Essentially refitting my "new" boat, need head/shower advice

[FutureStories]

Short story:
-Need electric head recommendations (would like manual option)
-need shower recommendations (whole system from fresh water-> shower bilge)


Long story:
I recently purchased a 1970 Irwin 32' as my first boat. I bought it as a weekend cruiser, weekday crash pad and potential Air BNb rental. I bought it because it had NEW sails and self tailing winches with a roller furl, and new canvas covers. All things I know are $$$

The interior however is not the best (definitely not the worst!! Still livable) but the previous owner used her as a day sailer. So no shore power, no shower and a portable head.

The pervious owner also killed the floors by gluing carpet on top so that'll be a fun task.

I'm looking to put an electric head in (non negotiable I have a girlfriend and plan on airbnb)

What model electric heads are preferred? Are the manual option ones feasible or too many moving parts? I'd like to get into cruising and live on my boat for days, weeks, months etc...

I also need a shower. And was wondering what setups most people use. After giving it a lot of thought I think I'd like to put in an instant system with a compressor to keep hot water and pressure for as long as possible (remember girlfriend and rental)

What shower bilges are recommended and preferred?

While I'm modding what are some of your favorite upgrades?

Future projects I'd like to get into involve:
-Turning the port side 1/4 berth into a dresser/tool box (placing outlets there to charge tool batteries)
-turning starboard bench into full length galley counter
-installing ice maker into counter, converting ice box to fridge, putting a corner double sink in. Custom cabinets/drawers throughout
- installing new floor 3" higher to add more space to hide wiring/ plumbing and easier access. Plus removes awkward sloped floor in bunk area (still plenty of headroom sacrificing 3")
-reupholstering all my cushions, adding a "tufted headboard" in the front of the v-berth to hide the anchor, create a small air gap from the fiberglass, hide custom shelves for extra storage

Any other projects I should take on while I'm ripping everything out slowly?

Anything I definitely shouldn't do?

[Cheechako]

-I would use one of the new variable fresh water pumps thus eliminating the accumulator tank etc.
-Shower sump: forget a bilge type pump and catch basin. Just use a pump after the drain and one of those small plastic sea strainers. Have a toggle switch in the shower stall/cabinet to turn the pump on. The exit thru hull can be above the waterline.
-Mod your under sink galley door or another nearby to "tip out" or swing out for a plastic garbage bin. Buy the bin and design around it. Keeps garbage smell low and is convenient.
-If I were you I would do only the "must do" work until you live aboard for a while. Why build the floor up? Remove the old stuff and put more carpet down if necessary. Those 2' x2' interlocking firm foam tiles are good for the floor for a while also. Easy on the feet and keep the floor warm.
Make a list and prioritize. Must haves from nice to haves. Don't start tearing the interior out. Way too much work to redo the whole thing.

[u4ea32]

Vacuflush head, plumbed with fresh water flush. There is a reason these have essentially taken over the RV market. Minimal water use means the holding tank fills up much slower. Always be sure to use a large vent to the holding tank, at least a half inch. The key to ensuring the boat does not smell due to the head is (1) fresh water, never salt water in the head, and (2) lots of ventilation in the holding tank, so aerobic microbes thrive instead of the aerobic microbes that smell awful.

[FutureStories]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

-I would use one of the new variable fresh water pumps thus eliminating the accumulator tank etc.
-Shower sump: forget a bilge type pump and catch basin. Just use a pump after the drain and one of those small plastic sea strainers. Have a toggle switch in the shower stall/cabinet to turn the pump on. The exit thru hull can be above the waterline.
-Mod your under sink galley door or another nearby to "tip out" or swing out for a plastic garbage bin. Buy the bin and design around it. Keeps garbage smell low and is convenient.
-If I were you I would do only the "must do" work until you live aboard for a while. Why build the floor up? Remove the old stuff and put more carpet down if necessary. Those 2' x2' interlocking firm foam tiles are good for the floor for a while also. Easy on the feet and keep the floor warm.
Make a list and prioritize. Must haves from nice to haves. Don't start tearing the interior out. Way too much work to redo the whole thing.

Smart! Trash is always a pain in the ass! Good tip. I'll definitely use this in my design.

I was bringing the floor up slightly to eliminate the sloped floors, drives me insane. And make accessing all the added accessories easier. I looked at a main ship where all the floor panels pulled up and you could access everything easily. I've got more than enough head room and after busting my knuckles so badly replacing the packing joint for my center board I decided I'd like to have more room for repairs down the road. (It's the same reason I like to drive old cars)

[FutureStories]

Originally Posted by u4ea32

Vacuflush head, plumbed with fresh water flush. There is a reason these have essentially taken over the RV market. Minimal water use means the holding tank fills up much slower. Always be sure to use a large vent to the holding tank, at least a half inch. The key to ensuring the boat does not smell due to the head is (1) fresh water, never salt water in the head, and (2) lots of ventilation in the holding tank, so aerobic microbes thrive instead of the aerobic microbes that smell awful.

Any idea where to get a price on these. Been digging around some and can't seem to get a straight price. Makes sense. And flushing with a pint of water sounds good to me! Because I would like to go on long trips once I have some of the interior complete.

