Posted by lance_ryley (lance_ryley@…>)
Anyone have a recommendation for a reputable marine plumber in the
Boston area?
Thanks,
Lance
Posted by lance_ryley (lance_ryley@…>)
Anyone have a recommendation for a reputable marine plumber in the
Boston area?
Thanks,
Lance
Posted by Dave_Benjamin (dave_benjamin@…>)
I don’t have anyone to recommend since I live on the other coast.
However plumbing is a quite simple task and there are advantages to
doing it yourself.
You’ll know exactly how your boat is plumbed.
You can research different materials and choose the best.
You can take the time to insure that you won’t have chafe
problems. On many boats I see improper or no anti-chafe measures
being taken. In the marine industry the word “professional” means
nothing. There is no licensing or certification. I could hang out my
shingle right now and advertise myself as a professional marine
plumber or electrician. If you do your own plumbing you’ll be able to
make sure that every penetration has a proper grommet and that any
bends are of a proper radius. You can take the time to hunt down
special fittings or make your own. I’ve spent the better part of a
day hunting down parts and building a LPG manifold for example.
I don’t know about you but I get a lot of satisfaction from doing
my own work. I know that everything I do is to ABYC and NFPA
standards. Best of all I’ve never had a critical failure of anything
I’ve installed myself. If something isn’t just right I do it over
again.
You can buy or rent the proper tools for the job. I spent $300 on
some large crimpers for electrical work. Whe we were living board I
used to have so called electricians asking to borrow my crimpers!
Although it seems like a lot of money to spend on a tool it was the
equivalent of 4 or 5 hours of what a “professional” would charge. I
could easily sell those crimpers on Ebay and recoup most of my money
but I chose to keep them.
It may be different on the US East coast but for the most part the
work I see coming out of yards on the west coast is pretty sad. You
can tell that the workers are under time constraints. You’ll see
things like different fasteners used in an area where only one type
was required. It’s obvious they just ran out of one type and decided
to use what they had instead of going to the supply shed for more
fasteners. I’ve seen many bottom jobs fail because of improper prep.
Funny, when I do my own bottom and follow the paint manufacturer
instructions to the letter I never have a problem. You always see
signs of rushed jobs. If you are going to pay someone to work on your
boat I’d look for a good independent guy. Avoid the big yards at all
cost.
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@y…> wrote:
Anyone have a recommendation for a reputable marine plumber in the
Boston area?Thanks,
Lance
Posted by lance_ryley (lance_ryley@…>)
I appreciate the advice. So far, I’ve re-done the shower in the sink,
fixed various small leaks along the entire water system, hardwired
the water heater into the AC electrical system, shocked and flushed
the lines, and started to research the possibilities for replacing
the aluminum tanks (showing some inside corrosion) with either SS or
plastic. By spring I’ll also have purifier filters for the head and
galley. I also have been upgrading wiring, simplifying the engine
room maze of connectors and busses and whatnot.
However, I also want to see what options are available for a larger
holding tank (since I live aboard). The current head pumps directly
into the holding tank or overboard, but there’s no way to empty the
tank except through the deck. I want to either retrofit my head to
flush off the fresh water system or replace it with one that is
designed for that because using fresh water (at least in my boat) has
significantly reduced the odors. The hoses that were used are, I
believe, reinforced exhaust hose, and I want to replace it with
something more appropriate. I could probably do most of this myself,
and even if I find a reliable marine plumber I probably will to
offset the costs. However, since this is my home as well as my boat,
I also want to make sure that I’m doing things in a way that a) are
going to last b) are the right solution for the vessel, and c) are
aesthetically pleasing, and so I don’t mind consulting a professional
to see what their ideas are, even if I eventually end up DIM.
I don’t think many of us could afford to be boaters if we didn’t do
a lot of the work ourselves - but I know my limitations
Lance
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “Dave_Benjamin”
<dave_benjamin@y…> wrote:
I don’t have anyone to recommend since I live on the other coast.
However plumbing is a quite simple task and there are advantages to
doing it yourself.
You’ll know exactly how your boat is plumbed.
You can research different materials and choose the best.
