1993 230 Sundancer--Sanipottie

[ks65609]

My 93 Sundancer (just purchased) has a pump out head although any literature I have been able to find on the on- board Sanipottie seems to address portable units. I know absolutely nothing about pump out systems and could sure use some good advice. The boat has a pump out access on the starboard side, what seems to be a water line (black line behind the head) and a larger white hose. Both were disconnected and plugged when I purchased the boat. There is a fresh water tank and a Shurflow water pump system which I assume are for the galley sink and transom shower, but maybe the head as well ??. I could sure use a bit of help in understanding how the equipment is meant to operate to be ready for next season. Although I believe the system has been winterized (antifreeze fluid in the fresh water tank) I will have this rechecked before storage.

Thanks
Ken

 

[techmitch]

Hi Ken, that is a portable unit in your picture. Some portable models can be hooked up to a pump out (large hose) and a Inlet/flush line (small hose) but with out seeing the back of your unit or having the model number it's hard to say if your unit is capable.

 

[ks65609]

Hi Ken, that is a portable unit in your picture. Some portable models can be hooked up to a pump out (large hose) and a Inlet/flush line (small hose) but with out seeing the back of your unit or having the model number it's hard to say if your unit is capable.

Techmitch.

Thanks for the response. I will get some pics of the back along with the model number. It was mentioned in the marine survey that the head vent pipe had been wrapped in tape and should be corrected. Maybe the pics will help clarify this as well.

Ken

 

[Westie]

I have exactly the same setup in my boat. There is a pipe connected to the pump out access on the starboard side that goes no where. It is located behind that bulkhead that runs down the right side of your picture. The freshwater system just goes to the galley faucet and the transom shower. I added a hot water tank to mine so I now have hot water to both the sink and the shower.

 

[ks65609]

I have exactly the same setup in my boat. There is a pipe connected to the pump out access on the starboard side that goes no where. It is located behind that bulkhead that runs down the right side of your picture. The freshwater system just goes to the galley faucet and the transom shower. I added a hot water tank to mine so I now have hot water to both the sink and the shower.

Westie, thanks for your feedback. I will get some better pics and try to follow where the two lines are routed including behind the bulkhead. Do you have any pics of your hot water installation ?

Ken
ps. Nice boat !!! Have you updated the camper canvass ? I like the removeable side panels and complete biminis.

 

[ks65609]

A few more pics



URL=http://s660.photobucket.com/albums/uu326/ks65609_photo/?action=view&current=SeaRayhead002.jpg]

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[ks65609]

Sorry about the disaster posting pics. Lots of tech problems. Unable to have any success using " Manage Attachments " to attach files.






Please explain the process of the pump out procedure.

Thanks again
Ken

 

[Lazy Daze]

Tough to see in the small pics, but the bigger line would be the pump-out and the smaller line would be the vent. The vent was taped up to keep bugs and such out while the boat was winterized/not being used.

Go to Dometic's (SeaLand) website and look for an owner's manual on a 964MSD series port-potti (2.5 gallon capacity).

EDIT: Sorry, I posted after your first set of pics.

It's not really an MSD (pump-out), but it looks like the previous owner made it into one)

 

[Chatuge]

Hey Ken. We have one of these in my parents boat (97 Sundancer 240). We just took it to the pump out station. THey pumped it out exactly the same as they do my 2006 Sundancer 240 which has a macerator and holding tank! I did get some good advice though from this site about putting fresh water down the pottie mid-way through the pump out to clean it better.

 

[ks65609]

Lazy Daze. Thanks for your help. The Model is a 930 series according to the label. I will check the Sealand website for info.

Chatuge. Thankyou. Adding fresh water sounds good to me.

Is the pump out process basically a vacuum system ? I had envisioned a pump out system as almost a circuit with fresh water introduced as the pump out sucked out the waste.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Lazy Daze. Thanks for your help. The Model is a 930 series according to the label. I will check the Sealand website for info.

Chatuge. Thankyou. Adding fresh water sounds good to me.

Is the pump out process basically a vacuum system ? I had envisioned a pump out system as almost a circuit with fresh water introduced as the pump out sucked out the waste.

964 is the new version of what you have... except for the make-shift pump-out part. That's why I mentioned looking at the 964MSD.

Yes, basically a shop-vac get's connected to the deck plate.

 

[ks65609]

Tough to see in the small pics, but the bigger line would be the pump-out and the smaller line would be the vent. The vent was taped up to keep bugs and such out while the boat was winterized/not being used.

Go to Dometic's (SeaLand) website and look for an owner's manual on a 964MSD series port-potti (2.5 gallon capacity).

EDIT: Sorry, I posted after your first set of pics.

It's not really an MSD (pump-out), but it looks like the previous owner made it into one)

Lazy Daze. Okay, thanks very much for the additional comment. That helps to clear up some of my confusion as I had not been able to find precisely the information I was looking for. I presume the hook up presently in place will do the job properly.

Whether the head will actually be used remains to be seen, however it is very important to me to understand all aspects of my boat.

Thanks again.

 

[Alegria]

From your photos you have what we had in our 90-280. A porta potty that is plumbed to a pump out fitting. In your pictures the pumpout line is unhooked white and vent is unhooked black. The large beige cover on the bottom is the manual dump.

Looks like the pump out was unhooked and blocked with the plug screwed into the hole. I can understand why. These only hold about 6 gals and that means many trips to the pump out station with your boat. When it is far far easier to just carry the darn thing to a station to dump it manually. At our marina they keep spot johnnys in the parking lot and let the folks dump their portable units there. Much easier then running the boat to a pump station...

