Harmony 2.0 - Things that worked

Getting to use Harmony this past summer was wonderful for many reasons.  However, the practical aspect of our time afloat in Harmony was the opportunity to test various gear, systems, and the live-aboard comfort.  We also got to experience what didn't work so well or simple needed some tweaking.  I am going to focus on the gear that we found to work well, but I will cover the less than great things in another post.

Ah, finally floating at anchor in Marion!
(photo courtesy of Nautilus Cushions)

Before I get too far along, I need to recognize some folks for their stellar work, service, and/or friendship. 

• The folks at Barden's Boat Yard in Marion did their usual wonderful job of getting us in and out of the water, as well as making us feel like valued customers - so much so that we often felt as is we were the only customers  Hats off to Cheryl, Carol, Fred, Pete, Doug, Doug, Steve, Paul, and a host of others for making what has been 25 years of wonderful support.
• Judy Medeiros, at Nautilus Cushions in Marion created the most beautiful cabin and cockpit cushions for Harmony.  As usual, her work was beyond compare.  However, the fact that she and her husband delivered the cushions to the boat deserves special note.  She even made a embroidered pillow for us that made the Admiral tear up.  Heck, we almost want to ruin these cushions just to get Judy to do her magic again.  OK, not really, but you get the point!
• Greg Flederman, The Boat Doctor, made herculean efforts to get us sufficiently wired to pass survey and to get out on the mooring.  While he has a long list of things that need to be completed, his work to date has been stellar.
• Barbara Miele, the Manager of the West Marine in Woburn, provided some of the best service we have experienced ever.  She supported us to the nines with every issue and purchase we made at West Marine, and we made a lot of them.  She proved to be one of the best retail managers I have ever worked with, bar none.  Huge Kudos!

OK, the specific items I want to focus on today include (1) the Nature's Head composting toilet; (2) the Yanmar engine; and (3) the Kato Marine davits.

Composting Toilets:  We installed 2 Nature's Head composting toilets on Harmony:  we did this because we have 2 heads not because we needed to handle #1 and #2 separately!  Doing so offered us the advantages of eliminating 4 through hulls, two large holding tanks, and a lot of annoying smells.  Additionally, the composting toilets would be easier to use, to empty, and would provide us with a high degree of self-sufficiency.



The Nature's Head installed in the forward head
we used this unit while in the water in 2014
(Note - this unit is mounted in a fore/aft orientation
so that we can use it more easily while sailing)

This is the Nature's Head installed in the aft head
(Note - this unit is mounted in an athwartship orientation
and will be more easily used while at anchor) 

At least the first two elimination advantages were solidly proven because I removed them personally.  However, the last elimination advantage, the often experienced aromatic ambiance of a marine head system was something to be found out.  WELL, both the Admiral and I can loudly proclaim that we experienced absolutely NO smell during our usage of the Nature's Head for over 8 weeks.  Underscoring that, we had boat owning guests on-board who were pleasantly amazed that there was no head related odor.

OK, but did the composting toilet succeed in supplying all of the promised advantages?  Honestly, you bet!  Having used a traditional marine head for over 20 years, we are fairly well experienced in the routine.  However, using the Nature's Head was easier.  We chose to NOT put the toilet paper in the unit and I will comment on this below.  By not adding the toilet paper we were able to extend the useful capacity of our unit by several weeks.

One can either put toilet paper into the base unit of the Nature's Head or dispose of it separately.  While toilet paper will decompose, it does so more slowly than poop and it sharply reduces the time between empties.  We wanted to extend the times between emptying, so we chose to dispose of the toilet paper in zip lock bags put into our main waste basket.  By the way, this is the way most charter outfits take care of toilet paper in the BVI, as there are limited pump out stations there.  Moreover, many boat owners due this in order to minimize the risk of clogging the head.  While an extra step, it is an easy process.