You can take the time to insure that you won’t have chafe
problems. On many boats I see improper or no anti-chafe measures
being taken. In the marine industry the word “professional” means
nothing. There is no licensing or certification. I could hang out
my
shingle right now and advertise myself as a professional marine
plumber or electrician. If you do your own plumbing you’ll be able
to
make sure that every penetration has a proper grommet and that any
bends are of a proper radius. You can take the time to hunt down
special fittings or make your own. I’ve spent the better part of a
day hunting down parts and building a LPG manifold for example.I don’t know about you but I get a lot of satisfaction from
doing
my own work. I know that everything I do is to ABYC and NFPA
standards. Best of all I’ve never had a critical failure of
anything
I’ve installed myself. If something isn’t just right I do it over
again.You can buy or rent the proper tools for the job. I spent $300
on
some large crimpers for electrical work. Whe we were living board I
used to have so called electricians asking to borrow my crimpers!
Although it seems like a lot of money to spend on a tool it was the
equivalent of 4 or 5 hours of what a “professional” would charge. I
could easily sell those crimpers on Ebay and recoup most of my
money
but I chose to keep them.It may be different on the US East coast but for the most part the
work I see coming out of yards on the west coast is pretty sad. You
can tell that the workers are under time constraints. You’ll see
things like different fasteners used in an area where only one type
was required. It’s obvious they just ran out of one type and
decided
to use what they had instead of going to the supply shed for more
fasteners. I’ve seen many bottom jobs fail because of improper
prep.
Funny, when I do my own bottom and follow the paint manufacturer
instructions to the letter I never have a problem. You always see
signs of rushed jobs. If you are going to pay someone to work on
your
boat I’d look for a good independent guy. Avoid the big yards at
all
cost.— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@y…> wrote:Anyone have a recommendation for a reputable marine plumber in
the
Boston area?Thanks,
Lance
Posted by Alan Kusinitz (akusinitz@…>)
Last year I replaced the sanitation system on my F-33. I did all the investigation and planning with some assistance/good ideas from the boatyard. I chose a vacuflush system (very pricey) and worked out details and issues with one of their reps. I did end up with the yard doing most of the work but was involved in all the details. An expensive approach but I was confident in the result and didn’t have the time to do it myself.
A couple of things that have application in general (not just for the Vacuflush - which is great, does use fresh water, and only a pint or so to flush so it increases useful capacity with any holding tank):
----- Original Message -----
From: lance_ryley
To: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 1:40 PM
Subject: [freedomyachts2003] Re: marine plumber
I appreciate the advice. So far, I’ve re-done the shower in the sink, fixed various small leaks along the entire water system, hardwired the water heater into the AC electrical system, shocked and flushed the lines, and started to research the possibilities for replacing the aluminum tanks (showing some inside corrosion) with either SS or plastic. By spring I’ll also have purifier filters for the head and galley. I also have been upgrading wiring, simplifying the engine room maze of connectors and busses and whatnot.However, I also want to see what options are available for a larger holding tank (since I live aboard). The current head pumps directly into the holding tank or overboard, but there’s no way to empty the tank except through the deck. I want to either retrofit my head to flush off the fresh water system or replace it with one that is designed for that because using fresh water (at least in my boat) has significantly reduced the odors. The hoses that were used are, I believe, reinforced exhaust hose, and I want to replace it with something more appropriate. I could probably do most of this myself, and even if I find a reliable marine plumber I probably will to offset the costs. However, since this is my home as well as my boat, I also want to make sure that I’m doing things in a way that a) are going to last b) are the right solution for the vessel, and c) are aesthetically pleasing, and so I don’t mind consulting a professional to see what their ideas are, even if I eventually end up DIM.I don’t think many of us could afford to be boaters if we didn’t do a lot of the work ourselves - but I know my limitations :)Lance— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “Dave_Benjamin” <dave_benjamin@y…> wrote:> > I don’t have anyone to recommend since I live on the other coast. > However plumbing is a quite simple task and there are advantages to > doing it yourself.> 1. You’ll know exactly how your boat is plumbed.> 2. You can research different materials and choose the best.> 3. You can take the time to insure that you won’t have chafe > problems. On many boats I see improper or no anti-chafe measures > being taken. In the marine industry the word “professional” means > nothing. There is no licensing or certification. I could hang out my > shingle right now and advertise myself as a professional marine > plumber or electrician. If you do your own plumbing you’ll be able to > make sure that every penetration has a proper grommet and that any > bends are of a proper radius. You can take the time to hunt down > special fittings or make your own. I’ve spent the better part of a > day hunting down parts and building a LPG manifold for example.> > 4. I don’t know about you but I get a lot of satisfaction from doing > my own work. I know that everything I do is to ABYC and NFPA > standards. Best of all I’ve never had a critical failure of anything > I’ve installed myself. If something isn’t just right I do it over > again.> > 5. You can buy or rent the proper tools for the job. I spent $300 on > some large crimpers for electrical work. Whe we were living board I > used to have so called electricians asking to borrow my crimpers! > Although it seems like a lot of money to spend on a tool it was the > equivalent of 4 or 5 hours of what a “professional” would charge. I > could easily sell those crimpers on Ebay and recoup most of my money > but I chose to keep them. > > It may be different on the US East coast but for the most part the > work I see coming out of yards on the west coast is pretty sad. You > can tell that the workers are under time constraints. You’ll see > things like different fasteners used in an area where only one type > was required. It’s obvious they just ran out of one type and decided > to use what they had instead of going to the supply shed for more > fasteners. I’ve seen many bottom jobs fail because of improper prep. > Funny, when I do my own bottom and follow the paint manufacturer > instructions to the letter I never have a problem. You always see > signs of rushed jobs. If you are going to pay someone to work on your > boat I’d look for a good independent guy. Avoid the big yards at all > cost.> > > — In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley” > <lance_ryley@y…> wrote:> > > > Anyone have a recommendation for a reputable marine plumber in the > > Boston area?> > > > Thanks,> > Lance
Posted by Dave_Benjamin (dave_benjamin@…>)
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@y…> wrote:
I want to either retrofit my head to
flush off the fresh water system or replace it with one that is
designed for that because using fresh water (at least in my boat)
has
significantly reduced the odors.
