Holding Tank Light

[Impala]

Hi Guys,

Have just bought a 2003 Bavaria 38....
How do I know when the holding tank is full?
Where do I buy curtain rail stopper ends?
Where do I buy new deck light handles?
Where do I buy push button locks for overhead lockers?

I have search the internet high and low - from Germany to Spain.....
If anyone can shed some light - I'd be eternally grateful...

Br
Pip
Impala

[Yngmar]

1. When the brown sauce comes out of the tank vent
2. A wad of blu-tack does the job pretty well so far
3. I dunno what you mean by deck light handles?
4. I bought mine from Seascrew. Osculati makes them. Possibly SVB has them in stock too, didn't check.

Good luck!

[Impala]

Hi Yngmar,

Thanks so much for replying!  You are a mine of information!
Isn't there a warning light/alarm on the dashboard - for the holding tank?
Blu tack - good idea!
Decklight handle - I didn't express myself too well!  There is a rectangular port light/porthole above the sink in the roof.  One of the handles has come off the glass completely.  Presumably, I can't just stick it back on?  Do I have to buy a whole new unit? 

Br
Pip

[Yngmar]

Depends on your DC panel. The holding tank and "Panel 16" have no sensor or indicators. I've never seen one that actually works anyways and cleaning the sender is no fun at all.

Oh, depends on what brand your portlights/hatches are. My hatches are Gebo, and spares can be found online, although I got lucky and picked up a bag for next to nothing from a chandlery "used" shelf. They can be disassembled and replaced easily.

My portlights are Rutgerson and I figure spares are probably available from Sweden, but haven't needed any yet.

[Jeffatoms]

We have a 38 Ocean and we found that the only way to truly know when we are approaching full is to measure how much goes into the tank.  This falls under the fool me once rule where we relied on the previous method and learned the hard way that when the tank overflowed into the dish cupboard.

So the "new" method that has worked flawlessly ever since is that when we drain the holding tank, we refill seven used one gallon vinegar jugs with fresh water and store them in the shower pan.  Then when we use the head we rinse and refill exclusively from one of the seven jugs.  When we approach six and a half empty jugs, it's time to plan for a pump out yet there is enough spare capacity to seek in a fewore uses. 

If you have ever overfilled your holding tank you know that you need to find a way to prevent that from ever happening again.  The bonus is by using only fresh water refill, there is a reduction in bad smells (from dying marine life) as well, which is nice.

[tiger79]

There's a sensor on my holding tank and, as Ymgmar says, it doesn't work.  I disabled it and use a little LED torch on the side of the holding tank - moving the torch up and down enables you to judge the level of the liquid in the tank.

The tank shouldn't be able to overflow inside the boat; the breather should be securely fitted to an overboard vent.

SVB have a very good website dedicated to Bavaria spares - see https://www.svb24.com/en/brands/bavaria.html

[Krumelur]

My waste tank sensors are also dead (boat from 2010). I can roughly estimate when the tank will be full. On the third day in an anchorage I start checking regularly :-)