Alternatives to calorifiers for a hot shower?

[rotrax]

In the book " The Hunt For Red October " The American Nuclear Sub Commander allows the techie who identified the Soviet Sub a 'Hollywood Shower' as a reward.

A Hollywood Shower was to keep the water running, instead of as John Morris posts above, a wet and wash off.

We are fortunate, we have big tanks, a Genset and a really nice shower cubicle in our 'Jack and Jill' heads.

An hour of the genset gives a tank of hot water, charges the batteries and keeps First Mate happy.

Which, as others have indicated, is half the battle.......................

 

[Greenheart]

For a while I was quite caught up in the widespread fan-club of the Contessa 32. One day I looked at the class association site, and was saddened to see the following words, phrased proudly...

"There may be no shower or hot water on a Contessa, but hey, you're amongst friends or family."

...and just like that, I became an admirer with absolutely no desire to own. ?

I think our shower at home delivers about six litres per minute (after initially wasting at least ten, warming up. I use that to fill a bucket for later loo-flushing).

I know how nice it is to stand under a hot shower just enjoying it, but I reckon the pump foot-pedal (electric, I mean, not something Slocum might have devised) would be a boon to all showers and to water conservation generally.

Twenty litres of properly-hot water in a tank (not running an 'instant' system from cold, which may spell several miserable minutes of tepid) gives 45 seconds to get thoroughly wet (probably twice what's needed); then get soaped-up at leisure without the pedal pressed, then a 45-second rinse, and repeat...

...it wouldn't be difficult, or absurdly spendthrift, but it would be luxuriously far-removed from the inexplicably treasured recollections of a half-mug of hot water being eeked out as if there were any pleasure or virtue in that.

 

[LittleSister]

it would be luxuriously far-removed from the inexplicably treasured recollections of a half-mug of hot water being eeked out as if there were any pleasure or virtue in that.

Like many of the posts on this forum, you have overlooked the fact that excessive comfort and luxury rots one's moral fibre.

Is it any wonder that this once proud seafaring nation etc., etc. . .

 

[Greenheart]

As sailing is purely a hobby, (albeit costly and involving on many levels) I don't think it either serves or profits by our moral fibre. It's not as if we must harden ourselves to thankless tasks on board...

...we certainly can do that if it increases our sense of sharing (by perpetuating) the long history of seafarers' privations and discomforts.

But there's no need to, nor any need to pretend it's better, to.

I like charts. I will never own a plotter. I dislike their glowing presence and their ceaseless presentation of information I have not sought and mostly did not need. I will use charts, and will sometimes mess up my chartwork and forget to update, and I will swear when I leave coffee-rings, and on dark dank nights I will curse my doubtful navigation, and I may even fool myself that I am a better navigator for working my brain when I really did not need to in this day and age...

...but I will enjoy not having or relying on a plotter, even though almost all surviving yachtsmen of yesteryear have enthused over and embraced the technology.

I believe as younger men, they would equally have relished a hot shower on board, had anything so lavish been available; only wilful avoidance of changing an authentic old-fashioned interior, or severe lack of space, or the senior memory of having coped without such comforts when young, supports their continued absence now.

Thankfully, we can each do what we prefer.

 

[doug748]

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)

Yes, few boats have enough room for a shower to be comfortable, then many folk shut the door on the soggy mess and they niff, in no time. Manky shower water is dreadful stuff full of dead skin and pubic hair and someone has already mentioned the supply problem. It's also a systems complication you really don't need on a small boat.

Having said that, you can only do your best to oblige. I agree with you; It would be silly to fit an expensive, heavy and fairly useless engine system on a whim. Rig up a pressure pump with a gallon of heated water, make a good job of it, fit the plastic tank away from the shower area...... and see how she gets on. My bet is that she will find it bloody awkward, gently see the point and be happy to spend a couple of nights away balanced with a night in a marina, like most people do. We do pay a big premium to have those showers available.
You can then unobtrusively remove your rig. Don't go on, let it be her idea.
You are talking to a master here.


.

 

[johnalison]

When we moved up to our HR34 we had the company of couples as guests for each of the first five weeks. Although there were sometimes shore showers, without exception our guests who were only used to spartan sailing expressed great delight in the use of our shower, even though it is somewhat cramped. It is easy enough to shower with the drain pump running to avoid standing in a puddle, and it only takes a few seconds to wipe down the laminate and plastic surface, leaving it ready for the next person or to dry. All the shed skin and grime soon gets washed down to the drain and I am happy to waste water rinsing it off when the water tank caan easily be topped up, which is almost always. Not only that, but our shower gets first call on the heat from the Webasto and is the cosiest place on the boat, and often far preferable to unheated showers ashore in inclement weather.

 

[dslittle]

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..........................................

I’ve got a Webasto Thermotop which I put up for sale on here every now and again. One day, someone will buy it…

 

[Tranona]

When we moved up to our HR34 we had the company of couples as guests for each of the first five weeks. Although there were sometimes shore showers, without exception our guests who were only used to spartan sailing expressed great delight in the use of our shower, even though it is somewhat cramped. It is easy enough to shower with the drain pump running to avoid standing in a puddle, and it only takes a few seconds to wipe down the laminate and plastic surface, leaving it ready for the next person or to dry. All the shed skin and grime soon gets washed down to the drain and I am happy to waste water rinsing it off when the water tank caan easily be topped up, which is almost always. Not only that, but our shower gets first call on the heat from the Webasto and is the cosiest place on the boat, and often far preferable to unheated showers ashore in inclement weather.

