Holding tank for Beneteau First 26 (1985)

[daveyjavey]

Hi,

New member here looking for advice.

I've just bought an old Beneteau First 26 and it needs a bit of work, but I'm looking forward to the challenge. One of the things I'm struggling with is in the heads. The previous owner cannot find the old holding tank which he removed and rigged the pipework directly to the hull fitting. As the yacht is on a lake I am unable to use the heads.

Does anyone have any advice on a suitable holding tank? It's quite a restricted space so I think it needs to be a vertical tank. I can provide some photos and dimensions the next time I get on board.

Thanks in advance

 

[AMCD300]

Welcome aboard Davey...

I can't advise on your exact tank requirements but you may find these online resources useful:

YBW Holding Tank Discussions - http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?211129-Retro-fitting-a-holding-tank

And

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?60690-DIY-Holding-tank-installation


Marine Sanitation Advice -
http://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/Selecting-a-Sanitation-System

And here, Peggie Hall's book on Amazon... supposedly the last word on marine sanitation - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1892399784/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile

Hope this helps.

Andy

 

[langstonelayabout]

Hate to say it old chap but I'd be shocked if your boat had ever been fitted with a holding tank by Beneteau. Most French boats of that era (including my old 1988 Jeanneau) plumbed their heads straight through the hull.

 

[Tranona]

Yes, any tank would be a retrofit and probably DIY. Very difficult to find space for a decent size tank on a smallish old boat. Plenty of information on designing holding tank systems on the TekTanks website. They also make custom tanks to your design, but make sure you are sitting down when you get the price. Another good source is Vetus who do a good range of bulkhead gravity tanks which are easy to plumb in if you have the space.

Unless you intend using the on board facilities a lot it may be better to rip the loo out and use a chemical toilet.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

If the images Google produces are right, you might be able to get one into the locker aft of the loo. That's where we put one in a First 305.

 

[aquaplane]

Forget it. On a lake you must be reasonably close to shore, fit a Portapoti. One with a bigger tank would work, or use a bucket for night soil (urine) and SOS (shit on shore). Worked for us on Windermere.

 

[Birch_Balmain]

If the images Google produces are right, you might be able to get one into the locker aft of the loo. That's where we put one in a First 305.

Would love to know any details of your First 305 holding tank installation experience - have just bought one (a 305, not a holding tank!) and this job is on my rather long list of things to do..

 

[daveyjavey]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I think the Porta Potti is going to be the most convenient and certainly the cheapest option. It saves me having my head in a bulkhead cupboard with old stinky pipes and worse.

 

[Plum]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I think the Porta Potti is going to be the most convenient and certainly the cheapest option. It saves me having my head in a bulkhead cupboard with old stinky pipes and worse.

That was my conclusion too but i fixed the portapotti hold down brackets to a plywood base that bolted into the same holes at the sea toilet as i wanted to be able to quickly swap when i came back into my home tidal waters. You may also want to consider buying two portapotties just so you have a second holding tank. We found that with our portapotti qube 365with only two people on board after 3 days we were anxiously looking for an emptying site. Unfortunately Thetford do not sell a holding tank alone.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Would love to know any details of your First 305 holding tank installation experience - have just bought one (a 305, not a holding tank!) and this job is on my rather long list of things to do..

Fitted a TecTank (roughly from memory 500x500x300mm) translucent one in the 'oilskin' locker butted up against the engine (longitudinal) bulkhead. Top of the tank was about level with the big aperture in the bulkhead. Vent skin fitting in the same locker and just below the toerail. We didn't bother with any diverters or a pump out fitting, so waste went loo to tank, tank to pump, pump to seacock. The pump was also fitted in the oilie locker with the handle coming through the partition a few inches away from the front of the wash basin locker front. That way we could sit on the loo to pump the tank if desired. Or necessary because it was full...

This was a boat in Greece, so a legal requirement. We didn't see the point in a diverter system and only knew of one pump out station which didn't work anyway.

We were still on film cameras in those days, so no pics I'm afraid.

 

[Yellow Ballad]

rm69 buffertank?

 

[Tranona]

rm69 buffertank?

Not a very satisfactory bit of kit according to those who have tried it.

 

[daveyjavey]

Not a very satisfactory bit of kit according to those who have tried it.

It looks like a good concept though.

 

[Tranona]

It looks like a good concept though.

Until you have to deal with the leaks and the limited capacity!