waste water must be located on opposite sides of the hull.  The through hull fitting for the sink tap must be downstream of the flush water fitting, although many times it comes off the inboard engine.

2. If the boat is unattended for several weeks, it is possible to build up a horrible smell in the cabin which usually comes from the inlet line.  This is from bacteria that has the audacity to die inside the hose, creating H₂S gas from the decomposing carcasses.  The bacteria can be minimized by pumping copious quantities of clean water through the head just prior to leaving the boat. Salt water is a natural antiseptic.

3. NEVER operate a permanent marine head without a holding tank as it is NOT ecologically acceptable to discharge raw sewage into the confined space of a bay or harbour.  Neither is it acceptable to empty a portable potty or portable tank into an unapproved facility.  Always check and understand your local regulations.

LINKS
Install a Marine Head - http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/13.htm

Marine Heads - http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/boatkeeper/heads.pdf

Composting Head - http://www.marinesurveyor.com/articles/kant06a.html
 

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