Mahe 36: Heads

[Talbot]

Originally Posted by MKB53

Regarding the toilet/backflow issues. I am planning to put a Jabsco electric conversion on the toilet as you have to have a mascerator in Queensland.

Most toilet pumps act as a macerator anyway, as that is the best way to get the contents round and through valves!

My understanding of the Jabsco is that it works well, but is very noisey especially in the middle of the night in a quiet anchorage!

[Cotemar]

Mahe's,

1) We installed Shower Curtains with a wall to wall shower rod.

The rods are just attached with some .062” SS wire from the stanchion bolt on one side and a loop of SS wire up over the top ridge on the other side. It was an easy job that took about 10 minutes

2) Installed two Towel Racks in each head.

Makes for less cleaning now that all the shower water stays just in the back shower area.

Mark

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by MKB53

The good thing about this thread is that we all seem to have had similar issues and there is great feedback on them.

I have been racking my brains to think of a way around the anchor retrieval issue. You should use the engines anyway otherwise you stress the winch but the fact that it does not easily swing back and can damage the hulls bothers me.

Regarding the toilet/backflow issues. I am planning to put a Jabsco electric conversion on the toilet as you have to have a mascerator in Queensland. These units are really neat (but costly) and are just bolt on replacements for the manual pump fitting. I like the simplicity and the fact that you could always fit the manual again if anything breaks.

Does anyone have any experience of these units? The alternative is to replace the whole bowl with an electric one which is the same cost but not as elegant a solution.

At least either solution should stop the backflow!

Cheers
Martin

I have an old Jabsco electric conversion on the after head of my boat.

It is incredibly noisy but it works excellent. It integrates perfectly with the existing toilet and is not inelegant at all. It is 10 years old and still working perfectly.

I love the idea of macerating right at the toilet. I think it must greatly reduce the risk of clogs.

I say go for it. I would only recommend perhaps trying the newer "silent flush" models. The standard one sounds like a bow thruster, and vibrates the whole boat, which makes it somewhat embarrassing when you get up to pee in the middle of the night with a boat full of guests on board.

I am planning to convert the forward toilet, as well, when I get around to it.

The great thing about the electric conversions, as opposed to toilets electric from the start, is that you can keep the manual pump, and if there is ever any fault with the electric part, you can convert it back to manual in about five minutes.

Some people curse Jabsco toilets, but I have cruised with them for decades and find them perfectly adequate. From time to time (average, 10 years) you just throw away the pump and put on a new one. Or throw away the whole toilet. It costs less than a rebuild kit for some other types of marine toilets!


By the way (to the OP): if you don't want to convert to electric, the new Jabsco hand pumps have a "twist and lock" function which will prevent backflow.

[YourOldNemesis]

1) to avoid the smell, clean with vinegar once a week
2) to avoid the noise of the electric heads when you go for a pee in the middle of the night, use the upstairs toilet!

[Cotemar]

Mahe’s

Here is what is behind those panels just above and behind your toilets.
These are your Sewage Tanks with a capacity 11.8 gal. or (44.6 liters) per tank.

This is a very simple boat sewage system and little to no maintenance is required.

Just wanted to show you the details of this system so you know what’s behind door # 2

Mark

[Jef & Marin, Netherlands]

Hi all,
I would like to share some experience with the Jabsco manual toilet.
In our Mahe nr 88, the previous (until 2007) version was mounted. We regularly had backflow, even in the first months. Maintenance (like cleaning vinegar) and replacing valves works for some time, like 1 year. The problem is that urine and salt water create insoluble salts, which adhere to the valves, causing the backflow. Even a long-term stay of the valves in cleaning vinegar does not dissolve it adequately.
This means you have to flush your urine very very well. Due to the holding tank construction there is a kind of urine/slat water container, being the volume of the up-going hose. To get all urine out, I guess you have to flush at least 20 times, which you don't do at night with guest.

The backflow is not very nice, especially with bigger waves the brown stuff will be all over the heads.

The backflow has been solved by purchasing the new version of the Jabsco toilet. This is nearly the same as the previous, but includes a "twist and lock" pump handle. This works very well, since then we have had no backflow.
I guess this new version has been specifically developed to prevent backflow.
It cost 150 euro, but this includes a new set of valves which you need at some moment anyhow. Plus you have a lot of spares.
----- Anybody want to purchase a Jabsco toilet, previous model, used for 1 year, in good shape? ------

OK, then the sqeaking problem. Especially when you add vinegar to the toilet, it starts to sqeak. Nice for the guests at night. Plus you get the feeling the sound must be scoring the cylinder.
We tried a lot of things.... Vegetable oils, baby oil, vaseline. It all works for a few days maximum. If you take the cylinder apart, and apply vaseline, it might work a few weeks.
Now we found a solution with little effort. Yes!
Get a small bottle of coconut oil. This stuff is a white solid until 35 degrees centigrade, transparant and fluid above that. Since we are normally sailing in shitty climate, to melt the stuff we just put the bottle in front of the hot air from the heater.
Then pour a watery fluid of over 35 degrees centigrade (e.g. body temperature) in the toilet. This yellow fluid can be produced by drinking an adequate quantity of beer. Add some coconut oil. Then flush softly, giving the coconut oil the time to solidify on the cooler inside wall of the cylinder.
And presto, problem solved for a few weeks.

