holding tank options?

[Stripermann2]

Jeff, my holding tank is under the Vbirth. I replaced my toilet and hoses a couple of years ago. It's fresh water supplied.

The macerator on the electric head does grind and pump to the holding tank. I have O/B discharge but of course, I use the discharge on the deck for pump out station to suck out. I know the the units are able to pump up to about 8 feet to your holding tank.

[Stripermann2]

Jeff,

I had the original head on my boat when we got her. The problem I have with the Sealand with tank, is the capacity and smell if only partially full. When it gets full, no...when it starts to get full, you will need to pump it out.

If you use the head and it's half full, it'll smell. If you have and clogg or vent problem, it's coming back up through the toilet. You overfill it, it's coming back up...

I also had an extra holding tank, which I still use, under the vbirth. If you do decide to use a single toilet w'tank, you can add a holding tank elswhere to pump to, before complete discharge is necc.

I forgot that you have two heads on your boat, I think.... If the one you want to replace is rarely used and you can remember to empty, from time to time, then go for it.

The down side to a remote tank and macerator from the toilet would be permeated hoses over the years, which will absorb oders and start to smell. I replaced all mine when I installed the new freshwater head.

Jeff, this is my preference and I believe that you should use what best suits you.

Peggy Hall is the marine sanitation's "Head Mistress" if you will. She is an expert at marine sanitation. You can google her to find out more. I have below, a link with many pages of some info which may help you decide. Also, she owned a Trojan!

http://cruisingresources.com/Marine_Toilets

[Mac32]

I posted a reply in the other thread about john at marine tech. But now I am curious.

Does my F32 still have the original Mansfield vacu-flush with fiberglass holding tank. Was this an upgrade along the way of her life? It works great, and the only thing that may need replacing down the road are the vacuum pump or head seals?

Do I have something good or is is a ticking time bomb?

Just curious, I never thought to ask about my crapper before.

[Stripermann2]

Jeff, remember...carrying holding tanks and emptying in marina restrooms is a big no-no. Frowned upon and may get you in trouble with the marina. That's why there are pump-outs. Maybe you can take the tank over to the pump-out station and do the deed.

Almost all marinas I visit have signs stating this.

How would you feel if you saw someone lugging in a tank and flushing down the toilet???

Just my .02 cents.

[TADTOOMUCH]

I agree with Striperman, it's a no no to dump in the restrooms of most all marinas that I have seen. I purchased a Raritan electric head and ran the hose to a pre-fabricated holding tank that I installed under my V-berth. I purchased the tank online at Plastic Mart model B101 which fits perfectly under the v-berth. Had to make some bracing so the tank does not move around in heavy seas. I then just connected to my deck fitting with hose to the bottom of the tank and from the head to the top of the tank and added two vent lines. Works great and holds about 80 gallons of crap. I installed an external tank level sensor and all works great. Toilet was about $850 and tank was about $350 and sensor was $80 and hose and clamps was about$100 I had a monomatic recirculating toilet before that had a six gallon tank underneath but I never used it because the recirculating function just sounding like it would smell like a port-a-potty on a hot 4th of July.

[Stripermann2]

I guess because folks pay to use the pump-out. And yes, I suppose it could be a real mess with spillage, clogged toilets, etc...

Boaters have to hold their onboard waste until properly treated and discharged or disposed of at a pump-out facility.

RV campsites will only let them dump their waste the same way...no restrooms allowed to discharge.

[mr elevman]

im installing a holding tank under the head the tank will be 35 gallons and the head holds 5 i pulled up the floor and half of the holding tank hight will be below floor level so it will be head, merserator pump, tank with a pump out allso i dont know about other places but here in nj the barnagat bay has 2 pump out boats and thair free just call them on the raido and set up a service call thay will come to you or you can meat them some ware also most marinas hear offer a free pump out with a fillup of fuel

[LandVF36]

It seems that I've had them all.

Not that handy: The portable. Still have one on a 22ft cuddy that we trailer. Captain's rule "It there down below. You use it, you dump it. Buy a new one ever 5 years (We bought the boat new in 92, on our 4th one now. The seals dry out when you carry them off the boat and to the restroom, they all eventually leak. As others noted, most Marina's won't allow you to carry them off your boat to empty.

The worst: The Monomatic type. I don't care how many chemicals you put in them things, they stink. On a 90 degree day, about an hour after a single "customer" and nobody wants to go below deck.

Better: The manual pump to a tank. Better, but here in MN, the -20 below temps in Jan/Feb crack the seals in the pump and it doesn't matter how much water you run through it before the rebuild kit goes in, you're playing with poop for about an hour every other spring.

Best: Its a tie between the Raritan+macerator type and the Vacuflush. Very little oder with either. Little maitenance with either. Get as big a tank as you can and a tank monitor / alarm though. If you have a crew of land lubbers on-board, you fill up the holding tank pretty fast. Also, make certain your vent runs up-hill, no droops, and no spices.

Our F36 had no vent line, but it definately had a vent on the tank. In the 30 years before I got her, when ever the tank was too full, the "stuff" exited the vent and collected between the bulkhead walls under the front closet! I filled up a 2 gal waste basket with the deposit! Yuk!