R 22

Rhodes 22

 

Marine Head

I had the head added to my recycled boat. The enclosed head works well, but does take up a lot of space in the boat. We don't sleep 4 on board so the vberth is no a problem. My wife insisted on the enclosed head over using a porta-potti. However, the space is cramped, both side-to side and vertically. When sailing alone we usually don't close door. We're making a curtain for the hatch so we can do that also with guests.

Pumping the holding tank is not a problem as long as the pumping station works. I was ready to haul my boat last year when I found the pump at the ramp didn't work. The only alternative was to have the storage marina do it - big bucks.

The bottom line is that if you are looking for the maximum interior space, don't get the head. If you don't want to haul a porta-potti off the boat every weekend, and are willing to give up the space it's great.

BTW, there was someone on the list that applied the same logic to the galley counter. He had Stan take it out and put in another full length settee. He said they never cooked, so why take up all that space.

Dave Walker
S/V Windswept


On a more delicate subject: For our 1995 Rhodes we ordered a marine head with holding tank and deck fitting for pumping out the tank. With this set-up we have to have a dock based pump out facility to clear the holding tank.

This has proved to be awkward in areas where there aren't many pump- out facilities (Canada, San Juans, Channel Islands) and we're out for 3 or more days. We have used the ol' bucket method, but would rather not, frankly. The pump-out at our home marina was broken and badly repaired, to the point where we're avoiding using the head so we don't have to pump the tank.

Has anyone retrofitted a macerator pump to the holding tank? If so, where did you put it and how did you plumb, wire, and secure it? Also, has anyone added a larger holding tank to the boat? Our tank capacity only lasts us 2 to 3 days. For longer excursions, this doesn't work very well. It may be taking too much water to clear the head (the head is on the starboard and the holding tank is on the port, so it takes some pumping to move the waste to the tank from the head). Has anyone modified the area under the V-berth to hold a bigger waste tank and smaller water tank?

We would appreciate hearing from you and any ideas you have.

Julia and Jay
Sacramento


We have a Porta-potti on board Dynamic Equilibrium. It is plumbed up to a deck pump-out. However, the pumpout hose can also be easily removed so the Porta-potti can be taken ashore for sewage disposal in a land toilet.

-- Roger Pihlaja S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

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