Marine head in 22' possible?

N

nesibus

New member
Is it possible to put some type of marine head with a holding tank in the 22' cruiser?

Before I go out and purchase one, I'd like to make sure this rigging would be possible, for those long weekend trips, I'd like something I could plug up to and discharge. The thought of...dumping...the small porta potty is not a pretty picture in my head.
 
I have owned both a 22 and a currently a 25. The simplicity of the porta potti vs the complexity of any kind of plumbed or composted toilet is very self evident to me after owning both. And having had to work on the toilet on the 25 twice in three years. The only reason I would order a 25 again with the marine head is possibly for the resale "value" someday in the future when someone without the experience of having had both thought he/she needed a marine head. The marine head has moving parts, gaskets, pumps, usually a through hull fitting for flushing, holding tank for the effluent, and a macerator pump with the switches and wiring that goes with it. A composting toilet only has the toilet a very small 12V fan and area that that requires. (Pat on Daydream might chime in here shortly) Either take up a lot of space on a 22 or a 25.

If the shower is important you can have one plumbed in the cockpit quite easily and probably also use it for a wash down system. A quick shower curtain can be rigged and put up for privacy. When you consider the extremely small amount of time you spend in the head/shower, it really takes up a large percentage of the space on a smaller vessel.

The porta-potti is small, easily moved to the cockpit, or a campsite or the sump site and very inexpensive, and quite easy to use and maintain.
 
dave, want to trade boats?? straight across? its not so much the plumbed toliet vs the port a potty as having a place to sit that is not in the middle of the cabin in front of the sink. I want to sit out of the way and out of sight behind a closed door. I can't tell if I am driving a boat or a toliet some times. To me its completely worth having regardless of the type of toliet. I would like the shower too. We would both like to stay on the hook for a week with out going to a dock or resort and with the 22 that is hard. You can rigg up a shower ofsome sort and we have a time or two but its a pain and considering its 49 out on june first, bathing on the back deck is not always fun or healthy. I say if you can afford it do it. Look at the larger port a potty that is plumed in and has a line going out side that you can pump the head out with. some one on here even had that set up in the v berth. I would like to see those pics again of the install.
 
If you haven't had experience with a porta-potty, it may seem gross at first blush. We've had them on other boats, and they are easy. You put some of the RV black tank stuff in them, and there really is very little smell or hassle.

Having said that, we like the fixed head on our 25... but that boat has the room for it. We have the RV type head that uses a fresh water flush, and I greatly prefer that over the typical marine head. Truly, it is like a big porta-potty, with the exception that you can't carry it around. The nasty smells one often finds in marine heads usually comes from the sea water used for the flush... and the critters in that that die and stink in the hoses. The other advantage of the fixed head in the 25 is the 9 gallon holding capacity - you can go a lot longer with that compared to a 2.5 or 5 gallon porta-potty.

Plumbing a fixed head in a 22 means that something has to go... there is only so much room, and the 22 is efficiently designed to utilize every inch. I recall someone here who eliminated the dinette to build in a enclosed head in their 22. Frankly, we use the dinette all the time... and sleep in the v-berth... and use all the storage cabinets... and we like our fixed head in the 25. But, there is nothing in the 22 that I would give up to install a fixed head. From my perspective, the porta-potty is the best solution in a 22; the 25 (and its extra space) gives you more options.
 
Why? If you want the c-22 just go and get yourself the camper canvas and use the back cockpit for your lavatory and put in a pressure washdown system and there is where you can put in a magazine rack and read your favorite c-dory brochures all the comforts of home with a waterfront view priceless . enjoy your boat keep it simple
 
I just have to get in my 2 cents worth. The port a potty works very well in any boat. A whole lot less trouble than a built in marine head. The hose runs on a built in will always need replacement in a few years. They are a source of odors many times as they age.

A potty can be dumped in any regular toilet ashore. many marinas have a special pipe to for dumping We have had boats with both systems and simplicity wins out in our book.

The only possible problem would be if you are on the hook for several days. You could always buy an extra bottom tank to use for times when you would not be able to dump.

Fred, Pat, and Mr. Grey(the cat)
 
My Campion has a perm. head with holding tank in the V-berth. Previous owner got very tired of tearing apart the V-berth in the middle of the night to do his business. He yanked it all out and put a portapotty, which we move into the cabin at night. Works great.

-Greg
 
Hi Folks,

A porta-Potty is the best thing since sliced bread. Works well on the 22'C-Dory. If you are tall, you might like the 13" high. Otherwise, the 15" high one will work. They now come with a way to pump out using dock side pumps. Much better than a built in Head. You can put it in the cockpit at night if you and your crew are apt to need it in the middle of the night. Can't do that with a built in head.

Fred
 
I didn't like the idea of the porta potti being under the v-berth so I had my canvas made with a custom enclosure in the cockpit. In brief, the canopy has a zipper in it that forms a "U' from one side of the rear starboard window, out towards the stern a couple of feet and back to the other side of the rear starboard window. A zip-in enclosure forms a head compartment in the cockpit. On the inside of the starboard window, I have some black mesh that velcro's in. That basically makes it impossible to see out when the zip in enclosure is deployed.
 
You'll never appreciate the Porta-Potti type head fully until you have to work on a plumbed-in head.

Much easier to simply clean out or even replace the entire Porta-Potti!


Then there's the cost factor:

New Porta-Potti = $75-$90

vs.

Macerator pump = $160

Manual head = $150-$300

High Tech Head = $600- $1400

plus tank, hoses, fittings, etc.


The KISS Principle Wins Again!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
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