Wilcox Crittenden Skipper Repair Kit

[BitGust]

I have a Skipper which leaks and I want to rebuild it, because it still looks good. The lever is not tight, it has some play - and the rubber has gotten hard.

I searched online but found only shops where the kit is out of stock.

Does anyone know, where to get a kit? I am located in the Netherlands right now, but have time and could order from the US.

Or maybe anyone knows where to similar parts that would fit.

[Bowdrie]

You're probably out of luck trying to find the "kit" of parts, unless some chandlery happens to have one stuffed away in the back room.
Their are some various parts still around with diligent web searches.
The "play" you speak of can come from two sources.
Inside the lower part of the cylinder, the piston is connected to the shaft with a link that has a curved slot in it that the piston pin rides in/thru.
That curved slot allows some "free play" in the handle, but that is normal.
Free play that is not normal comes from one, (or both,) of the Woodruff key slots that are machined into the shaft.
The external Woodruff locates/indexes the handle, the internal Woodruff indexes that connecting link that goes to the piston.
First determine where the play is, the handle-to-shaft is easy to see.
If you suspect the internal Woodruff is worn, then you need to dismantle the toilet, you'll need to do it anyway to inspect all the parts.
Should the keyways in either end of the shaft be "wallowed"/worn, a machine shop can cut new keyways in the existing shaft at 180 degrees from the existing ones, (both keyways are in line with each other,) or a shop can take a length of old 1in. bronze propellor shaft and make a new part.
The Skipper is arguably the best manual marine toilet ever built, perhaps the best way to keep one going is to buy-up others for parts.
The closest replacement would be the Groco K, and even they, with only a 3in. piston are not nearly as good.
The demise of the Skipper was truly a blot on yachting.

[MicHughV]

To the best of my knowledge I bought the last remaining Wilcox Crittenden repair kit back in 1980 or thereabouts. Some years later, I wanted to repair/replace some bits and pieces, but spare parts kits were nowhere to be found.

[pdxsailordiver]

I buy parts for my WC Skipper from Marine Sanitation in Seattle Washington. I did a full rebuild last spring.

https://marinesan.com/

[MicHughV]

I'm wondering now, after seeing the link above, if my WC was the skipper model.

I salvaged my WC from an old British boat that had washed up on US shores somewhere. My best guess, is that it dated somewhere in the 1970's or earlier ??? I know that my rebuild kit came from the New England area, and was informed at the time, it was the last one in existence.

I think it's fair to say, most marine heads are not an item of beauty, but this thing was no ordinary marine head.

It was constructed out of bronze, had a teak lid and seat, a long bronze handle, tipped with teak. There were more levers and gadgets on this thing that I can recall.

It would devour all that was placed inside it's hungry maw, with nary a burp, but would shake, rattle and roll in the process. It required a thorough understanding to use it properly. Guests that used it, were first given a long dissertation by me on the correct sequence of events prior to it's use.

It served flawlessly for many a year, until it required another rebuild, but try as I might, I could not find another rebuild kit.

I had to take the entire unit out and gave it a nobel burial at sea accompanied by incense, music and crying bystanders.

Though I've had a succession of heads since that time, none have come close to the dignity and splendor of that WC head.

It was truly a throne made for a king !!!

[pdxsailordiver]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

I'm wondering now, after seeing the link above, if my WC was the skipper model.

I salvaged my WC from an old British boat that had washed up on US shores somewhere. My best guess, is that it dated somewhere in the 1970's or earlier ??? I know that my rebuild kit came from the New England area, and was informed at the time, it was the last one in existence.

I think it's fair to say, most marine heads are not an item of beauty, but this thing was no ordinary marine head.

It was constructed out of bronze, had a teak lid and seat, a long bronze handle, tipped with teak. There were more levers and gadgets on this thing that I can recall.

It would devour all that was placed inside it's hungry maw, with nary a burp, but would shake, rattle and roll in the process. It required a thorough understanding to use it properly. Guests that used it, were first given a long dissertation by me on the correct sequence of events prior to it's use.

