Fun job - NOT!

[DCatSea]

OK - just switched out the 1984 model holding tank on Mazboot. OEM part was dripping a bit, so it had to go. Haven't had such fun since I had to do a generator job in the bilge of a 1947 vintage diesel submarine.
On the way home Daisy Mae the Dog avoided contact with me and whined a bit.
Anyway, the old is out and the parts obtained to replace it with a considerably less stinky new tank and hoses. This is also a chance to do a direct connection to the head rather than mess about with a Y-valve and a long-unused overboard discharge. The much-abused Engine Compartment has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and is now almost a pleasant place to work in.
All should be done by Saturday,

[DesertAlbin736]

Been there, done that sort of. Mentioned here before, back in 2016 endeavored to upgrade the existing 9 gallon holding tank to a 20 gallon tank purchased from Ronco Plastics. That extended our range between pump outs from a weekend to four of five days. Which helps up in BC & the Gulf Islands where pump out stations are few and far between and are usually coin operated with $5 CAD or more worth of "Loonies" and/or "Toonies".

Which of course it turned into a major project including the upgrade of both 12V and shore power electric systems, since in order to make room for the larger tank had to move the batteries to the lazerettte locker under the starboard bench seat. Main reason for switching from conventional flooded batteries to AGM was the tighter confines in the locker made it difficult to add water to batteries. That opened another whole can of worms due to the "smart charging" requirements of AGM batteries.

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Later in 2020 reworked the head Y valve arrangement in case it became necessary to lock or seal the Y valve in the pump out position for enforcement of no discharge zones, which was not possible to do with the old one. In this arrangement, with both the old configuration and the new, the toilet discharges straight into the tank with no provision to discharge straight overboard without going through the tank first. The choice for emptying the tank is to line up to the deck pump out fitting or direct overboard.

Even though 99% of the time we're operating in no discharge zones I still have means of emptying the holding tank overboard into a bucket to empty into the toilet at home while the boat is on the trailer via a PVC pipe contraption that plugs into the through hull from the outside which was inherited from previous owners. That is IF the amounts in the tank are small, like from a single overnight on the boat at the lake. Larger amounts have to be pumped out at a marina pump out dock of course.

Went from this:

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To this:

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[DCatSea]

I decided to leave the y-valve in place in case I ever found myself in a "discharge zone" again. Can't wait to get the new tank in prior to relocating to the Potomac in a couple of weeks. I'll send pix of the new installation; it's nothing special unless you smelled the old one.

[DesertAlbin736]

I decided to leave the y-valve in place in case I ever found myself in a "discharge zone" again.

That would be 3 miles off shore out past Capes Charles & Henry. For me that would likely be somewhere 3+ NM off the California coast.

https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2021/08/0 ... explained/

Some boats with holding tanks also have a “Y” valve that allows the boat operator to direct the toilet discharge to either the holding tank or directly overboard—which is permitted once a vessel is more than three nautical miles offshore. Anywhere inside three miles of the coast, however, a Y valve must be secured to prevent the over-board discharge of raw sewage. If the vessel has a holding tank, all pathways for the overboard discharge of raw sewage must be blocked or secured by disconnection or physically blocking those onboard sewage lines of hull fittings.

That's why I upgraded my Y valve to a lockable one & keep a padlock handy. When in harbors on Catalina Island the harbor patrol likes to board your boat, inspect the facilities, seal the handle in pump out position or check for a lock, & drop a dye tab into your toilet so if any sewage does escape there will be a big bright yellow (or dayglo green?) circle around your boat. In which case you'd be in big doo-doo.

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[DCatSea]

Should have said I'm leaving the valve in place but doing a direct connection from the head to the tank. Reconnection would be possible, but unlikely.

[Bearkeley]

We did the exact same thing and plumbed it directly to the holding tank. Really no need for direct discharge unless you go to the Bahamas in our experience. If you get a chance to get a larger tank, it would be so worth it!

[DesertAlbin736]

We did the exact same thing and plumbed it directly to the holding tank. Really no need for direct discharge unless you go to the Bahamas in our experience. If you get a chance to get a larger tank, it would be so worth it!

As of January 2016 our larger 20 gallon tank from Plastic Water Tanks LLC referenced above cost $325.09 including shipping.

https://www.plasticwatertanks.com/searc ... Wastewater

Tank size & shape possibilities for an A27 may vary compared to A25.

Keeping track of all my expenses on Quicken software, that year in 2016 I spent $6,550 on "upgrades" for our boat alone, the bulk of which besides the holding tank project and associated electrical upgrades also included a new Gig Harbor Nisqually 8 hard shell dinghy and the Garhauer lift davits to go with it.