Head work done

I've finally finished redoing the head and all the sanitation system on the boat. This job took twice as along as I allotted and probably cost 50% more than I'd figured just because I kept 'upping' the quality of what I was doing. I have this opinion on thing that if I'm putting in the labor to improve something - to go with the best quality of decision and parts that I think applies.

In the top photo above, you can see the old system. It was functional. You could either pump the waste directly overboard from the toilet (only legal 3 miles offshore) or you could pump it into a holding tank. From the holding tank, you could only remove it by having it pumped out by a machine onshore. I don't like the idea of holding waste on the boat any longer than necessary.

The lower photo above, shows my new routing system - and it's almost complicated - but I labeled every hose and what it does.
The waste comes from the head (toilet) through the wall on the lower left and goes up to a vented loop (to prevent siphoning back). From the vented loop, it goes to a Y-valve. At this Y-valve, I can either send it overboard (like before) or to the holding tank (like before). Then (and not pictured) from the holding tank - it goes out and to another Y-valve which then can either divert it to the deck to be pumped out by the machine on land (like before) or to a macerator pump which grinds it to less than 1/8th inch size and pumps it overboard (if you're 3 miles offshore).

So, it sounds like after all this work, I'll I did was change it to where I can pump overboard from the holding tank - and actually, for practical use - that is all that I did - but it couldn't be done without changing the whole routing system - because there's only one spot to pump through the hull and I wanted to feed it from 2 places.. In the process, I used all new hose, 2 new Y-valves, a new macerator pump, all new stainless steel hose clamps, new bronze fittings at the 'thru-hull fitting' and while I was at it - went ahead and put a new head in. Every few years, you have to rebuild the heads. That means that the valves which are made from rubber and the gaskets have to be replaced. They just wear out from use and from age. The kit to do this is $62. A new head is $130. That seems like a no brainer since this already was a $500 job, to spend $70 extra on a new toilet.

My buddy Bill Miles is coming up from Key West in mid week and we're going to head south. I'm really looking forward to it.