So a while ago I wrote a blog entry called Exploding Head – about studying in Florida. Well tonight I received an email from a client of mine – Wayne who owns a Quest 33. I laughed so hard when reading it that I had to post it here…. Don’t read this if you are about to eat! I am very glad I wasn’t on the boat for this race!

“And here’s semi-amusing story re the head. For HMB, some unknown person apparently really had to go and used the head big time. Whomever had a problem pumping the bowl clean, as after the race, back at the dock, I discovered the smelly mess. After I found it, I too pumped and pumped, and made modest progress on moving the obstacle. There was so much pressure building up, it caused me to investigate. First, I removed the pump out cap on deck, thinking perhaps there was pressure lock. (Left the cap off, which figures in later.) Second, I traced the plumbing, as I pondered a possible dismantling of the head. Found the problem.
Someone had changed the Y valve to direct the head outflow to the overboard setting — we were way offshore, so no big deal. But, whomever had forgotten to also open the large sea cock, which meant that all he and later I were doing with our pumping was building pressure in the system between the head and sea cock. Voila. Now all I had to do to resolve things was to change the Y-valve back to the holding tank.

Feeling quite proud of my investigatory prowess, I implemented the plan and turned the Y-Valve. There was an immediate WHOOSH as the truly impressive amount of pressure the two of us had managed to get into that modest length of hose was released — which then drove a two foot geyser of #*% out of the pump out fitting on deck! I witnessed the geyser as my gaze followed the whoosh sound along the hose and out the port in the head. The people on the boat two slips down were beyond amused, and my sweater on deck will not be seen again. This story of course falls perfectly in that well worn boating expression “Shit happens.” (I have now put a nylon tie on the Y valve so if someone wants to change the discharge again, I will know and will remember to open the sea cock too. And despite the mess, I was happy that I did not have to rebuild the head.)”

Moral of the story – label the sea cocks and laminate an instruction sheet to post in the head!

On the Bermuda trip we had a head issue which turned out to be a result of baby wipes down the head. Rob heorically cleared the blockage when it was blowing mid 30’s and it involved removing cabinetry and the head door to fix the issue!

Moral of the story – don’t put things down the head if you haven’t eaten them.