Alternatives to calorifiers for a hot shower?

[Nos4r2]

Thanks all. I'm beginning to think the idea of a wet and steamy head to dry out from a shower might be enough to convince her that a shower might actually not be necessary.

 

[Daedelus]

Mrs Daedelus put her foot down when we were buying a new boat: it had calorifier driven by engine heat, immersion heater coil so that shorepower could heat water and an eberspacher heating system that heated water and pumped it round radiators and a heat exchanger to heat water for showers.
I wonder if it is a female thing as she would use the more cramped boat facilities rather than shoreside showers as would a female friend who came along from time to time.
Naturally at anchor somewhere the eberspacher was the only real answer.

 

[Greenheart]

...beginning to think the idea of a wet and steamy head to dry out, might convince her that a shower might not be necessary.

I really hope you can't persuade the lady so easily. Her instincts are only reasonable. It's noticeable too, that nobody who has answered yet, is young...or female.

...garden pressure pump sprays...hold about 5 l....mix to the right temperature from the kettle and cold, take to the heads and spray.

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

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.

I'm trying to imagine the response of the OP's wife, to all this proud relishing of salty suffering. Perhaps we should now move on to how a sail-locker is a better place to sleep than a bed? And we ought to recommend she get used to Fray Bentos. Nothing else is practical on board, this being 1959.

 

[Nos4r2]

Do the Chinese not make diesel water heaters?

Yes. Found them after you said that, thanks. A bit like a large eberspacher with tap connections. They look to be instant as well.

I wonder how well they stand up to sea air.

 

[Poignard]

[...]
I'm trying to imagine the response of the OP's wife, to all this proud relishing of salty suffering. Perhaps we should now move on to how a sail-locker is a better place to sleep than a bed? And we ought to recommend she get used to Fray Bentos. Nothing else is practical on board, this being 1959.

Proud relishing of salty suffering or making a virtue of necessity!

 

[Nos4r2]

I really hope you can't persuade the lady so easily. Her instincts are only reasonable. It's noticeable too, that nobody who has answered yet, is young...or female.







I'm trying to imagine the response of the OP's wife, to all this proud relishing of salty suffering. Perhaps we should now move on to how a sail-locker is a better place to sleep than a bed? And we ought to recommend she get used to Fray Bentos. Nothing else is practical on board, this being 1959.

If I'm honest I'm also looking at the thought of an older yacht with a shower and thinking 'bloody hell...Calorifier, pumps, valves, kit that is going to be shut up for a week at a time in salt air and has to keep working. Why does it have to be this bloody complicated when I'm happy with a bucket and sponge? I'm going to have to keep all this working or pay someone a fortune to fix it on a regular basis. Argh.'
Luckily she likes Fray Bentos

 

[dunedin]

Thanks all. I'm beginning to think the idea of a wet and steamy head to dry out from a shower might be enough to convince her that a shower might actually not be necessary.

Don't listen to these old fogies. In the last two years I have spent over 200 nights on board - and used a marina shower perhaps twice in that time. Every other day have had at least one hot shower on board. Much preferable to traipsing to a marina shower, and essential when on anchor - which has been the vast majority of days.
Wipe round the excess water afterwards (takes 60 seconds, far quicker than walking from shower block) and will be dry in an hour or so, even in northern UK climate. If April or October, heating on an hour before shower time.

For a couple an on board shower makes things much more pleasant. If sailing with a large crew of boozy blokes, perhaps differnt.

 

[Greenheart]

Why does it have to be this bloody complicated when I'm happy with a bucket and sponge? I'm going to have to keep all this working or pay someone a fortune to fix it on a regular basis. Argh.
Luckily she likes Fray Bentos

Okay. I can see your instincts fit exactly on this forum. ?

Interesting to see, at the end of a couple of summers, whether madame has decided to live tough and enjoy it, like the Tilman fan-club here, or whether you mostly sail alone by then, like so many.

