Updating the heads

Sakura's plumbing fixtures were definitely showing their age and the heads were updated as of OCT 2023 toilets, hoses and faucets all installed.  Wall sconce lighting only requires replacement.

Raritan P101 superflush heads, Osculati 'Olivia' shower/faucets.    

Update - end of June 2023.    

The mounting decks for the replacement heads are complete and ready to be installed when I’m next at the boat.  Definitely overkill but satisfying to work with no time pressure, and to incorporate the epoxy saturation of all exposed surfaces, radiuses and chamfered holes and edges, stainless T-nuts etc.   I tried to mimic the factory’s relieving of edges as closely as is reasonable but it is clear that the parts were originally tweaked to fit the existing space and that this will be required when installed.  I used metric hex-head screws rather than Philips or slots, as a a hex key is better suited to the confined situation.  

Prior posts.

The space in the forward head lends itself to a composting toilet, however it is only this head that is configured to discharge into a holding tank.   I elected not to add another project to the list and will defer a composting toilet to some point in the future.     

I elected to replace the RM69 manual toilets with Raritan P101 "Superflush" compact toilets, and found an excellent supplier in marinepartssource.com.   I had these shipped to Curacao, intending to install them in June 2023.   After I removed the old toilets quickly realized that new mounting decks were required, so I trial fitted the new toilets in place, traced the base location on the old decks and brought them home to serve as templates. 

I used 3/4" G1S plywood coated with MVS410 epoxy, Wilsonart "Frosty White" 1573 60 laminate.   3M Super 77 spray adhesive (really good contact cement) was used to bond the laminate to the plywood.   I finished with some teak to trim the exposed edge as was done originally.  Rather than mount studs protruding upwards to secure the toilet, I will install M6 stainless T-tuts from below and will secure the unit with machine screws from above.   Better approach I think.

I will replace the existing 1.5" PVC sanitation hose with quality rubber hose like Raritan SFH, and will feed that and the flush water hoses through radiused, epoxy-coated holes in the deck.  

Below shows Laminate trimmed slightly oversized, and epoxy-coated plywood ready to be glued together with the 3M spray adhesive.   

Laminate glued and trimmed.  Deck panels, old and new.

Oops. Don’t ask. Related DIY repair.  

Teak edge strips fitted and in the process of being glued with epoxy and biscuits. At this point someone may point out that epoxy might not cause the biscuits to expand as they are designed to do with water-based glues.    Am well aware of this.  I decided to use biscuits as tenons, with thickened epoxy, instead of the factory approach of screws and a plugged hole, which had discoloured due to the screws corroding.

Teak trim gently clamped, excess epoxy wiped off with alcohol.