TWL: Surveyors, Heaters & Sanitation
To the list
I have received great advice in the past from this list and thank all of you
who responded to my postings while I was making my search for a boat.
I have finally purchased an Ocean Alexander Mark I built in 1979. My
comments are about surveyors. I made a mistake in letting my broker select
the surveyor. I'll never do that again. He missed some things and I am now
paying for it in dollars$$$. I am having to replace the house batteries,
they were put in in 1997 and could not hold a charge. The port transmission
had very little oil in it and I could easily lost that transmission. There
is a bundle of wire under the pilot house consol that is fused. All you had
to do was look, it was easy to see. The Espar heater doesn't work and I
have to replace it. The transmission bolts were finger loose and the same
for bolts around the rudder shafts. I asked him to specifically to check
the fuel tanks. I'm sure he didn't because I am now getting rust in the
fuel filters. The door that leads from the Portguese Bridge to the forward
deck is split at a seam and the forward windows in the Pilothouse leak. I'm
sure there are other things we haven't caught. None of these things would
have changed my mind about buying the boat but I sure would have negotiated
the price down some or had them corrected before I approved the survey.
I brought the boat home to Port Ludlow and have taken one other short curise
just before New Years, and I am very fortunate I didn't lose the port
transmission.
I have spend some time at the Seattle boat show and am considering replacing
the Espar with either a Kobola, Webasto or Hurricane hydronic heating
system. Any comments about these. I am going to replace the heads which
are electric with a vacuflush and a manual in the guest head. The short
cruise before New Years with novice guests taught me that I need more full
proof heads. Any recommendations here.
I am also going to replace the shaft seals with dripless. Any
recommendations here. The Ocean Alexander yard and the Philbrook yards are
recommending the PSS dripless shafts.
I am getting bids on these from local yards as well as a Canadian yard in
Sydney, BC. Any experience with the Philbrook yard in Sydney.
--Hal
Hal,
You are assuming that the surveyor missed these things. I suggest that he
either never looked/checked or saw and didn't include in report.
PSS is a local firm. It makes sense to get the shaft seals from them as
opposed to Tides in Michigan. Ron Rogers
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hal Bergmann" halbergmann@cablespeed.com
|
| I have finally purchased an Ocean Alexander Mark I built in 1979. My
| comments are about surveyors. I made a mistake in letting my broker
select
| the surveyor. I'll never do that again. He missed some things and I am
now
| paying for it in dollars$$$.
|
| I am also going to replace the shaft seals with dripless. Any
| recommendations here. The Ocean Alexander yard and the Philbrook yards
are
| recommending the PSS dripless shafts.
Hal Bergmann wrote:
I am going to replace the heads which
are electric with a vacuflush and a manual in the guest head. The short
cruise before New Years with novice guests taught me that I need more
full
proof heads. Any recommendations here.
You don't have to spend what a VacuFlush costs to get everything it
offers and more. I'm not knocking VacuFlush...I had 'em on my last two
boats and would click my heels if I were to buy a boat on which they wer
already installed, but would never spend my own money again for 'em,
'cuz now just about every toilet mfr has at least one model that offers
everything it does for 1/4-/12 the price.
For about 1/3 the cost of a VacuFlush installed, the pressurized flush
water version of the Raritan Atlantes is the closest thing to the "one
at home" anyone could ask for...the bowl can even hold water if you want
it to, which can be drained by using the "dry" mode. Touch pad makes
flushing a no brainer, and offers 4 flush options including dry...and
only uses about a quart of water/flush. Check it out on the Raritan
website at http://www.raritaneng.com
Another excellent choice is the Tecma--an Italian toilet imported by
Wilcox-Crittenden--also well under $1000 installed. I've heard nothing
but good things about it. Take a look at it on the W-C website at
http://www.wilcox-crittenden.com
I don't think a manual toilet would be the choice for the guest head if
you want one that's child/landlubber-proof. For that, I'd go with a
Raritan SeaEra--macerating electric, available in both raw and
pressurized water models for around $400. Another $50 or so for a timer
on the flush button would be a wise investment.
There is no such thing as a marine toilet that will "swallow" anything a
guest can put into it. However, there is a solution:
A small "diaper pail" with a lid, liners, and ziplock sandwich bags,
that lives in your dock locker except when landlubber guests are
expected. Then it goes into the head beside the toilet and instructions
to guests then become simple: unless you've eaten it first, it goes in
the pail. NO exceptions, not even a toothpick. (You can make a sign to
hang in the head if you're really uncomfortable telling them). You don't
have to explain what the sandwich bags are for, they'll figure that out
for themselves and use them. Just make sure they're in plain sight.
