Alternatives to calorifiers for a hot shower?

[Nos4r2]

3 years on...Still not bought because Covid got in the way etc.

'er indoors has stipulated that she MUST be able to have a hot shower.
Trouble is, I'm looking at 29-33' yachts because she wants to come but refuses feels that she'll be unable to help, so I'm effectively single handed.
75% of those I'm looking at don't have calorifiers fitted, and fitting and plumbing one is going to be costly and a PITA.
Gas water heaters are a no-no as surveyors will have kittens etc.

Any other alternatives anyone can think of?
I personally don't care if I have hot water or not. Marinas have showers. Kettles boil water.
(As you can probably tell, this is p***ing me off quite a bit)

 

[rotrax]

We have a 'Califont' on our NZ Hartley 32. Califont is the NZ name for a gas powered instant hot water heater.

Probably the most popular way of heating water for small boats in NZ and Australia.

Had one for years on a narrowboat. Not a problem fitted properly with good ventilation. Our Narrowboat one had an external flue.

If it is a 'Must Have' get the boat surveyed and fit one later. I have just got a fresh insurance quote. No mention of what type of gas equipment fitted.

As I said, correctly fitted and used, not a problem.

 

[claymore]

Black plastic shower bag tied to the mast and warmed by the sun
Insist on her showering in public, naked in anchorages.
It does lessen the demand for a shower and saves you a few bob
then it's down below for a wash up as far as possible
then down as far as possible
then on Sundays - Possible gets a wash

 

[Mudisox]

I have two "paloma" water heaters, each serving one side or the other. Port side always on tickover, when aboard and giving hot water to the galley , with the stbd side only lit when wanted, for the shower or basin. Never a problem with surveyors or self for over 20 years, but I do have excellent ventilation, [needed in any case to avoid condensation].
Last year I sent them away to be descaled.

 

[dunedin]

Plenty of boats around already fitted with calorifiers and hot water showers. Plus heating, anchor windlass etc.
Budget may be the issue, but I would suggest getting a boat with these already installed. You will never look back.

Also, again budget may be the constraint, but a smaller boat is not necessarily easier to sail short handed - and a bigger boat is always more comfortable for a reluctant sailor. So for short handed (near singlehanded) sailing, something with a quadrant mounted autopilot would be my first consideration, plus all ropes led aft. If this ends up a more modern boat in the 32-36 feet range then this may be best for both parties.

 

[Nos4r2]

Plenty of boats around already fitted with calorifiers and hot water showers. Plus heating, anchor windlass etc.
Budget may be the issue, but I would suggest getting a boat with these already installed. You will never look back.

Also, again budget may be the constraint, but a smaller boat is not necessarily easier to sail short handed - and a bigger boat is always more comfortable for a reluctant sailor. So for short handed (near singlehanded) sailing, something with a quadrant mounted autopilot would be my first consideration, plus all ropes led aft. If this ends up a more modern boat in the 32-36 feet range then this may be best for both parties.

I'm beginning to think this might be the answer. I rather like creek crawling though and costs are dramatically lower sub-10m.

 

[UK-WOOZY]

following, no calorifier on my 2GM20 either, wondered about instantanious heaters too, dont want a flue through the deck either.

 

[mjcoon]

We have a 'Califont' on our NZ Hartley 32. Califont is the NZ name for a gas powered instant hot water heater.

Probably the most popular way of heating water for small boats in NZ and Australia.

Had one for years on a narrowboat. Not a problem fitted properly with good ventilation. Our Narrowboat one had an external flue.

If it is a 'Must Have' get the boat surveyed and fit one later. I have just got a fresh insurance quote. No mention of what type of gas equipment fitted.

As I said, correctly fitted and used, not a problem.

Sounds like the heater on the Broads yachts we had last year, e.g. eastwood-whelpton.co.uk/dawn-wind/. Though it was not really instant, so may have had a calorifier. IIRC they were built in 1947 so gas stuff must have been retrofitted. No holding tanks though...

 

[Greenheart]

Out of interest, does anybody know how inefficient it is, to run a diesel engine purely to heat water using the engine's waste heat?

Fine if you're under power anyway - an excellent thing to benefit from. But if you're not, it sounds about as sensible as running the engine so you can't hear a neighbour's snoring.

Even if I get a boat with a calorifier fitted, I've always envisaged constructing a 30-litre hot-water tank with very thick insulation, that could be filled from a point on deck...

...so even with just a whistling kettle on a camping stove, a supply of properly hot water could be maintained ready for use and topped up without a lot of cost or complexity.