It served flawlessly for many a year, until it required another rebuild, but try as I might, I could not find another rebuild kit.

I had to take the entire unit out and gave it a nobel burial at sea accompanied by incense, music and crying bystanders.

Though I've had a succession of heads since that time, none have come close to the dignity and splendor of that WC head.

It was truly a throne made for a king !!!

This is mine during rebuild.
Tim

[gonesail]

no hand pump for that thing. use your leg and get more leverage

[Bowdrie]

If I win the lottery I will see about setting-up a facility to manufacture replacement parts for Skipper toilets.
Those at Thetford should be ashamed for dis-continuing the service parts.
Bean-counters and pinheads at work.
They probably still have the tooling for production, for a while after buying out WC they were still producing the complete/finished product.
Perhaps in this "modern" era marine products of bronze that basically will last forever cannot be tolerated?

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by gonesail

no hand pump for that thing. use your leg and get more leverage

Well, the foot pedal wasn't the pump, that long vertical handle was the pump lever. Your foot merely operated the valve that controlled inlet water.

We never had the skipper model, only its little brother, the Imperial... and even that was a superb bit of antediluvian engineering. Only the Baby Blake exceeds these thrones in antique sanitary engineering.

I look at our Jabsco and sneer...

Jim

[MicHughV]

my model was all bronze, except for the bowl, the base, etc, etc, was all bronze, the seat and lid were teak.

this pic is similar to mine, but not the same, mine had a foot pedal, plus several other levers.

this particular model is dated 1920....

mine worked like a champ, no marine head I've had since, could match it's performance and reliabity...

[Manateeman]

The U.S. Navy had TPI build a group of offshore sail boats to teach sailing at Annapolis. The head they wanted was the WC Skipper.
They even did a video on how to repair them.
Most of the parts can be fabricated at a machine shop and it’s worth every penny to keep them going.
The only head that can pump manatee biscuits overboard.
Happy New Year.
Captain Mark

[MicHughV]

Attempting to have as few holes in my boat for serious offshore voyaging as possible, my first head was a "porta-potti".....yes, laugh if you must....

If ever there was dumb idea, with no real life practicality, foisted on an innocent sailor, the " porta-potti" must rank up there with the best of them.

My experiment with this device lasted less than a week before it met it's ignoble end.

Following this misadventure, the WC was installed. Talk about two extremes, from living hell to peaceful bliss

My next boat had the " electrosan" head units, one of which was located under the forward v-berth bunk. One night, I awoke to a loud explosion coming from the front of the boat. Rushing forward to investigate, I found that the "electrosan" unit had exploded with such force, so as to raise the foam mattress up in the air. Needless to say, there wasn't a square inch of the v-berth cabin that escaped the contents of the "electrosan" unit. It was a hellacious clean up project that took several days to bring to conclusion.

When it comes to marine heads....I've paid my dues

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

Most of the parts can be fabricated at a machine shop and it’s worth every penny to keep them going.
Captain Mark

True enough.
Gaskets are easily made, fasteners are no big deal, and with some Neoprene in a couple of thicknesses the rubber parts can be made.
The old bronze "weights" that are riveted to the stock parts can be reused/riveted onto the new rubber parts.
One can even soak a piece of leather in "Lexol" and form a new piston leather.
The packing is easily obtainable, and the bowls/lids are common to other models, (I forget which).
As long as the basic bronze castings are good, and one is reasonably handy, theirs's little reason that a Skipper can't last a lifetime.
The bronze part most subject to wear is the piston link, (connecting rod,) and the curved slot in it could be built-up with brazing and filed to fit.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures".

[Manateeman]

The manatee crew tips their caps to Captain Bowdrie for an excellent post.
Well done sir.
Happy New Year.

[Jim Cate]

FWIW: Years ago, in our previous boat I made one modification to the Imperial head and it was quite successful: when replacement leathers for the piston became difficult to find I designed a simple disk piston with a groove for a fat o-ring in its periphery. Worked better than the original... less friction loss in pumping and no more annual replacement of the leather (they never lasted like they should have... dunno why).

Jim