Okay, I'm sparing all the details of how I want to try to get the Groco
to work by this weekend without putting in the kit or repairing it yet,
so the family can use it (I intend to scrounge up a portapotti for
temporary usage if my crackpot scheme doesn't work).

My question is still about the feasibility of buying the $110 kit vs
buying a new Raritan. Remember my boat strained, non-existent budget.
Before I continue, let me spare more details but add that I *still*
haven't hooked up the toilet myself to see if it works. The guy I bought
the boat from, who knows less than I do now about the boat, told me it
doesn't work. I plan to test it for sure this weekend.

Here's the new wrinkle:

As I looked closer at the nuts and bolts I would be removing I noticed
that the actual ceramic portion near the bolts is cracked and patched.
As if someone had tightened the bots too tightly at one point. There is
some sort of hard material which seems to be holding up well slathered
into a series of cracks near the base. It's an old patch, looks to be
more than five years old. Looks like the crack doesn't run all the way
around the base, just part way. I know for sure that people lived aboard
this boat for ten years and used the toilet for years with it as is. My
question is, now that I see this crack could it still possibly be
worthwhile to put in the $110 kit?

Thanks for trying to help with my crazy questions!

Stephen