Tabbed bulkheads? Holding tank, hea pan drain, and more

[svlily]

So  I have a few qs

1- as I was taking care of the rotted mast compresion post base, I took out the pan/floor/sole in the head and the cabinetry. I discovered the pan has a drain hose that empties water into the bilge (well, close to it  --more like it drained right at the base of the compression post, causing all sorts of other problems) so I will need to change that. I am considering teeing (well, wye-ing) this internal head pan drain to the head sink drain so water spilled on the floor in the head can exit the boat throught tjat existing thruhull for the sink drain, and installing a diaphram pump that is turned on by a moisture sensitive switch to do the job. It has been suggested that a new skin fitting above the waterline may be best instead of going via the sink drain. Opinions? I really want to avoid making more holes in th hull even above waterline. Esp for something like a head pan drain.

2- My holding tank is located outside of the head, under a small settee on the portside which has its back to the aft bulkhead of the head, which runs athwartship. I see from photos that many don't have this arrangement or even the seat. I want to move the holding tank inside the head, since there's space under the cabinet there. And Ill need to be able to pump it out.
Again, any tips or suggestions?

3- I don't like the fact that the sole  hatch boards are solid and not grated, since that allows water to slosh around some more before ending up in the bilge -- id want the water to go into the bilge quicker. I was considering replacing the hatchboards with teak grates but it was suggested to use a router to just cut a series of slots in the hatchboards to allow water to drain quicker.

4- has anyone expanded their scuppers or added new ones? That's a big thingypit to drain fast.
SHould the scupper drains be a little tilted instead of going perpendicularly down, so as to drain more easily if the boat is heeled?

5- Are your bulkheads tabbed in at the top, below the deck? Mine are not. Should they be?

6- My fuel tank is located on a wooden platform built over the engine, underneath the thingypit.This blocks access to the engine from the top, and makes it difficult to reach/see the transmission and elbow etc It also creates a 90 elbow in the filling hose so filling the tank goes slow... so Im considering placing a fuel  bladder tank under the v berth where there's an integral water tank. I have a good water collection system in the hard dodger and will consider a watermaker if necessary but getting the fuel off the engine and the hot exhaust elbow is important enough. I can use a smaller water tank under the port settees too. Opinions?

Thanks all

[roverhi]

1. My '69 boat has a sump with pump that the shower drains into. The pump has a manual switch that you turn on when you shower or otherwise dump water in the head and hopefully remember to turn off when you're done. The switch has a warning light but hard to see in the daytime. A shower dumping direct into the bilge would definitely make rot in a wood mast post base a problem. and might cause crud problems in the bilge.

2.. P.O. added a holding tank under the port V berth in place of the drawer and under storage. That's storage I want get back so will pull the holding tank one of these days. I installed an LectraSan under the head counter so don't need the holding tank. Grew up in the country with 2 holer outhouses and just can't get behind having an outhouse that sails.

3. Drainage Really hasn't been a problem as water gets into the bilge readily enough with the solid covers for the pukas in the sole.

4. Started the project but had to launch the boat before installing the through hulls. Put 1 1/2"mushroom through hulls at the base of the aft thingypit bulkhead. Have through hulls with a 90 degree tail for the hull. May have to install gate valves or check valves for downwind sailing. There is a drop between the thingypit and the hull pukas but may not be enough to stop a following sea from pushing water back into the thingypit. For sailing offshore feel that the thingypit has to have more drainage, It is just too big to have only two 1 1/2" drains.

5. Bulkheads are not tabbed to deck. No need for them to be. Mast forces are handled by the mast post. The bulkheads are well glassed to the hull so they do reinforce the hull.

5. Fuel tank is mounted on a platform under the thingypit sole. It's far enough aft that there is access to transmission, propellor shaft coupling and dripless shaft sea. Unfortunately, the Yanmar 3GM30F exhaust gets in the way so actually getting to that area is a challenge.

[svlily]

>"just can't get behind having an outhouse that sails."

I'm with you on that one but the Mrs doesn't share my view...

A flap over the aft scuppers should suffice to keep out a following sea

it is possible to access the transmission etc but not really comfortable at all

WHere is your fill deck plate ? mine is located almost on top of the tank itself, so there's a90 degree bend in the fill hose

[roverhi]

The fill is in the thingypit sole directly over the tank fill. It's a straight shot from the the sole fitting to the tank.

[seaner97]

My fuel fill is also a straight shot. I use a tomato stake for a dipstick.
For #1- put an auto showersump y'd into your bilge pump line. Can get them remade from Hamilton, West or eBay.
#2- mine is in the last 3rd of the cabinet with a pump out on the deck and an inspection port over it.
#3- Mine are solid. You get that much water on your sole, you're doing something wrong.
#4- never a problem. I tested on land once by plugging and filling w a garden hose. Fully emptied within 90sec. You're getting pooped repeatedly every 90 secs, you're in bigger trouble than you feet getting wet.
#5- no, but agree they should be to stiffen up the boat for offshore use.
#6- if diesel, no real worry about tank location, although it sounds like yours had a dumb refit if it's got a 90* angle. Unless you need less water tankage, I'd try to get your current fuel tank fixed.

[jmcleodfl]

My $.02 worth. Invictus is a 1971 hull 191.
See if the wife will consider a composting head. It will eliminate two thru-hulls and the holding tanks. Environmentally friendly, USCG compliant, no smell and produces fertilizer for the gardenias. There is a thread on this forum about composting heads.
My head sink and shower drains to a sump pump that pumps overboard via above waterline vented loop thru hull.