I hate the Jabsco bog ....

[NealB]

Baby Blake’s are fantastic but I can’t justify spending more on a toilet than the cost of a second hand family car.

Baby Blake Marine Toilet

Of course if money is no object go Victory

Victory Blake Toilet

£8295 for a loo…!

Last year, I helped a friend sell his rather lovely Holman designed, Whisstock's built, Rummer yawl (advertised by a classified ad. on ebay).

As a close friend, I absolutely refused his generous offer of a brokerage fee, but he was absolutely insistent that he wanted to give me something as a token of his appreciation.

The next time I saw him, he proudly handed me a working, but rather less than pristine, Baby Blake.

It seemed ungracious to protest too strongly.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

This is what I would do ....

Rip out the existing plumbing. Remove the tank and clean it thoroughly. Buy new pipes because the whole lot is almost certainly full of scale that will only cause problems down the line.

When re-assembling, connect the Jabsco to always pump into the tank.

Fit another exit to the tank and depending on how it is all fitted this could be gravity fed to the existing through-hull which you can open offshore to dump the contents, or a macerator/pump combo that pumps the tank contents out through the existing through-hull.

We borrowed a friends boat and spent the first 2 days of our holiday this year trying to get a holding tank full of scale to empty, this included lying on a SUP next to the boat with a hose rammed up the waste outlet blasting sea-water back into the holding tank.

Not a nice job at all

For your delectation, a photo of the tank internals showing all the non-organic crud in the bottom, and the pump used to empty it out of sight in the marina. This boat is only 8 years old.

 

[Refueler]

Boat is now ashore .... next couple of days have storm going through - so I shall be snug at home sitting it out !!

Once weather improves - will be looking to decide what to do.

 

[Supertramp]

Only just read this. I have a similar system (whale pump, no deck pump out, 3 way valve). I would take the time to check how what you have operates before condemning all or parts. Use coloured water rather than the real thing!! The photo is not of my 3 way valve (which has 120 degrees between positions) but a similar valve with 90 degrees and a 4th "all ports open" position on a pool. A setting like that would cause problems.

I have Jabsco toilets and an annual clean, careful use of silicone grease and replacing worn or rusting flaps and valves seems to keep them running well. I pump lots of water through - like 20 to 30 flush strokes when the bowl is empty. I have had a blockage in the non-holding tank toilet and while sparing the details scale build up in 34 year old pipes was not a big problem. Backflow to the toilet while pumping out the holding tank does sound like a faulty or wrong position valve, assuming you have separate seacocks for the Whale pump and the Jabsco pump.

No Jabsco pump is likely to withstand an onslaught by a Whale pump in full flight!

 

[[70521]]

And need a REALLY big bucket!

No, what he REALLY needs is a bowsprit and some netting

 

[Supertramp]

Or no netting....

 

[Refueler]

Once weather is better - will be trying all combos of valve use as Halifax says ... just to get at the real way to set them. It will also be an idea to look at a service kit for the bog ...

 

[Neeves]

I'm not entirely sure that moving away from "bucket & chuck it" was an improvement!

It has encouraged young ladies to participate. Our granddaughters were all born in the current century and the idea of 'bucket and chuck it' would be met with incredulity.

Jonathan

 

[davidej]

Our standard Beneteau system is way way simpler. All the contents of the heads go into the holding tank. If you leave the discharge valve open , it goes straight through into the briny. When in a marina,we close the valve and it accumulates in the tank. We can either pump out or wait until back at sea, open valve and let it discharge.

All gravity driven, so no pump involved.

 

[srm]

My boat came with a Baby Blake, well past its use by date as obviously old when fitted to the boat. I had to dismantle it on the way home and found the threads on the pump shaft were eroded and had to epoxy the nut back on.

Having found a Lavac robust and as near as possible to charterer proof over nine years use on a previous boat, and not being partial to the flimsiness and care needed to keep a Jabsco pump sweet on other boats I fitted a Lavac once home. At the same time I ordered a spare set of seat seals and spares for the MKV pump. That was thirteen years ago. Spares kits are still unopened despite periods of living on board.

When heading in to Scandinavian waters I added a holding tank. Lavac pump diverts to sea or holding tank. Holding tank has deck pump out fitting and second discharge, via another MKV pump to sea. Quite a few short lengths of pipes and elbows, all double clipped (supplier phoned to check that I really wanted all those hose clips). However, it works without fuss.

If you want a reliable heads get a Lavac.

PS. I suspect that the reason Jabsco heads are fitted on so many boats is the low price being attractive to the builders rather than quality or ease of maintenance for the owner.