The process of emptying the Nature's Head was relatively simple, took very little time, AND created no mess!  It could also be done on our schedule.  Emptying the urine container couldn't be easier.  While at the mooring, I simply removed the container, put it into a zippered tote, and brought it ashore to empty in a public toilet.  When I first emptied the base unit which contains the peat moss and poop, I had a bit of trepidation.  However, it took me no more than 15 minutes from start to finish.  However, the biggest surprise that left me really ecstatic what that the only smell I detected was the odor of dirt.  Please note that the unit had just been used before I emptied it.  Fabulous!

We have two Nature's Heads on Harmony, but we only used one this initial in water season.  Next season will use both.  We can solidly recommend the composting toilet option.  Moreover, we can strongly recommend the Nature's Head as a great unit.  It represents the best new equipment we added to Harmony during the restoration.

Yanmar Engine:  When we purchased Harmony, the ubiquitous Perkins engine had been removed.  While we had to clean out all of the related viscera and fluids from the engine room, our benefit was we had a broad choice on new power plants.  As mentioned in a prior posting, we chose the Yanmar 4JH4-HTE, a 110 hp unit, as our engine.  We could have gone with a lower hp unit, but at the advice of Barden's Boat Yard and Mack Boring, we went with the higher hp in order to give us more umph if needed.



View from starboard side before the connection to sea water and exhaust completed



View from port side before seawater and exhaust connections

We chose the Yanmar because we knew that Barden's is a certified service center and their mechanic, Peter, was known as an expert installer and mechanic.  Another engine that was recommended was a Beta unit, but we not only received less than acceptable response from the dealer, we also realized that there were no certified service centers anywhere near where we were moored.

So, how did the Yanmar work?  Holy Cow, it worked amazingly!  In warm or cold temperatures it started instantly.  For a big unit, it was surprisingly quiet:  I haven't finished installing all of the Soundown insulation yet.  However, the power transfer was incredible.  The 110 HP certainly pushes Harmony's 32,000 plus pounds effortlessly.  The benefit here is that we can motor Harmony at very efficient rpm's and still have a healthy reserve of power, if necessary.

All in, we are very happy with our choice of Yanmar.  The engine starts and runs very well.  Maintaining the fluids and servicing the engine will be easy given the room we have in Harmony's engine room and the well placed service points on the engine.

Kato Marine Davits:  We had a choice to make relative to carrying our dinghy.  The options were to (1) to tow it behind the boat; (2) carry it on deck; or (3) put it in davits on the stern.  Unless we are doing a very short hop, we do not like towing a dinghy behind the boat.  One has to always be mindful of the tow line, and certain sea states create a too boisterous ride for the dinghy.  Carrying the dinghy on deck is a very safe method for storing a dinghy during a passage, but given our length of dinghy we could not fit anywhere on deck:  even in the deflated state. 

The Kato Marine davits fully installed on Harmony's stern

We chose to add davits on the stern and to carry our dinghy there.   As I discussed in a prior posting, this freed up deck space for moving about while under sail.  After much research, we chose Kato Marine to make our davits.  We found them very responsive and supportive, and their product is very well made.  The Westsail 42 with its canoe stern does not provide an easy mounting platform.  However, Kato Marine was very supportive and helped us every step of the way.

Kato Marine was also incredibly patient, as it took us over a year to get the install complete.  However, once completed, the davits work really well.  I can launch and retrieve the dinghy in about 15 minutes from start to finish.  The dinghy rides securely and solidly.  A great feature for us is the unit's ability to fold up for winter storage.  I simply have to take off the stabilizer bar (a 10 minute effort) and fold the arms forward.

Kato Marine davits shown in the folded condition
(Note: this shows the davits early in the restoration process)

The Kato Marine davit system was a great decision.  We recommend them highly!

Well, during our short period of breaking in our restored Harmony on the water gave us a bit of time to evaluate systems and equipment.  While we were ecstatic to have Harmony in the water, we still have a ways to go before we will be comfortable leaving on a cruise.  BUT, we are well on our way to that end.

Fair Winds and Following Seas!