 

[Pete7]

Nos, I saw this and thought of you:

Moody 33ft Sailing Boat Family Cruising Yacht Project | eBay

Back in the real world, this is just around the corner from me and has a newish diesel by the looks, might already have a calorifier, if not no big deal to fit. More importantly its got a really nice heads with room, kind of important because you are taller than me. Oh and its bilge keel too and you know how Viv and I like them.

Indigo Yachting

More photos, same boat: Moody 29 Sale 1983

Regards Pete

 

[Nos4r2]

Nos, I saw this and thought of you:

Moody 33ft Sailing Boat Family Cruising Yacht Project | eBay

Back in the real world, this is just around the corner from me and has a newish diesel by the looks, might already have a calorifier, if not no big deal to fit. More importantly its got a really nice heads with room, kind of important because you are taller than me. Oh and its bilge keel too and you know how Viv and I like them.

Indigo Yachting

More photos, same boat: Moody 29 Sale 1983

Regards Pete

Thanks Pete That 33 is too much of a project. The 29 I'd rather like actually, I've been mulling over going and having a look at that because it should have space to fit a calorifier.
I'll price up fitting a hot water system before I do though.

 

[Pete7]

Thanks Pete That 33 is too much of a project. The 29 I'd rather like actually, I've been mulling over going and having a look at that because it should have space to fit a calorifier.
I'll price up fitting a hot water system before I do though.

With a newish engine, I bet its already fitted. At worst a 20 - 25L calorifier and some push fit pipe from B&Q.

See what I mean about the heads space. Moody 29 archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

Pete

 

[gordmac]

Yes. Found them after you said that, thanks. A bit like a large eberspacher with tap connections. They look to be instant as well.

I wonder how well they stand up to sea air.

Quite a lot on the forums here about Chinese diesel heaters, worth a look. From what I can see the exhaust needs upgrading for marine use as they are more for land vehicles.

 

[johnalison]

Hot water on board is a great morale-booster and I can understand the OP’s wife’s concerns, especially if she is not accustomed to sailing. I think that you will need a boat at the upper end of your size range, if only in order to have enough tankage. We carry 250l of water, which is fine for us. If we are showering on board it will last us several days. If you carry much less it could be a regular nuisance. There is no reason why having a shower in the heads should be subject to damp and rot if it is properly designed. We have had no concerns and I don’t think any of our friends have with their assorted boats, in fact, the shower head is very useful in cleaning out the compartment.

 

[dgadee]

Calorifier is not that difficult to fit, just needs a bit of space. We have a cockpit shower in the 30 footer and it keeps the crew partially happy. The inverter for the hairdryer is the other requirement for happiness. Crew is fussy and prefers not to use marina showers (will shower in the cockpit in a marina, swimsuit clad) and anyway prefers an anchorage. I would put one in if I was you. Not too many women are wild campers.

The only downside is water usage. I've just put another water tank in to double our litres.

 

[mjcoon]

Calorifier is not that difficult to fit, just needs a bit of space. We have a cockpit shower in the 30 footer and it keeps the crew partially happy. The inverter for the hairdryer is the other requirement for happiness. Crew is fussy and prefers not to use marina showers (will shower in the cockpit in a marina, swimsuit clad) and anyway prefers an anchorage. I would put one in if I was you. Not too many women are wild campers.

The only downside is water usage. I've just put another water tank in to double our litres.

Just one suggestion that a calorifier should be accessible. Years ago we arrived for the start of a flotilla to be offered an upgrade from our chosen yacht. The downside was that we had to deploy the cockroach traps that would be provided. You can guess what is coming next: their favourite place was around the calorifier, for the warmth...

 

[Neeves]

We have an Bosch instant hot water gas heater. It is vented to the cockpit. It is certificated and no more dangerous than a gas oven or hob, actually less dangerous as neither of them are vented to 'outdoors'. Mobile homes, motor caravans, or even ordinary caravans, have gas fired hot showers. I've mentioned this many times - today's granddaughters think 2 showers per day is a birthright, if you want them to come sailing with you - kit your yacht out. They will accept the concept of a Navy shower - as long as the water is hot. We don't have calorifiers as they would be a bit of a waste of time without running the engine(s) and we don't use marinas. The biggest restriction is fresh water - hence the navy showers.

