Steve Lortie wrote:

I have shopped around here in Ottawa Canada and the prices for a
custom tank don't seem all that reasonable to me. I am thinking
custom because of price but also so I don't have to modify the sole
height to accomadate a standard size tank.

I don't think you'll have to resort to a custom tank...Ronco has 400
shapes and sizes, including over 100 non-rectangular....I just checked
their site. They have over a dozen in the 44-48 gal range, almost all
under 15" deep. Check their site. If they don't have one you like...try
these folks: http://www.triplemplastics.net/ They make custom tanks to
your drawing and their prices are considerably lower than any other
custom tank fabricator.

You can also save a bundle on shipping--for everything you buy from the
US--if you rent an address at one of the Mailboxes etc type places in
the nearest town on our side of the border. Won't save you any
applicable duty, but you won't have to pay internation shipping rates
and those huge "customs brokerage fees" that UPS etc charges to ship
stuff into Canada. Can't do anything about the rate of exchange, though.

I'm curious why the location is not good for waste tank. Hope the
answer isn't too obvious.

Because a tank buried on the keel is almost impossible to vent to keep
the contents aerobic, which is what's needed to prevent odor. However,
in a houseboat, which has a fairly flat bottom, that may not be as much
of an issue as it would be in a deep keel boat. If you can vent to both
sides of the hull, using at 1" or 1.5" vent that's no longer than 3-4',
doesn't rise more than 45 degrees and is straight as an arrow, you may
be ok there.

Is 45 gal
still too big with this as a consideration? From you experience, what
size of tank are you thinking?

For a houseboat that size, 40-45 gals is about right. For a sailboat or
cruiser under 40', it would be a bit big.

I am considering of starting off with a manual toilet such as "ITT
Par Manual Marine Toilet"

A manual toilet isn't the best choice for the resale value of a
houseboat, but it's ok if that's what you want. But go with one that's
decent quality, not that one. A Raritan PH II will cost you about $100
USD more, but it'll last at least 20 years with minimal
maintenance...you'll be lucky to get 2 trouble-free years out of a
Par/Jabsco.

If you're thinking of putting the toilet directly over the tank, you
might want to consider going with an RV direct drop gravity toilet from
SeaLand. Check out the Traveler and Traveler Lite he
http://www.dometicusa.com/sanitation.php It does use pressurized flush
water from the onboard supply, but very little (and you can add water to
the bowl ahead of use, which you can only do by pouring it in with cup
to manual toilet)...how much fresh water do you plan to carry?

If you want to discuss specifics of your proposed installation in more
detail than is practical in a public discussion, you're welcome to email
me: peggie(dot)hall(at)gmail(dot)com (that's a new address, btw).
Meanwhile, you MIGHT want to check out the link my signature.


--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304