That is all very well when you have a boat that was designed to have a shower - same with both my Bavarias, especially when you have a bathing platform and a deck shower (plus 300l of water to feed it!) but just not feasible on the sort of boat the OP is looking at.

 

[Robin]

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

We had a garden sprayer with a black bin liner taped around it, kept in the corner of the pushpit on the W33 for when the calorifier hot water ran out - poked the spray through the heads portlight when used, one on deck pumping, one below showering. This was mainly only for rinsing salt water off after a swim and full all over wash in the water, followed by another dive in to rinse the suds and shampoo off.

You need to wean her off Fray Bentos which requires an oven that will also overheat the boat and keep you poor in gas refills. unless maybe their corned beef for a one pot no fridge needed stove top hash and Asdas cheaper version is better anyhow.

You youngsters are too darn soft.

 

[DownWest]

Reading this, I wonder why so many go camping and delight in the limited washing and other facilites. (I remember a place in France, 60's, where the the loo was a pit, Males and females were directed to different sides of it.)
Now, in a small boat, a simple source of warm water for a quick wash is fine. Otherwise, stay ashore. The garden sprayer with a shower head is the best low tech solution.

 

[Greenheart]

I wonder why so many go camping and delight in the limited washing and other facilities.

Good point. I hadn't thought of how much I used to enjoy very basic camping, decades ago.

It's never been as good since, however much we added home-comforts and complexity to our camping kit.

Unfortunately for me, the diminishing enjoyment of camping coincided with stopping drinking. I wasn't plastered in the old days, but by the end of each morning I wasn't sober enough to worry about washing, or anything else that isn't as good as it is at home.

I could save a fortune on my next boat, by restarting the sauce. ?

 

[johnalison]

That is all very well when you have a boat that was designed to have a shower - same with both my Bavarias, especially when you have a bathing platform and a deck shower (plus 300l of water to feed it!) but just not feasible on the sort of boat the OP is looking at.

Yes, I agree that there must be few smallish boat that can accommodate a shower. My answer was chiefly aimed at those who appear to think that all boat showers are manky and to be deplored.

 

[Mister E]

A couple could save a lot of money and water.
Just a large bowl a hot water then wash each other all over.
Just adds to the fun.

 

[mjcoon]

A couple could save a lot of money and water.
Just a large bowl a hot water then wash each other all over.
Just adds to the fun.

Even better, use olive oil and a strigil... wikipedia.org/Strigil

 

[Boathook]

My heads are big enough for a shower and I could fit a water heater. A calorfier is not an option as my engine is an outboard. The big problem is the size of the water tank for the heads; only about 25 gallons, so a shower would soon use that. Fitting a larger tank isn't practicable without major works so that isn't likely.

 

[dunedin]

That is all very well when you have a boat that was designed to have a shower - same with both my Bavarias, especially when you have a bathing platform and a deck shower (plus 300l of water to feed it!) but just not feasible on the sort of boat the OP is looking at.

But isn’t that the point of this thread - the OP has not yet purchased, so now is the time to decide if want a boat that doesn’t suit a shower (and may therefore not suit wife), vs getting a boat that is suitable - and indeed already fitted out with the necessary space and equipment. It is a key point from the above posts that adding a calorifier, or other water heater, is not enough if the heads is not designed for shower, with suitable wipe clean surfaces and shower tray plus plump.
But as noted above, buying a Contessa 32 or similar due to its ability to handle a F9 in mid-Atlantic, which may never happen, might be less appropriate than buying a boat designed for comfortable cruising and living aboard in coastal waters, which sounds more likely to actually happen. Hence a Ben/Jen/Bav/Han 32 may be a better buy.

 

[adwuk]

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

Our 50 year old boat has a great shower thanks But I do agree that they aren't common in older boats.

 

[Pete7]

indeed, hence the suggestion for the Moody 29 which has a heads going all the way across the boat. Plenty of room to turn around whilst having a shower. Nos has been aboard my M31 when we met by chance in Fowey, we have known each other for years. However, his is quite tall and I think he would struggle in the M31 heads therefore suggest of the earlier Angus Primrose yachts.

Some photos of JW's (fellow forumite) excellent website for reference: Moody 29 archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

 

[Robin]

indeed, hence the suggestion for the Moody 29 which has a heads going all the way across the boat. Plenty of room to turn around whilst having a shower. Nos has been aboard my M31 when we met by chance in Fowey, we have known each other for years. However, his is quite tall and I think he would struggle in the M31 heads therefore suggest of the earlier Angus Primrose yachts.

Some photos of JW's (fellow forumite) excellent website for reference: Moody 29 archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

Fully agree and I have known him rather longer than anyone . Trouble is he was brought up on a Trident 24 and an Elizabethan 30 (poor man's CO32 but better) to name just 2 so is used to adapting to some cramped conditions but his good lady not so much and she of course holds the nookie card.

Edited to add:-

Westerly offerings too like the 31 foot Longbow/Pentland, Berwick etc or the excellent W33/discus variants as well as Konsorts and Fulmars. Most of these will have calorifiers as standard. I think he favours twin keelers for cheaper mooring options albeit some are almost same draught as their fin versions.

 

[Kilo]

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.

Could you post a link please, my idle googling hasn't turned up a water heater.