Mr Smelly!

First task for the day was to open Waiouru and install the cable for the six speakers in the ceiling.  This took all of 30 minutes and I was back on Molly for an early morning tea!

Jan has been sticking her tongue out the corner of her mouth as she concentrates on her effort to knit a round porthole cushion cover.  “Eureka”… she has it beaten!

This is only a test sample to ensure she has worked out the technique.  The actual knitted porthole cushions will need to be larger.

Meanwhile, back on Molly I made a start on the “wobbly throne” in the smallest room on board.  Although we had pumped out the tank yesterday, the onboard “odour” once the throne had been removed from its pedestal, (the tank) was enough to drive Jan from the boat.  With Gary’s assistance we placed the throne components into large plastic bin bags and carried them to the towpath.

The base of the toilet was secured to a collar on the top of the tank with four brass bolts, three of which had corroded and sheared at the head.  This is why the throne was rocking on the tank allowing the eau de toilette odour toilette to waft into the bathroom and through the boat.  It took a while to work out the heads of the bolts were still inside the slots in the toilet collar.  They had both corroded and seized.  However I eventually managed to remove all the small pieces of brass and clear the slots in the collar.  The spongy rubber sealing ring had also perished.  Just to compound the problem four of the brass self tapping fixing screws that hold the collar onto the tank had “ partially dissolved”.  Apparently brass and urine don’t mix!

I was able to replace the damaged brass screws with four stainless steel screws from the chandlery.  Gary purchased a replacement seal and bolt kit from the chandlery.  We took our plastic bin bag of “goodies” to the far corner of the yard where they were scrubbed and rinsed clean almost clean before being reassembled.

Back at the boat the four new mounting bolts were inserted into the slots on the collar and the new seal was then fitted.  The base of the throne was then carefully mounted onto the tank and the bolts tightened.  It was then a simple task to reassemble the toilet and test it (water only). 

The last job was to dispose of the broken components, plastic bags, rubber gloves and the peg off my nose!  I removed my smelly playsuit overalls before boarding Molly and then removed the top part of the window in the throne room to allow better air circulation.

So I now know how to mount a “dump through” toilet.  Unfortunately Waiouru is having a macerating toilet so all this newly acquired knowledge will not be of much direct use. 

Probably the greatest advantage from the day’s activity is the ease in which it was possible to get a seat in nearby the beer garden this evening.   For some unknown reason people just up and moved off when I stood near their table!