Is Your Head Screwed on Straight ?

[wsmurdoch]

I have a Groco Type K marine head on my PSC 34. It is installed athwart ship facing exactly to starboard. The aft edge of the full size bowl is 3/4 inch from the aft head compartment bulkhead. I am hesitant to move it closer. The flush handle hits the side of the sink cabinet at full back stroke. I have shortened the handle so that the range of the stroke is a little more than it was originally, but it still strikes the cabinet side on its back stroke. I’d rather it did not.

Looking at other 34s on Yacht World, several of the 34s have the head mounted at a slight angle so that the head centerline is parallel to the cabinet side. I am guessing that was done to solve the problem of the handle striking the cabinet side.

I am thinking about rotating my head. If any of you have a rotated head, does it solve the handle problem? Are ther any problems with it being slightly turned?

[By the way, mine works fine. In the almost seven years that I have owned the boat I have replaced the joker valve once and the flapper valve or its bronze spring maybe three times.]

Bill Murdoch
1988 PSC 34
Irish Eyes

[hellosailor]

Bill, a head which is mounted athwartship is mounted so you are facing either the bow or the stern, not the side of the boat, when you are on it.

The advantage is that it is equally easy to use on either tack, and some folks consider a head moutned athwartship to be a sign of a designer who spent some time getting things right.

"the head centerline is parallel to the cabinet side." that sounds like a proper installation, athwartship.

Most heads are kinda jammed in whichever in order to make 'em fit, so whatever works for you, works for you.

[Norstar]

Bill, The Groco head on our 1990 34 is mounted slightly rotated counter clockwise as you mention above parallel to the cabinet side. The handle sweep clears the cabinet but still pretty tight. No other problems however.

John S.
PSC 34 # 201
Norstar

[wsmurdoch]

Thank you John. The athwart ship facing head on my boat rests on a 1/4" stainless steel plate that (I guess) was installed to cover the hole when a previous Lavac was removed. When we get home, I'll find another piece of stainless and fabricate a new plate to rotate the head a little CCW. In that orientation the opened toilet seat will strike the cabinet behind the head at an angle, but I guess that will not be a problem.

Bill Murdoch
1988 PSC 34
Irish Eyes

[johnharch]

Bill, I installed a new Groco KH in my 34 last fall. The KH has a larger bowl, but everything else is the same. Even with the old style, it is a tight fit getting the handle to clear and the lid to go back far enough to stay up on it's own. I played with it a bit and changed the alignment slightly form the original and I think I ended up with a better fit than with the old head. Yes, it strikes the cabinet at an angle, but that is no big deal.

John