2 heads better than 1???

[penfold]

Why are they deserved of special consideration? What price womens' lib?

 

[pcatterall]

2 heads any day in that boat.

 

[matt1]

Only time I've ever been grateful for having two heads was mid Atlantic when the main head got blocked ;-)

FWIW - when I was looking to buy my 40' most dealers said a 2nd head made sense above 45' (& tbf they had a vested interest in upselling me the option). Below that size you lose useable space & stowage when in reality that head (esp in the forecabin) will be use for very small % of the time. As others have said, different if you are sailing with another couple but as a family I would prioritise having the space (& less displacement ;-)

 

[Graham376]

ALL of the above. We normally sail with just two of us but when you have any guests, the second heads is brilliant. Personal choice but we would always take the two heads option.

Same with us, we have two ensuite heads. One has the shower.

 

[doug748]

One head is plenty, two is one too many. However I will immediately contradict that.

in this case I would opt for two, all you lose is some dead space and a little convenience in the forecabin. Provided your partner is happy with the reduced stowage and sense of space there, go for it.

.

 

[Hermit]

Your 4-year old won't be that for long and, assuming you will have the boat for a good few years, a second heads gives the teenager some privacy.

 

[dunedin]

If you sail regularly with two couples, 2 heads makes a lot of sense.
If not, I don’t see much point for the reasons above.

That kind of sums it up. As a family boat, one heads is sufficient - and probably two cabins, with bigger cockpit lockers. And you will enjoy the extra space in the bow master cabin.

If the third cabin is for non family guests, then second heads starts to make sense.

We went to a lot of trouble to find a two cabin (“owners”) version, with single heads, rather than the more common three cabin boats.
We enjoy the extra space for us.

PS. Somebody, perhaps tongue in cheek, suggested a second heads for when main heads breaks down. Never had a heads “breakdown” in 20 years, but clearly the cheap Jabsco pumps tend to need servicing occasionally, typically due to a tiny bit of backfill of the basin. Carrying a spare joker valve normally fixes the backfill, but also as the pumps are so cheap, buy when on discount and simply carry the new pump and swap over every couple of years. If want to save £30 fit a service kit to the pump which was removed, during the winter, in the comfort of the garage

 

[lustyd]

when I was looking to buy my 40' most dealers said a 2nd head made sense above 45'

But when was that? A 10 year old 45' has the space of a current 40' due to the various design changes, and 10 years ago a 45 was more spacious than an older 50' in many ways

 

[Laysula]

The Bavaria 350 which we have comes in two versions, 3 cabin layout with single heads and 2 cabin version with single heads. Ours is the two cabin version. Normally it's just the two of us aboard so the front heads is mostly redundant. However it's great to use for wet gear after a wet passage. When we do sail with friends they have the forecabin with an ensuite. The real bonus though is having a massive sterncabin for ourselves and a massive cockpit locker. The loss of storage inside is of no real consequence but the extra cockpit storage is much more useful .

 

[duncan99210]

2 heads wins every time. Not just the redundancy but the privacy of having your own head when you’ve got visitors on board. Also the you’ve always got one on the lee side, making it easy to use that one at sea. No vertigo or bracing yourself against the door as you use it.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Two heads. The space lost with the second head can be utilised more efficiently when just sailing with your family or partner. In my case we have a pole that fits into he forward heads that we use as our wet locker to hang oilskins from. On a sister boats to mine, when short handed and long voyaging, people have added shelves across the forward or aft heads, to make extra storage. So its not and either or option with loss or gain of utility, you can still have the best of each option just with a little thought.

Not having two heads would be an inconvenience when we sail with friends.

 

[Mistroma]

I voted 2 for several reasons, mostly mentioned. Redundancy, difficulty flushing windward head when heeled and so on. It does really depend on usage and personal circumstances.

