Relocate head compartment

[Ixneigh]

Finally got started on this job. Shown in the picture is the prep work for tabbing in a new partition.

[kurz]

interesting...

One question: How easy is it to get the old carpet away?

Will glue remain on the boat?

[NiceAft]

Ix,

If you have made them, I would appreciate you posting the diagrams of what your plan is. Not that I am contemplating such a project, but I would really like to see what you envision.

[Russ]

Wow you are ambitious.

[Stickinthemud57]

Gives new meaning to the expression "head your way"

Seriously though, best of luck and keep the pics coming!

[Ixneigh]

Re: carpet. The carpet pulled away with little effort. It left the old adhesive behind, and that can be removed by sanding, or, rubbing with a little ball of tape. Sanding is faster but makes more of a mess. I’ve been using an old vacuum cleaner with some additional hose as a dust extractor and a cordless drill with a 3 inch rolock sanding disc. Slow, but manageable.
Re: diagram. I don’t actually have one. What I did instead was create a full scale mockup out of scrape plywood, and the dinette table. I used this to verify the ergonomics. The partition extends to just past the part of the liner that covers the strbrd waterballast channel. So not to the boats centerline. There is an angled door from there, to the centerboard trunk. The door is hinged to a teak upright just abaft of the trunk. The door is shoulder width so it’s tight but it works.
Re:ambitious. It’s an involved project, but I still love the boat, more than ever, actually and she owes me nothing so I don’t care about resale value. i just want a functional and comfortable place to bathe after a decade of taking sponge baths on the cabin sole. The forward sleeping area remodel was a huge improvement in comfort and that used the space where the head was originally, and I thought the space too cramped to be of much use, so it became a very expensive (in terms of premium space) closet.
Last year or early this year I also posted about the first option I was considering which would have located the head aft of the dinette removable seat back. That involved extending part of the deck up to cabin hight. Interestingly, the mockup of that revealed that the doorway framing (which was difficult to get to function correctly) intruded too much on the aft dinette seat which is where I spend most of my sitting time. It obscured my view out of main hatchway.
I was willing to give up half the dinette table for the 2nd option because that seat jammed between the cebterboard trunk and the hull side was never used for anything except a catch all for loose items or sometimes I put the icebox there.
I had an additions person with me for two weeks of real world cruising and we never used it. The dinette was an OK workbench for which I’ll have to find a replacement, one that includes a small vise. This will probably be a panel that fits between the galley and the new head compartment.
Re: pictures. I’m terrible at remembering to take them, but it’s an unusual or perhaps, the only project like this, so I’ll get some more as it is gets further in.

Ix

[Russ]

I sure enjoy seeing mods that are this extensive. Ix, you have done some incredible mods and I really give you credit for your skills.

The last major mod was (I think Curry) who added a bulkhead to his aft berth and EXTENDED the cockpit further aft. I salute you guys with skills and bravery.

[NiceAft]

What I did instead was create a full scale mockup out of scrape plywood, and the dinette table.

Let’s see what that mockup looks like. This is too good a project to not let us see what the goal is.

[Ixneigh]

I went back though my post history and found some pictures.







The first option (bottom picture) needed part of the deck raised and would have required anyone sitting to starboard to move.
My biggest issue was that it blocked part of my view out of the hatchway. The ergonomics were also too marginal to cut up the deck unless the owner was shorter that me.

The second option made much more sense once I did the mockup seen here very crudely assembled using the dinette table and other junk I had within easy reach. I have ventilation via the opening port which spans the partition
Seating is facing aft instead of facing the port side, so even though the compartment only inches larger than the original one, it’s in a slightly wider part of the hull. There is no provision for a sink. The galley sink is close by and no pumping with poopy paws is required since it’s electric with a knee switch. The toilet is a bag toilet with sawdust and watersorb crystals added. It does have a urine diverter. I find that this will hold several uses and can disposed of every few days at a public ramp garbage can. It’s basically a home made version of the bags used in the national park trails.
It’s not possible to have a true composting toilet on a small boat. It needs too much space. The natures head is not a true composting toilet like a drum style composter which is quite large.

Ix

[OverEasy]

Hi Ixneigh!

I like the changes!

Your absolutely right about the “composting toilet” aspect… it actually takes a pretty long while for composting to actually work.
The “bag” approach is sorta viable but might not pass muster in some municipalities… (there’s some debate even when it comes to collecting and disposal of dog and cat poop via the normal municipal trash collection ).

Currently we use a cassette type holding tank that we empty via the shore toilet / septic disposal.
Currently thinking of upgrading to a larger cassette ( from a single 5 gallon cassette to a dual 5 gallon setup with marina pump out capability … I’m getting too old to lug a full cassette up the dock to the disposal point when there are pump out capabilities.)

There is another option with the “incenolet” type… reduces it all to ashes with electricity… not much to store or carry.
If only those things were affordable to the canned beer and bag pretzel budget sorta folks…..

Keep at it!
Looks good!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[Ixneigh]

Caution: poop ahead!


Regarding the time periods for complete poop composting , it seems to be about a year. The only composting toilet I’ve seen that I feel is really a composting toilet is one my dad made, which is the size of a shed, located outside. The matter from the end of the process looks just like dirt. there is no smell at all thanks to the forced air ventilation. I began using waste bags when I came across a national park camping discussion about poop and how to dispose of it. In a lot of places you can’t just bury it, you have to bag it until your hike is complete. The box of bags I bought on Amazon claims they are approved to discard in the regular trash. The so called “vanlife” forums are also a good source of information on compact toilets. One important thing is to use a shield device to separate the urine which helps with odor. I looked at one unit called the “Boxly” but decided I could make essentially the same thing but fit it inside the existing locker. I expect that this will be a continual low level project as I look for better solutions for remote, lengthy expeditions.

Ix

[Ixneigh]

Here’s some pictures of this project so far.

[NiceAft]

Impressive.

[Ixneigh]

Here’s a picture of the lid which covers the toilet and keeps the shower water out of the locker it’s in. It’s painted with pigmented epoxy resin. (West system clear coating resin)
The whole compartment will be finished in this, although in a different color. I also have some beige pigment which looks like a close match for the original Gelcoat.

Ix

[dustoff]

Looks great, and I love the location and the form factors.
I have a question though. I'm wondering about hull flexing effects on the build.
Do you think that the resin-based seals in corners and the new bulkheads will be sufficiently flexible or, in contrast, strong enough to withstand the stresses?
The cabin liner design seems to have almost a floating floor effect in relation to the hull that would mitigate/absorb stresses that the hull undergoes.
Just curious if this was a consideration or not.

v/r
Dustoff