36C head holding tank

[No Hurry]

Reading other posts regarding toilets has got me thinking about my plans on the No Hurry. It will be a while before I get to this project, but it's never too early to plan and research. Anyway, the existing system did not have a holding tank, just overboard discharge. I don't know if holding tank had been removed or if it was always that way. Where do you guys with 36C's have your black water holding tanks and what size are they? It looks like the only options would be in the ER on the port side just aft of the head, or have a custom tank made to fit under the port side v-birth.

Thanks in advance for your responses.
Benjy

 

[jim rosenthal]

Mine doesn't have one, never did. I replaced the Raritan LectraSan unit shortly after I got the boat; AFAIK it was either supplied new or installed soon afterwards. You might also look at a Raritan PuroSan, which is somewhat similar but uses a different method to disinfect sewage. Do you have to have a holding tank to be legal? In some areas, I thought older boats grandfathered in without one.

 

[Avenger]

Mine doesn't have one either. Any time it has come up on the forum there has never been an answer. Even though some people here apparently do have them. You might consider contacting Tom Slane (336.861.6100) about what he does when he rebuilds one of these. And if you find out please let us know, since I will eventually have to tackle this issue too.

 

[No Hurry]

Thanks for the replies. I don't need one to be "legal", but I plan on rafting up for the weekend at places where I can't / don't want to dump into the bay. My preferred location would be under the port v-birth, but I would probably have to have it custom made to fit the triangular space. Or I could put one between the water heater and the bulkhead in the forward port side of the ER. It will be several months at least before I get to this, so I will continue to research.

What size tank do you guys with holding tanks have? My last camper had a 20 gallon, I think. That should be plenty I guess? Maybe 12 or 15? What do you think?

Thanks,
Benjy

 

[CDB101]

Mine as well did not have one, but I'm in the great lakes, so... I ended up fitting a 20 gallon tank thru the rear hatch in the cockpit and mounting to the plywood floor. I didn't want to run that much hose, but it was the best place for a tank in my case. The 20 fit thru easily, not sure a 25 would fit. Someone said they mounted theirs rear bulkhead between the engines but thats where the genny will go if or when I get one. My only other option was in the closet, but I still had the overboard discharge seacock and I wanted to have access to it.

 

[ohiohatteras]

Mine came from the factory with one......it's a 40 gallon tank that is located between the stringers & it's plumbed to a pump out fitting on the starboard gunnel almost midship but more towards the stern.

 

[jim rosenthal]

The LectraSan is located in the floor of the locker that is between the head and the port side of the stateroom. Is it common to put holding tanks in engine rooms? The combination of heat and sewage held in the tank seems like a potentially bad one to me....I would want the run to be as short as possible.

Look at LectraSan and PuroSan units...if they are properly installed and set up and run, they are very effective at killing bacteria in waste.

 

[Avenger]

Mine can from the factory with one......it's a 40 gallon tank that is located between the stringers & it's plumbed to a pump out fitting on the starboard gunnel almost midship but more towards the stern.

Interesting.... I suspect this is what Slane does when he does a rebuild. I'll bet you lose some freshwater capacity to that. Mine supposedly holds 70 gal. of FW. Do you know how much yours holds?

Jim,

I would definitely go with the LectraSan if it were up to me. Unfortunately we've got an environmentalist wacko baykeeper up here who wants to make the entire south bay of Long Island into a no-discharge zone. Mind you, the bay that he "keeps" isn't part of the south shore bay area..... but, I digress.

Even if he doesn't get his wish, I plan on doing some cruising and if I cruise into a no-discharge zone the admiral will not accept the legal alternative of... ahem.... "hanging a moon"... over the side so I must consider alternatives. It looks like we have a choice of long hose runs to a hot ER, tiny capacity, or major renovation. Maybe if I borrow a page from Mr. Slane's book I can rearrange the V-berth and make room for a tank. Photo is from a '77 36C that was made into an express. There may be some room in there for a tank. Unfortunately, this kind of work would mean that cruising is a long way off for me.

 

[luckydave215]

60C's have the holding tank in the engine room in the bilge between the mains, and it gets hot in there after the engines are shut down.

It works just fine.....

 

[whaler23]

My '74 is in the engine room between the engines in the floor. It's never been tapped as far as I can tell but looks like it would work fine if I ever needed it.

 

[the kuz]

On my 1977 36C Hatt put the holding tank below the ER floorboard, between the engines/stringers, against the rear ER bulkhead. Looks like a moulded shape that matches the bottom contour, or may have been built in place using the hull as the tank bottom (I can only see the top). Hose from head runs to Y valve located under forward clothes locker floor on port side just aft of V berth. From tank side of Y valve, 1 1/2" hose runs along port hull back below head and through ER outboard of port engine then along base of rear ER bulkhead to intake elbow on top of tank. Pick up pipe for discharge is attached to 2" tee on top of tank, which is pluged on top to serve as clean out, and has 1 1/2" hose running from side of the tee to the clean out fitting on port side gunnel about 5' forward of the fuel fill. Set up works fine, holding tank capacity is about 40 gals. Water tank is still 70 gals, and extends forward below steps to down galley by about 2'. Good luck on your project.

Regards, Bob K

 

[Rickysa]

Since our holding tank was converted to an aux. fuel tank by a PO, we have only overboard discharge.

We have little spare room to add a tank, so we are going with the Lectra-San Hold-n-Treat:

http://www.raritaneng.com/products/waste_treatment/index.html

We have a Vacuflush system, so we have to add a saltwater feeder, but it looks like a neat system.

Rick

 

[No Hurry]

Thanks for the info, I do have that tank between the stingers in the aft portion of the ER. I assumed that it was just additional access points to the fresh water tank (the holes all have plugs). I opened the largest plug and the tank was empty. It was also airtight; as I opened the fitting, air escaped. I'm guessing the tank has never been used. It smelled like mineral spirits. I guess either someone cleaned it with solvent at some point in the past or it has never been used and it was the "original smell" of the fiberglass resin.

I will figure out a way to use that tank, although I don't like the idea of running sewer hose accross the length of the ER ( and back if I use the original discharge).

Thanks for the help guys!!!

 

[Avenger]

Finally! Answers to the question of where Hatteras put the tank. Thanks guys. Great description on the plumbing Bob, and thanks Rick for the Lectra-San link. Not sure if that will fit in the available space, but I'll look into it.

BTW I fixed that photo in my previous post. Mr. Slane does some really nice work.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

I guess the person asking the question is the owner of a series one 36C. The later series 2 boats have a 50 gallon holding between the keel stringers. It works just fine with the factory supplieed electric Groco head. I put a "master kit" in ours after 20 years even though it was working fine.