Digital thermometer inside giving water temperature, and a foot-pedal electric pump to galley tap and bathroom shower head. If it's 45 Celsius in the tank, it's about right for washing-up or a hot but not scalding shower.

Even domestic showers ashore have trouble mixing pressures to create the right temperature at a shower-head (ours also wastes 10 litres of water just warming up after ignition) so I wouldn't want to rely on an 'instant' hot water source on board...except maybe in high summer.

But I'd recommend the foot-pedal most highly, and instructions to Madame so she appreciates that there is ample hot water to get wet initially, and to rinse off thoroughly after soaping and hairwashing, but that meanwhile, there's no need to keep the finite supply of hot water running, so step off the pedal.

 

[Roberto]

Any other alternatives anyone can think of?

When at anchor for long periods (without running the engine) we sometimes use the typical "Sun/Solar Shower" plastic bag filled with hot water made on the stove, a couple of liters of boiling water mixed with normal temperature water is usually enough for one person. To take the shower inside the boat we hang the bag on deck, above the porthole on the head ceiling so the hose with the shower spigot comes inside the hatch.
When very low on water we also used a pressure garden sprayer

 

[mattonthesea]

A relatively cheap and sometimes popular way of doing this is to use one of those garden pressure pump sprays. They hold about 5 l plus. Mix to the right temperature from the kettle and cold, take to the heads and spray. You might want to fit a proper shower head on the end.

 

[Boathook]

Shower on board is very nice but it makes the heads very wet and takes ages to dry out on a damp day. I use a hozleock shower spray in the cockpit but only when warm anough. I keep thinking about a gas waterheater but I would want it balanced flue and don't feel like drilling more holes in the deck. This also avoids trying to dry the heads out so a win win at present.

 

[Tranona]

Out of interest, does anybody know how inefficient it is, to run a diesel engine purely to heat water using the engine's waste heat?

Fine if you're under power anyway - an excellent thing to benefit from. But if you're not, it sounds about as sensible as running the engine so you can't hear a neighbour's snoring.

Very rare when cruising to not run the engine for the 30 minutes or so it takes to heat 20l of water which will stay hot overnight. it is an efficient way of using the waste heat from the engine, but of course 20l may not satisfy those who see a shower as an opportunity to stand under a constant flow of hit water while they daydream!

 

[Poignard]

We manage perfectly well with a kettle of hot water, a washing up bowl, soap and a sponge.

If we had a shower on board, would we use it? Probably not, for the reason given by Boathook.

 

[Greenheart]

Doesn't a wet heads compartment dry out without making the rest of the accommodation damp, if the window or hatch is open and the door closed?

If not, then for the rapid evacuation of steam and stinks, isn't ducted, powered ventilation an obvious (fairly urgent) improvement?

 

[mjcoon]

Doesn't a wet heads compartment dry out without making the rest of the accommodation damp, if the window or hatch is open and the door closed?

If not, then for the rapid evacuation of steam and stinks, isn't ducted, powered ventilation an obvious (fairly urgent) improvement?

Maybe it depends on how fast the rain is coming in... (and your latitude!)

 

[gordmac]

Do the Chinese not make diesel water heaters?

 

[rotrax]

We had a GibSea 96 to which I fitted an excellent Webasto Thermotop, calorifier and radiator central heating. It gave hot everything!

To plagiarise Neil Munro's Para Handy, it was sublime, chust sublime..........................................

 

[jwilson]

This is quite a common requirement for newish 'Him and Her' buyers of boats. Eventually they buy a boat with a hot water shower, or fit one, and surprisingly often then find that they usually use yacht club or marina showers anyway.

Many older boats with nominally a hot water shower have so much varnished/lacquered woodwork in the heads/shower area that if you use it much it gets to look horrible quickly. If you really really want to use the on-board shower you need a modern boat with a separate shower area and accept you will be in marinas frequently anyway to top up your water tanks.

Getting occasional non-sailing passengers to stop running a tap for 2 minutes to brush their teeth is bad enough. Give them showers as well and you'll need a VERY big water tank!

Don't get me wrong: I really like modern boats and hot water. But I have long ago lived aboard small boats for months with cold water, bucket for toilet and another bucket for washing. And used seawater for much cooking and washing. You reserve a pint of fresh for a final sponge down.

 

[Poignard]

Here is an example of economy in the use of fresh water:

'The availability of water was such that one first boiled one’s egg in a mess tin over a hexamine Tommy Cooker, washed and shaved in the same water, filtered that water through a face flannel and then made tea with it. We remained remarkably healthy.'

Gordon Corrigan, “Blood, Sweat and Arrogance”