We only sail with 2 people on board but usually spend about 5-6 months afloat, mainly at anchor. I have IBS and a spare vacant head can be useful. The main advantage for us is that it extends the usefulness of the holding tank in the aft head. We only pee in the forward head at anchor in one place for several days and can still flush with copious amounts of sea-water.

 

[Dutch01527]

I could not care less it is a big thing for some people.

Depends on the attitude of the people sailing. My wife is much happier on the new boat which has 2 heads. Her own private space. Some guests also appreciate the privacy.

When you do not have guests on board use it as storage space and wet locker.

 

[Daydream believer]

Why are they deserved of special consideration? What price womens' lib?

It is not a case of women's lib at all. I sail single handed 95% of the time, but on the rare ocassions a woman is on board, I try to treat them with respect & put them at ease. Personal comfort for any crew is important, male or female. That includes using the heads, which can be awkward considering clothing problems for a start. Expecting ladies to "balance on a bucket" whilst the boat is bouncing around & heeled at 20 degrees does not encourage them to return as crew in the future.

 

[Stemar]

I don't know what you lot do with your bogs. In 20 years of sailing, I've only ever had one case of a head that stopped working, a near terminally stupid guy who slurped up some seaweed - bladderwrack, so not inappropriate - and hadn't the sense to realise something was wrong. It took me all of ten minutes to fix, Not the nicest of jobs admittedly, but loads of brownie point from the owner. Children can be taught, while adults just need a big sign, slightly modified from one someone mentioned a wee while ago: "Pee, Poo and THIS paper only, or you get to unblock it yourself"

As for one head or two, I reckon that would depend on how often, and for how long you have guests, and how often you overnight where there aren't loos ashore.

 

[Moodysailor]

Two heads, for all the reasons already mentioned. Individual privacy, one always dry, and we have had one of our heads 'fail' on two occasions in three years - one was a blocked inlet (small fish got sucked up and stuck) and one was a failed joker. Neither I would have wanted to fix at sea, or even after a long days sail just before dinner! Having the second head meant pressure was off so it could be done when convenient. We also had an older boat so had one converted to electric and one manual - this was nice at night to avoid any noisy motors or pumps running.

But mainly it's because I feel that boating should be enjoyable and not a struggle. The reality is that most people who are relatively new at this won't like the idea of a stranger pooping next to their toothbrush, so having a bit of extra privacy for them goes a long way, in my experience. My first boat, like many other was didn't have a head, the next few had a chemical loo in the cabin so I've been through the 'struggle' and simply just refuse to do it anymore - life is too short...

 

[penfold]

Extraordinarily sensitive people you sail with; I assume that none of these gentle souls has ever had a house guest(or they have a house with an en-suite in every room) and have never stayed in a hotel etc.; the number of bums those lavvys have seen must be in the tens of thousands.

 

[Daydream believer]

Extraordinarily sensitive people you sail with; I assume that none of these gentle souls has ever had a house guest(or they have a house with an en-suite in every room) and have never stayed in a hotel etc.; the number of bums those lavvys have seen must be in the tens of thousands.

I stayed in a hotel in South Africa years ago. It was horrendous. Even had an outside loo with a tin bucket.
I complained to the lady owner that the toilet did not have a lock on the door. She said . "No worries mate. We have been here 40 years & I have never had a bucket of s..t nicked yet"

 

[mattnj]

Sold my SO 40 with 2 heads....I wouldn't have 2 again....loads of extra stuff to look after (4 skin fittings for a start!) And in the 6 years I had it....the 2nd head got used about 3 times....keep it simple I reckon

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Having been out on a fortnights cruise which took in a bank holiday weekend and everyman and his dog going to the chandlers I would go with two heads, that way you have a useable heads if you cant get spares in a hurry

Carry a spare pump to swap in when the in-use one packs up. Then seal the non functioning one in a plastic bag and take it home to recondition,and then carry that as a spare. Saves the hassle of having to deal with a smelly mess at sea.