[Dougtiff]

Unless you can find a used VACUFLUSH and do the install your self, one must be certified to do the install of these units. the install is very exacting, as it is under VACUME and any leak will cycle the pump on and it is noisy, the perfect install will leak down every hour and the pump will turn on for about 10 second's as i recall, as already stated it uses minimum FRESH water.

[toddster8]

I'm pretty skeptical about doing AirBnB in the marina. One guy has been getting away with it on my dock, but that means his unsupervised guests have access to everybody's boats. "Everybody" was not consulted and did not sign on to this. And things have started to go missing. Might not be his fault, but he's first in line for the blame. One complaint is all it takes.

Plus, I've been doing AirBnB on the ranch for two years, and somebody breaks something every week. People clog the head at least once a month. Things on the boat are much more breakable and clog-able than on the ranch. No matter how idiot proof it might seem.

Ordinary six-gallon engine/electric water heater is plenty. It heats fast, and you won't use all that much for a shower with a low-flow RV shower head. 12V on-demand pump runs around $100 and is plenty for a RV shower, even without an accumulator tank. If you don't have a shower pan with a low-profile bilge pump in place, squeezing that in could be the trickiest part. Could let it just drain to the main bilge, if possible, but some day you're gonna want that bilge filled with cold beer.

[brendanwalls]

I'm thinking of doing exactly the same work with my B24 by extending the v-berth into the forepeak to give me an extra 32 inches under the forward hatch, one side of which will be a private head and the other side the shower. I don't know if there'll be enough room for holding tanks under the v-berth or settees. I'll have to figure that out, as well as a keeping enough room in the forepeak for rode and chain.

[BamBaLam]

I second the Vacuflush. We live on a SeaRay 480 Sedan Bridge and they're the best. Most marine mechanics can work on them, plus the parts are available at West Marine, Amazon and most RV stores.

[u4ea32]

Originally Posted by Dougtiff

Unless you can find a used VACUFLUSH and do the install your self, one must be certified to do the install of these units. the install is very exacting, as it is under VACUME ...

Having a professional installer do it is always an option.

However, its very, very simple, certainly no more complicated than any other head installation -- you never want leaks! There is nothing difficult.

Originally Posted by Dougtiff

... and any leak will cycle the pump on and it is noisy, the perfect install will leak down every hour and the pump will turn on for about 10 second's as i recall, as already stated it uses minimum FRESH water.

Its very unusual for the vacuum to leak down, maybe once a week. If its more than that (in my many years of using these things) its never required more than using the toilet brush around the seal on the bowl, usually tiny bits of toilet paper allows a little leak.

The pumps are noisy on electric heads, including Vacuflush heads.

The quietest I have used are the Raritan Elegance. What I don't like about them is they use a bit more water, and most sailboats have very small holding tanks, so minimizing water makes a really big difference in time between pump-outs. Also, while the Raritan Elegance is very compact and easy to install, its also much harder to service the motor and macerator, as they are tightly fit into the ceramic base of the unit. Also, all rotary pumps clog easier than the diaphragm pumps used by SeaLand on the Vacuflush.

Those diaphragm pumps are a BIG factor in reliability of the head unit. I like to use the Sealand diaphragm macerator pumps for head-to-tank and tank-to-overboard. Never clog. Expect to use one as a shower sump pump too over the next couple of months.

[FutureStories]

Alright. Thanks for all the input. All the head research got my head spinning!!!

After much consideration I think I've figured everything out!

Sticking with my initial instinct to raise the floor 3-4" to give myself extra room and cusomtize the entire boat. Spent the afternoon mapping current configuration and figuring out how to mod it to my needs (making a classic modern while paying homage to her classic appeal)

Vacuflush seems to be key. Everyone is raving about it. So I'll spend the extra coin and finish that project just before summer (hopefully before summer 2017!) if there's one thing worth spending extra money on it's a head! I hated how foul the one head always smelled on the house boat I lived on. Musta been flushing with harbor water... Baltimore is nasty!

All in all I don't think it's gonna be too bad of a project. I'll upload a picture of my plans when I've mapped them out. Only thing I'm worried about is not being able to move the head from next to the door to back against the wall due to the exterior slope being pretty extreme in that area. That will really put a damper on my bathroom design since I have to create a custom drain box. Making the 3" raise overall essential. Also will let me fit larger fresh water storage, holding tanks, and give me more access! Yay less knuckle busting

[KadeyKrogen38]

AirB&B on a boat-NOTE: Insurance Companies consider this a charter. Make sure you have the proper chartering provisions included, else you will have no coverage for damages or liability.

[FutureStories]

Good call. I'll text my insurance guy now. I won't have it ready for airbnb for a while. But great point! Thanks

[dmalcol1]

Sound to me she will no-longer be in recreational vessel category first query other insurance company just so your present insurer does not get nervous.
You are about to enter a whole new world of rules.

[Duece]

FutureStories,
It just so happens that I pulled a vacuflush system off my 41' Tai Chao just last week (it had 2 installed by PO).

It consists of the seat: Dometic Model# SO148
Dometic Vacuflush Unit# VG4

See Pics! They still need to be cleaned up, but are practically new!

If you are interested you can call me @ 979-482-3763.