 

[Daytripper]

What is referred to as a pump-out head is basically a porta-potti with a waste and vent line attached. aka MSD (Marine Sanitation Device)

Your set up appears to be just that. Only it has been capped to use like a porta-pottie instead.

Simply re-connect the lines and you have a pump-out. Although the term pump-out is a mis-nomer. You actually have to have it sucked out at a 'pump-out' station.

Unless you have frequent access to a pump-out station, my suggestion would be to leave it as a porta-pottie and dump it out as needed.

Keep in mind that you should use it either one way or the other. Once you contaminate the lines they must, or should, be flushed out before converting back to a portable unit.

You could even get the larger 5 gallon capacity instead or the standard 2.0 gallon.

 

[Westie]

Do you have any pics of your hot water installation ?

Ken
ps. Nice boat !!! Have you updated the camper canvass ? I like the removeable side panels and complete biminis.

Ken : I don't really have any photos of the hot water tank installation. The best I have is the last photo in this link http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21220
you can see it in the left hand side of the last photo. The two hoses in the lower left are the connections to the water tank heat exchanger. The location I have it in is about the only space in the bilge that it would fit. It makes it a real pain to get the battery out of that side as the battery now has to be lifted over the trim pump to remove it.

I'm not sure how old the camper canvas is. It looks like it's in good shape and I did put it in the washer in the spring. I am missing one of the side windows and will have to try to find a replacement for it this winter.

I have only had the boat for a year now but am very happy with it. Don't let all the big boat guys tell you its only big enough for a weekend, we spent 3 weeks on it the past summer and it was fine for that amount of time.

I think I have the same porta-potti as you, however mine was not modified to have the pump out connections on it. I just dump it into the toilet in my shop at home, or dump it at a pump out station.

 

[ks65609]

From your photos you have what we had in our 90-280. A porta potty that is plumbed to a pump out fitting. In your pictures the pumpout line is unhooked white and vent is unhooked black. The large beige cover on the bottom is the manual dump.

Looks like the pump out was unhooked and blocked with the plug screwed into the hole. I can understand why. These only hold about 6 gals and that means many trips to the pump out station with your boat. When it is far far easier to just carry the darn thing to a station to dump it manually. At our marina they keep spot johnnys in the parking lot and let the folks dump their portable units there. Much easier then running the boat to a pump station...

Alegria, with every response I have received I am learning more with everyone offering very good advice based on their experiences. I believe the unit I have only holds 2 to 2.5 gallons. Could cover emergencies (grand kids) but other than that using a Johnny on the spot (with permission of course) would be more convenient than the pump out station.

Thanks for your help
Ken

 

[ks65609]

What is referred to as a pump-out head is basically a porta-potti with a waste and vent line attached. aka MSD (Marine Sanitation Device)

Your set up appears to be just that. Only it has been capped to use like a porta-pottie instead.

Simply re-connect the lines and you have a pump-out. Although the term pump-out is a mis-nomer. You actually have to have it sucked out at a 'pump-out' station.

Unless you have frequent access to a pump-out station, my suggestion would be to leave it as a porta-pottie and dump it out as needed.

Keep in mind that you should use it either one way or the other. Once you contaminate the lines they must, or should, be flushed out before converting back to a portable unit.

You could even get the larger 5 gallon capacity instead or the standard 2.0 gallon.

shel-games: Thankyou for your feedback. The help and advice I am receiving is certainly providing me with all of the information I need to make wise decisions, particularly depending on where we may be boating and the duration of on water time. Probably more weighted towards using as a portable unit due to the size of my unit and I am finding after reviewing the feedback that I may leave it set up as is for now, since already flushed and plugged.

Thanks
Ken

 

[ks65609]

Ken : I don't really have any photos of the hot water tank installation. The best I have is the last photo in this link http://clubsearay.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21220
you can see it in the left hand side of the last photo. The two hoses in the lower left are the connections to the water tank heat exchanger. The location I have it in is about the only space in the bilge that it would fit. It makes it a real pain to get the battery out of that side as the battery now has to be lifted over the trim pump to remove it.

I'm not sure how old the camper canvas is. It looks like it's in good shape and I did put it in the washer in the spring. I am missing one of the side windows and will have to try to find a replacement for it this winter.

I have only had the boat for a year now but am very happy with it. Don't let all the big boat guys tell you its only big enough for a weekend, we spent 3 weeks on it the past summer and it was fine for that amount of time.

I think I have the same porta-potti as you, however mine was not modified to have the pump out connections on it. I just dump it into the toilet in my shop at home, or dump it at a pump out station.

Westie: Thanks again. I will have a look at your hot water set up. My wife and I sold our FW 205 Sundowner that we spent a week on the Trent canal system in August in order to gain a bit more space. It feels like we have moved from a 1000 sq ft home to twice the size with the 230 Sundancer. We are looking forward to having a little more elbow room and I agree with you completely. At the moment I am going to leave the porta pottie set up as is (portable) and see how thing work and to keep things simple. Our canvas is still original and in good enough condition to invest in having the binding replaced and change the aft portion to a removeable screened window.

Thanks again
Ken
ps many trips to Calgary last summer delivering new huge side and rear loader garbage trucks made just south of Quebec city.

 

[HorsinAround270]

Does anyone know if I can add an additional holding tank in the hull for my existing sanipottie? I have the 5 gallon model, but would feel safer with the added 28gallon holding tank; also allowing for fewer trips to pump out stations which are hard to come by in N. GA. Mine is piped to pump out, so my thought was to pipe from sanipottie discharge connection into a new under deck holding tank; and from there to the pump out fitting on the boat. Would that set up work?