Holding Action

My dissatisfaction with the head and holding tank plumbing arrangement on our 1987 Sabre 38 had grown as we cruised the boat away from the comforts of a marina for longer periods of time. When we are tied up at a marina, the use of regular bathrooms generally trumps the onboard system, and one can get rather complacent. Once untethered, though, the dynamic quickly changes. There is only one option inside the three-mile limit, and that’s to use the holding tank.

We inherited a fairly typical setup, with one glaring exception. For reasons unknown to me, the previous owner had converted the original 34 gal holding tank into a water tank. Before your mind gets too wrapped up in that thought, I should point out that he bought the boat brand-new and had never pumped waste into it. To compensate, he plumbed in a modest