Captain Richard's Musings and Other Things

Head Jobs Ok get your mind out of the gutter, we’re talking about dealing with the marine toilet and the sanitation system in general.  Needless to say, as the name implies, it is one of the nastiest of jobs but somebody has to do it.  When you don’t live aboard and maybe you’re docked in a marina close to the restrooms, the head is just something you don’t worry about too much.  Every few months you might have to pump out the holding tank but that’s about it.  When you live aboard though the head is crucial and because it is used quite frequently, shit happens (double entendre'?).  One of the biggest headaches when dealing with the marine head, especially the manual kind is the buildup of calcium in the lines.  This calcium forms deposits on all the moving parts, the joker valve, the flapper gasket and the plunger.  It solidifies in the hoses and builds up in the Y-Valve and the sea cocks so that you can’t even close them.  You know this is happening when it becomes harder