Guys, congrats on installing a composting head - you'll love it! No smells, no pump outs, and no fixing a marine head at sea! We went with the Natures Head (two in fact), bout Airhread is great too. Airhead vs Natureshead is really about preference. Drilling big hole like that is a two step or moe process - drill, empty the circular bit and drill again. Lynn and Larry Pardey never really needed a boat - they walk on water! Those two wonderful,people are inspiring icons. Fair Winds! Dough from WS 42 Harmony
That is a thick deck! lol I have heard about having the proper septic hoses being the key to no odour so when I replaced all mine a while back I made sure I got the right ones. A composting toilet may be something I get in the down the road though, I like the idea of fewer thru hulls and no holding tank!
I was wondering when we would see another video. You guys are doing great. Owning a boat can be a new experience every day. Looking forward to the next one. s/v Spokojny
+Sailing Spokojny Thank you! Yes, August has been pretty busy with work getting in the way of projects and videos. You're right about the new experience every day! :)
I winced, and felt bad for both of you, when I saw those electrical wires in the deck core. However, I am sure you two will be able to fix things, and really look forward to watching all your air head installation episodes.
+Daniel Berry Hello Daniel, no need to feel bad... they're just wires - we'll replace them with newer and better ones! :) If everything went smoothly, stories wouldn't be as interesting!
when drilling wood with a hole saw I find if you drill a few pilot holes around the circumference of the hole it helps to keep the hole saw cool and allows dust to come out also if you remove the debris from inside the hole saw every once in a while it will also help just a tip for future
Hi whisky. Works on traditional toilet too,and dishwashers. (Cup of vinegar,run cycle. Cup of baking soda ,run cycle . On boats ? I litre vinegar . Run through system . Wait 15 minutes ,flush baking soda powder through . Cleans tank,and pipes and smells fresh . Repeat once a month for no smells. Enjoy!!
Hi guys. Funny to see your DIY skills on par with mine.when left alone . Ha ha. 1 litre of vinegar followed by generous amount of baking soda will work wonders on tank and pipes going forward. Cleans and keeps odours away. (Old wives tale that works) have contacted 6 brokers in us about purchasing a boat but the second I mentio shipping I don't hear from them again. Very strange!!guess they just want the money and bye bye. One guy even told me a boat was sold so a friend of mine in us rang him to be told when would he like to view it. Will keep trying as value in incredible. Enjoy!!
Next time you use the hole saw you need to clean it out after it's gone about half way through whatever you're drilling. It'll work much better for you. Cheers
i DEFINITELY want to get a composting toilet...excellent video --i'm saving it to my 'resource file' for the future. Thanks for posting it as it was SUPER helpful. Neat about meeting the Pardey's! P.S. your video is super clear...what camera and editing software do you use? It is really good! I'm still using an old version (2010) of imovie.
Hi Vin. We are using iMovie version 10.0.5 and mostly a Canon Power Shot SX40HS and more recently, have purchased a second hand Panasonic HDC-TM20 camcorder as a secondary camera. Thanks for the wonderful comments!
We too are looking into composting toilets our biggest drawback is room. We have a lectra san with a jabsco head and no holding tank. The head Is broken, wont pump, and the whole works smell. Let us know about any problems you have smell, bugs?, etc etc..... There are alot of mixed reviews out there. Seams if people love em or hate em, and I'm never sure that the nay sayers even own or use one.
I think you've had enough instructions on drilling a hole :) Make sure to use a penetrating epoxy on the plywood core, and ideally even lay some fiberglass cloth and epoxy in the opening to protect the core from rotting. Don't use a bedding compound in the hole. That's bad, bad, bad.
+SV Satori Thanks for the comment! We did in fact seal the inside of the hole with epoxy before installing the vent... we may even have a photo to use in the next video.
Is the deck balsa or plywood? how thick is the glass? If you get another drill get one you can slow down. I always rotate the drill so it makes the hole just a bit bigger and clean it as you go.
+theislandpackrat Thanks for the questions... the deck is 1/4" fibreglass with 1/2" plywood underneath it. Below that is a thin layer of fibreglass (perhaps 3/32" thick) sandwiching the plywood, and then there is 3/8" of plywood underneath that, to which we added the 1/2" Armaflex insulation and then the 1/4" cedar.
I installed an Airhead on my boat but haven't used it yet. I wasn't too crazy about having to drill through the deck but I did after a lot of planning how it was going to happen. Any idea what those wires went to? Builders seem to hide things in some unexpected places. ~Daniel
+W4ABN Hello again, Daniel! Those wires went to the 12V overhead cabin light fixture. When planning the placement of the solar vent, we thought about where the wires to light SHOULD be, and they SHOULDN'T have been right THERE! :)
FWIW Those ryopbi drills are crap.It is no surprise it quit. You have to pay a pretty penny for a good one. Also, note that what you are turning is a hole SAW it is not a drill It operates best when it is turning slower and cutting chips not dust. Also, that is a bimetal hole saw and you should use one with carbide teeth for that job and pull the plug out of it every 3/4 inch. Now you know for next time.
+Mark Bernier Hi Mark! Yes, you sure do get "what you pay for" out of those drills. Unfortunately, that was what we could pay for when we bought it. Thanks for the tips, though! Good to know!
There are many different brands of anything you may want to buy or use on your boat. It is very surprising what Mr. Google can find for you . Don't just look for boating products, try RV, camping, and off-grid living can provide many options not yet moved to marine use. Just beware some products are not enhanced for marine use (ie. screws and fittings may not be 300 series stainless steel, but can be changed as needed or necessary)
+Michael Gebhart Yes! According to bluewaterboats.org, "The hull is heavily built from hand-laid fiberglass in 12 layers with polyester resin resulting in a hull that ranges from 3/4 inch near the topsides to 1 1/8 inches at the turn of the bilge". Pretty cool!