When the guests go home, the liner goes to the dumpster with the rest of
the trash and the pail and sign go back into the dock locker.
You really DO need to explain to guests how to flush the toilet, but a
lot of people seem to be uncomfortable about how to approach that. The
easiest way is to make it just another part of your "this is where
everything is and how it works" tour of the boat--something you should
do for ALL first-time guests, landlubber or not (how many times have we
all had to hunt for 10 minutes for the light switch in the head on a
strange boat...and finally had to ask?)--when they come aboard. The
toilet just becomes part of the "tour," and a LOT less embarrassing for
you OR your guests than having to show someone how to flush a full bowl.
I used this method for 20 years, and never once had to unclog a toilet.
Peggie
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detail.tpl?fno=400&group=327
I am also going to replace the shaft seals with dripless. Any
recommendations here. The Ocean Alexander yard and the Philbrook yards
are
recommending the PSS dripless shafts.
Hi Hal.
After a lot of research and looking at the alternatives,
I put a PSS seal on my last boat and it was faultless for the three years up
until I sold the boat. The main thing is frequent inspection. If the bellows
tears or wears out you have a significant leak. But I think the PSS seal is
great.
Just haven't got around to putting one on Stirling because there's a
separate tank/sump with it's own little pump right under the sterngland, so
the bilge is always dry.
Cheers
Glenn.
Peggy, glad to see you participating on TWL, again.
I've followed Peggy's advice for years, originally when she was a moderator
on a sailing/boating forum on CompuServe. Her recommendations for electric
marine heads are undoubtedly good, but how about hearing from those who
have installed and are using them? Did you install it yourself? How much of
a job was involved? By the time you buy all the goodies and conversion
kits, etc, how did the price stack up? How well does it work? How does it
compare to a manual marine head? What is your experience with maintenance,
replacement parts, etc?
At 01:44 PM 1/26/2004, Peggie Hall wrote:
For about 1/3 the cost of a VacuFlush installed, the pressurized flush
water version of the Raritan Atlantes is the closest thing to the "one at
home" anyone could ask for...the bowl can even hold water if you want it
to, which can be drained by using the "dry" mode. Touch pad makes flushing
a no brainer, and offers 4 flush options including dry...and only uses
about a quart of water/flush. Check it out on the Raritan website at
http://www.raritaneng.com
Another excellent choice is the Tecma--an Italian toilet imported by
Wilcox-Crittenden--also well under $1000 installed. I've heard nothing but
good things about it. Take a look at it on the W-C website at
http://www.wilcox-crittenden.com
I don't think a manual toilet would be the choice for the guest head if
you want one that's child/landlubber-proof. For that, I'd go with a
Raritan SeaEra--macerating electric, available in both raw and pressurized
water models for around $400. Another $50 or so for a timer on the flush
button would be a wise investment.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Bob McLeran and Judy Young Manatee Cove Marina
M/V Sanderling Patrick Air Force Base
Hampton 35 Trawler Melbourne, Florida
I Had installed two vacuflush heads and all new pipes and hoses, new
macerator discharge pump and a holding tank gauge. It took 1 man and his
helper 5 days to do the job and cost just around 6 BU'S
He did a wonderful job, system works as advertised, no problems in 1.5 years
so far
Ted Brustowicz MD(ret)
trbrustowicz@cox.net
capnted@earthlink.net
"MOONSHINE", DeFever 43
Niceville, Florida
Her recommendations for electric
marine heads are undoubtedly good, but how about hearing from those who
have installed and are using them? Did you install it yourself? How much
of
a job was involved? By the time you buy all the goodies and conversion
kits, etc, how did the price stack up? How well does it work? How does it
compare to a manual marine head? What is your experience with maintenance,
replacement parts, etc?
Bob,
Been there.
When I pur the boat it had a Jabsco manual head.
I installed the electric pump kit myself.
This was not difficult at all. The main caution I have is to use wire
from (and to) the battery bank that is OVERSIZE for the run!
With Jabsco the kit is expensive but cheaper than buying another whole unit.
It works great.
It has been in place for 18 yrs and gives no problems at all and we lived on
brd for almost 5 yrs.
I carry two repair kits and an extra motor. The ONLY reason for the motor
was when we lived abrd and that is the only head on the boat. Have not
needed the parts. I would have to ck the maintenance log but possibly one
kit was put in. Been so long that I cant recall!!!
I would not want to go back to a manual head, neither would my wife!!!
YMMV
CCC
M/V CC RIDER
CHARLES C. and PAT CULOTTA, Jr.
Patterson, La.
http://www.geocities.com/charlesculotta/