I decided to take the time this past first weekend of spring to commence the 2014 Spring refit. We had a warm day in the here in the northeast and with an estimated 36 hours of refit work ahead, I plan to be well ahead of the yard when it comes time for Spring commissioning.
Though not the most critical item on the list, I decided to start with pulling the old head to insure I had room to install the
“Natures Head Composting Toilet” I took with me from my previous boat. To my great satisfaction I discovered this head seems to be designed specifically for the 323! For those of you who have yet to understand the pros and cons of a composting head, just click on the aforementioned link to read about them.
As you can see from the photo’s below, there is not only room fore and aft, but it appears I have easier access now behind the head itself, as well as a good 1/8” clearance for the Lavatory Sink to swing into position.
About 9 years ago I had installed an MSD Type 3 system on a Bristol 29.9 I owned, holding tank, plumbing, etc. I was never really happy with it. Always seemed to be last in line for the pump out boat when it was needed the most, and even with the best hose and double clamps we had “head odor”. Another item that needs to be winterized, another item that can fail at an inopportune moment.
Then when I moved to a MacGregor 26X, which had NO room for a holding tank and we weren’t happy/comfortable with the “SaniPotti”. So after a bit of research, which included listening to others at the Mac Sailors board, I went ahead and installed the “Natures Head”. We fell in love with it so much that when I sold the 26X to purchase the 323, we reinstalled the original “SaniPotti” and took the “Natures Head” with us.
I plan to plumb the exhaust hose out the aft inlet of the head, outboard through a hole cut through the fiberglass panel BELOW the lower wood trim. From there it will turn right and go aft through an existing hole in the head/salon bulkhead, proceeding aft inboard of the starboard water tank. Then inboard around the nav station on the starboard side of the bilge up to the starboard side of the A4 entering the Bilge Blower Exhaust Hose.
I had previously purchased the Nicro Day/Night Plus - 3" Day/Night Vent w/ Stainless Cover when I had the 26X in the hope of powering the exhaust solely by the sun. But I couldn’t find a place to mount it without running the exhaust hose out in the open, same thing with the 323. So like my previous install, I plan to use the 12V exhaust fan that comes with the head and just power it off my “house” Battery. Since I’m on a mooring I have solar panels charging the battery, so it really doesn’t affect my power budget anyway. Also, being on the mooring adds the benefit of swinging with the wind, so I get a constant light, but natural flow of air in through my Engine Compartment Inlet Vent, around the engine, and then out the blower hose anyway. I’ll run the wiring alongside the exhaust hose keeping the installation simple. Bottom line, NO head air within the boat.
All in all, I give this product 5 Stars in its design, ease of installation, and application with a 323. For those of who plan on upgrading your system or even repairing to the point of replacing your existing MSD, I would highly recommend you look at this as an alternative. FWIW, it’s easy to clean, fits the….errr….tuchas nicely (a plus with the Admiral), and even looks decent. I can easily empty the urine tank at the Marina’s Bathroom where I’m not allowed to dump a “SaniPotti”. At the seasons end, a trashbag and visit to the flower garden is the limit of winterizing.
I lost: head odor, dependence on a specific pump out method, head and holding tank “winterizing”, Head Pump maintenance/replacement. I gained: Extra storage where the old holding tank was, a nearly maintenance free system, and the prettiest flower garden in the spring!
“Sub” Ed