Our shower 'cubicle' contains no wood, its a fibre glass box (with a 'ceiling' hatch) and door

Its quite amazing we know where we are to within a few metres - accurately. We can speak to, almost, anyone anywhere in the world at the touch of a few buttons. We have reasonably accurate weather forecasts for the next 7 days. Yet people still wonder how to have a hot shower on a yacht and make a thing out of it - beggars belief.

Its the 21st century - cold water or no showers are very mid 20th century.

Jonathan

 

[dgadee]

I used to think, by the way, it was wrong to run the engine just for hot water. I contacted Beta who said:

"No problem to run the engine to warm the calorifier water , as long as it is not continuously every day.
Assume you will use the engine at some time on load each day

1 ) Make sure the oil is 15W/40 mineral or part synthetic
2 ) Turn the engine speed up to 1200 rpm this will charge batteries more quickly less load on the belt if the batteries are low
and also warm the calorifier
3 ) Make sure the engine is serviced correctly ie tube stack etc is clear"

 

[James_Calvert]

Last season, with unreliable availability of yacht club and marina facilities due to Covid, we upgraded our emergency shower arrangements.

Standing in a large muck bucket, with a rechargeable electric sprayhead worked well enough for Mrs to allow some nights away. We did really want it to work out though...

 

[Tranona]

Its quite amazing we know where we are to within a few metres - accurately. We can speak to, almost, anyone anywhere in the world at the touch of a few buttons. We have reasonably accurate weather forecasts for the next 7 days. Yet people still wonder how to have a hot shower on a yacht and make a thing out of it - beggars belief.

Its the 21st century - cold water or no showers are very mid 20th century.

Jonathan

You have to remember that many of the boats still in use today date from the time that showers were not even common in typical homes in the UK. Cruising on small boats was a step up from camping and the physical size and proportions of the typical under 30' boat meant even a decent size loo compartment was difficult to fit in. Similarly space was short to fit even decent size fuel and water tanks, let alone a calorifier, and freshwater cooled engines were rare. So adding hot water and a shower to an old boat is a challenge. There is often no room to actually use a shower and loo compartments are usually fitted out in wood and open to the bilges. There were exceptions like the Moodys referred to above, but they were the first of the wide bodied hulls that did allow more space, but they were exceptions. no way will I try and fit a shower into my 1979 GH - just more trouble than it is worth - unlike my just sold Bavaria which had a superb shower room, product of over a metre more beam and carried back to the stern rather than the cods head, mackarel tail shape of the GH.

So, yes in today's world a shower is expected and achievable, just not in 40-50 year old boats.

 

[john_morris_uk]

If I'm honest I'm also looking at the thought of an older yacht with a shower and thinking 'bloody hell...Calorifier, pumps, valves, kit that is going to be shut up for a week at a time in salt air and has to keep working. Why does it have to be this bloody complicated when I'm happy with a bucket and sponge? I'm going to have to keep all this working or pay someone a fortune to fix it on a regular basis. Argh.'
Luckily she likes Fray Bentos

Personally, I'm delighted that my wife enjoys sailing and if there's anything I can do to make her happier and likely to continue sailing, then it's going to get done. Offering her a Fray Bentos would be the end of her sailing career...

Don't listen to these old fogies. In the last two years I have spent over 200 nights on board - and used a marina shower perhaps twice in that time. Every other day have had at least one hot shower on board. Much preferable to traipsing to a marina shower, and essential when on anchor - which has been the vast majority of days.
Wipe round the excess water afterwards (takes 60 seconds, far quicker than walking from shower block) and will be dry in an hour or so, even in northern UK climate. If April or October, heating on an hour before shower time.

For a couple an on board shower makes things much more pleasant. If sailing with a large crew of boozy blokes, perhaps differnt.

I quite agree. We have hot water and showers on board. (You do have to shower differently: wet yourself, turn shower off, soap all over, turn shower on and rinse. Saves lots of water...)

I've fitted a clarifier and hot water system and it really isn't that difficult. (This was to a Sigma 33...)