Last night we did a little informal research (Youtube videos) into composting toilets which got me thinking about what our priorities will/should be when we start the refit of s/v Natalie B. The admiral is very particular about certain comforts so there are a few things not commonly found on an Alberg 30 that I need to consider.
(in no particular order)
- non-messy/non-smelly head (toilet)
- Heater
- shower with hot water
- stove/oven
- storage for blankets/cozy clothing
- dodger & bimini (preferably with enclosure)
Without the boat available to me at the moment to measure and mock up, I am simply relying on my imagination and what I recall from other A30 refits I've seen online. Here are my thoughts about the what, where & how for the items in the list above:
- Head (toilet) - Natures Head or Airhead composting toilet - existing head area
- Heater - Dickenson Newport - propane - port side bulkhead
- Hot water - not sure yet, but could it be as simple as this small on demand propane powered unit? For $150 each, two units could be installed, one for the shower and one for the galley sink.
- Shower - see hot water above - propane - curtain enclosure with added sump box in the walk through head/hanging locker area (what's the proper name for that area? just head?)
- Stove/oven - not sure yet, probably Dickenson (or similar) two or three burner stove with oven on a gimbal - propane - starboard, directly forward of the existing galley sink. The existing stove would be removed to enlarge the existing sink. The Starboard settee would become shorter, but by cutting a hole in the bulkhead, "foot space" could be extended into the hanging locker keeping the berth a similar length as the existing berth.
- Storage for Blankets etc. - without an inboard engine or a holding tank, I imagine there will be much more space for storage then the boat was originally designed. - I'll keep you posted on this.
- Dodger & Bimini - our boat includes frames for a dodger and a bimini - I'll need to evaluate the placement/effectiveness and investigate the enclosure option once I have the boat on site.
Those are my ideas, for now. I'll keep you posted as the research continues. I'd also love to hear your input, suggestions, experience and advise.
Until next time .... fair winds & following seas.
I don't have anything to add to your musings, but the new font and background color make the site very hard to read. I have to highlight text to get enough contrast to read it easily.
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