If you apply for patent, I want half of the earnings.

I would not choose an electric toilet myself. It is heavier, noisier, more expensive, takes electricity, and will break down more often than the manual version. Plus it requires fresh water, the weight of which makes your boat slower.

I am considering to change the holding tank hose lay-out. Maybe by adding a valve (or two-way valve) which allows the water to exit immediately from the toilet without passing through the holding tank. Solves the urine-issue mentioned above. Maybe less smells as well, although this is not really a problem.

Happy 2011, with many nautical miles,
Jef and Marin

[nigel1]

You can just purchase the twist and lock pump assembly alone, cheapest I have seen is £50. As a service kit cost half that, buying the new pump seems quite economical.

[Cotemar]

Jef,

Urine interacts with salt water to make calcium deposits.
We started using "Fresh Water Flush" which eliminates the calcium deposits.

We leave the toilet seawater inlet valve closed. When flushing the toilet, we just leave a cup next to the sink and fill it with water from the sink and pour it in the toilet and pump the valve.

#1 Use one cup of water then pump valve
#2 Use three cups of water in the bowl before you start. When finished then pump like crazy.

This year I looked in my fittings and hoses and there is no build up in them at all.

You may be interested in this post if you want to change your hoses.
When the time comes this is what I will be doing.
As you can see in this post I have some experience with changing out Sewage hose and using PVC piping and The Foil Tape Method

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post585670 PVC Piping Method

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post1377635 Foil Tape Method

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post586479

Mark

[Jef & Marin, Netherlands]

Nigel, you're right, that is cheaper. However the shipyard of our boat had destroyed one of the 4 threads of the bottom plastic piece of the toilet, the large piece that connects the bowl to the pump. That was another 60 euro's I would have to spend. Or start another warranty claim with the dealer; but how do you prove the shipyard destroyed the thread when converting the toilet from pump on the right to pump on the left? Probably by using an electric screwdriver, if not pneumatic?

[Jef & Marin, Netherlands]

Mark, nice idea to replace the hose with pipe. However the post about the danger of the PVC pipe cracking below the waterline is very valid. This is a risk that I am not going to take, with our sailing plans. (I promised to visit an aunt in Sydney with Miss Poes).

[Cotemar]

Mahe’s

Have been struggling with this for a few seasons now.
Wanted a screen on our emergency hatchs, an also wanted a blind for when we take showers.

Found a Surface Skyscreen Size 54; 20" x 15-3/8"

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|6880|6881|301238&id=188900

Purchased them on sale for $188 each. Yes thats a lot of money , but boy do they work sweet.

Their are two options if you would like to do this install.
1) Just purchase and install with Scotch indoor/outdoor super heavy duty mounting tape and you’re done in 30 minutes. This will get you a screen and a black out shade (no light)

2) I opted to do a screen and a frosted shade, which lets in a lot of light but still has privacy. This was accomplished by removing the black out shade and replacing it with a piece of frosted shower curtain. This takes about 2 hours longer, but brings in more light when showering.

This is a sweet upgrade that we have wanted to do for some time.
Had to do some research on size and function to accomplish an open, screen and blind all in one.

Mark

[Scott730]

Mark
I took the easy way out and just placed velcro around the frame and sewed velcro around a screen. the screen works great and cost me less than $10. We also velcroed a blind on top of the screen for privacy. The blind can be rolled up or removed.

[Cotemar]

Mahe’s

My kids where having a real hard time with the push button on the shower sump pump.
It was too hard for them to use while they showered.

We changed out the push button to a water tight on off switch. It is much easer to use now.

Al (longislandsail) on Southern Cross had done his last year for the same reason, so I followed his lead. Thanks for the good ideas Al.

Mark

[Cotemar]

Mahe’s

My kids where having a tough time showing, because of having to turn the water on and off and also trying to maintain the water temperature.

I purchased one of these on off valves at Home Depot that fits right in between the hose and shower head. This way you just turn it on and off as needed without messing up your water temperature.

Mark

[Jef & Marin, Netherlands]

Here is an advise to take some spares with you....
Yesterday, during sailing, a leak developed at the heads faucet. This resulted in maybe 50 liters of water in the starboard bilge.
So I looked on the internet, found an O-ring shop here in Amsterdam, took the hand-plotter and a bicycle and cycled 5 km to the shop.

The cause? It might be that standard O-rings were used, that are good till 80 degrees centigrade. I put in Viton O-rings which are stronger and can withstand 220 degrees centigrade. These will hopefully last longer than 3 years.

Well, this happened in Amsterdam where you can buy anything. On a holiday such a leak is inconvenient to say at least.
Therefore my suggestion is that Mahe sailors take these O-rings as spares.
2 pieces of either 7.94*1.78 or 7.8*1.7 mm (inner diameter*material diameter) are required. And purchase a fiber ring of 9 mm outer diameter as well, this goes between the faucet outlet and the shower hose.
Cost around 1 euro.

Tools required: 13 mm and 14 mm spanners, 2 adjustable wrenches for larger diameter. Some vaseline or waterproof grease. Size 3 screwdriver. A torchlight. A bit of patience.

Bye,
Jef