I plumb the head intake to the sink drain. All you have to do is add
a t-fitting. Then you have 2 options for flushing your head.
Freshwater use
Raw water use
Final note: Only one head that I recommend - Lavac
We can’t say enough good things about Lavac heads.
Posted by Dave_Benjamin (dave_benjamin@…>)
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@y…> wrote:
However, I also want to see what options are available for a larger
holding tank (since I live aboard).
Lance,
We never had any qualms about pumping urine overboard. Urine is
sterile. The only danger with human waste is disease carried in
feces. Between pumping pee overboard and typically using the shore
facilities to poop our holding tank filled very slowly when we lived
aboard. I also recommend against putting toilet paper in the head.
Much better solution is to just put it in a disposable bag. This is
kind of gross discussion but I’ve found if you fold the TP so the
excrement is not visible that it really doesn’t put off any real
odor. Surprisingly this folding technique even works in the tropics.
The drawbacks to adding a larger holding tank include added weight
where you want it the least, typically forward, expense, and worst of
all - loss of storage.
Posted by macks011 (macks04@…>)
Dave, right on about TP. Having been intimately involved with
various plumbing systems on various boats, at the worst possible
moments, I am a firm believer in not putting anything down the head
I haven’t eaten first. TP goes in a fold top sandwich bag and held
in a small trash can. No muss, no fuss, no odor. Trained the wife
and kids with no drama. Nice to know I’m not the only one.
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “Dave_Benjamin”
<dave_benjamin@y…> wrote:
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@y…> wrote:However, I also want to see what options are available for a
larger
holding tank (since I live aboard).Lance,
We never had any qualms about pumping urine overboard. Urine is
sterile. The only danger with human waste is disease carried in
feces. Between pumping pee overboard and typically using the shore
facilities to poop our holding tank filled very slowly when we
lived
aboard. I also recommend against putting toilet paper in the head.
Much better solution is to just put it in a disposable bag. This
is
kind of gross discussion but I’ve found if you fold the TP so the
excrement is not visible that it really doesn’t put off any real
odor. Surprisingly this folding technique even works in the
tropics.The drawbacks to adding a larger holding tank include added weight
where you want it the least, typically forward, expense, and worst
of
all - loss of storage.
Posted by lance_ryley (lance_ryley@…>)
Thanks for all the advice - interestingly dave, I came to the same
conclusion about overboard urine (don’t tell the marina manager
I’ll let you all know how it goes in the spring.
Lance
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “Dave_Benjamin”
<dave_benjamin@y…> wrote:
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@y…> wrote:However, I also want to see what options are available for a
larger
holding tank (since I live aboard).Lance,
We never had any qualms about pumping urine overboard. Urine is
sterile. The only danger with human waste is disease carried in
feces. Between pumping pee overboard and typically using the shore
facilities to poop our holding tank filled very slowly when we
lived
aboard. I also recommend against putting toilet paper in the head.
Much better solution is to just put it in a disposable bag. This is
kind of gross discussion but I’ve found if you fold the TP so the
excrement is not visible that it really doesn’t put off any real
odor. Surprisingly this folding technique even works in the tropics.The drawbacks to adding a larger holding tank include added weight
where you want it the least, typically forward, expense, and worst
of
all - loss of storage.