The head, a must have on all cruising boats but for boats built before the requirement of a holding tank it can be a challenge. Crosswind has a manual head (no macerator) and a small holding tank - 380mm X 300mm X 450mm (15" X 12" X18'') and if used daily would require pumping out at least once a week, which is a 30 minute trip each way down the river. At heart I am a closet environmentalist and will not pollute our waterways, marine parks or oceans. So what are the options?
- Keep what I have, make best use of the amenities block and when I go cruising hope that each leg is short so I can use a pump out station before the tank is full.
- Fit a bigger holding tank. the only space suitable (above the waterline and size) is under the forward bunk but this takes away valuable storage space and would necessitate relocation the water maker. or
- Think outside the box and install a composting head. Turns waste into compost, is self contained and environmentally friendly - what more could I want.
There are two well known brands on the market which are suitable for yachts, Airhead and Nature's Head. Both are similar but in my case the choice was easy, Airhead is available and supported in Australia, Nature's
Head is not. I ordered the head from 'A Better Way To Go' in Melbourne and two days later it arrived. The staff went out of their way to answer my questions and even measure the base to check if it would fit on the existing shelf in the head. Thanks guys!
The first step was to remove the head - easy as it had not been connected for over 12 months. The next was to remove the holding tank and associated plumbing - not too hard but time consuming removing the plumbing. For now I have left the waste spigot in the deck and will decide what to do when its time to re-caulk the deck. Looking at the head I decided it could do with a freshen up similar to the forward cabin repaint. Looks like the head won't be in before Christmas.
The head, a must have on all cruising boats but for boats built before the requirement of a holding tank it can be a challenge. Crosswind has a manual head (no macerator) and a small holding tank - 380mm X 300mm X 450mm (15" X 12" X18'') and if used daily would require pumping out at least once a week, which is a 30 minute trip each way down the river. At heart I am a closet environmentalist and will not pollute our waterways, marine parks or oceans. So what are the options?
The first step was to remove the head - easy as it had not been connected for over 12 months. The next was to remove the holding tank and associated plumbing - not too hard but time consuming removing the plumbing. For now I have left the waste spigot in the deck and will decide what to do when its time to re-caulk the deck. Looking at the head I decided it could do with a freshen up similar to the forward cabin repaint. Looks like the head won't be in before Christmas.
Congratulations!! We are so excited to have our Airhead installed. There will be so much more room in your boat without all of the hoses and holding tanks.
ReplyDeleteDani
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