Hot water at anchor?

[Peter]

Possibly for warmer climates where the sun shines, but anyone seen, made or used a solar hot water heater mounted on a gantry and connected to a hot water tank. Not sure if pumped water or how controlled. Having seen a few webpages of homemade ones.

 

[rogerthebodger]

This makes sobering, or is it chilling, reading.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-...n-living-in-houses-without-baths-archive-1960

Jonathan

When I was growing up in the 1950's in the UK we did have a bathroom that was on the ground floor and the loo was outside. At night we had a big ceramic pottie to go in at night.

SWMBO lived in south London and also had a loo outside but no bathroom to it was a tin bath in the kitchen

How time have changer with 3 bathrooms with loo and one separate loo 2 bathrooms/loos attached to bedrooms.

 

[RupertW]

When I was growing up in the 1950's in the UK we did have a bathroom that was on the ground floor and the loo was outside. At night we had a big ceramic pottie to go in at night.

SWMBO lived in south London and also had a loo outside but no bathroom to it was a tin bath in the kitchen

How time have changer with 3 bathrooms with loo and one separate loo 2 bathrooms/loos attached to bedrooms.

And boats have gone the same way - a decade ago I couldn't understand why 2 bathrooms on the boat (with one ensuite) was a show-stopper for choosing any boat. I went along with it simply because I wanted a much bigger more capable boat and as that would take a lot of our joint disposable income it seemed a reasonable price to pay.

In fact having 2 heads/showers has been really useful. Having one each for all the times it's just us on the boat, and roughing it when we have guests by sharing the ensuite one and letting the guests have one of their own.

And having constant hot water means that we now tend to have a hot shower every day we are on multiple night sails so we arrive as we depart with clean dry selves and clothes - we might enjoy the endless horizon and coping with difficult weather but down below it's a comfortable retreat with all the amenities before the next watch.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Same with me, my boat has 2 heads and 2 showers one shower on the back deck.

Heads set up so forward and aft of the boat can be completely separate if we ever have guests staying overnight.

 

[geem]

Possibly for warmer climates where the sun shines, but anyone seen, made or used a solar hot water heater mounted on a gantry and connected to a hot water tank. Not sure if pumped water or how controlled. Having seen a few webpages of homemade ones.

They can get a little complicated to get right. You need a pump to force the water from the solar collected down in to your hot water cylinder. The warm water naturally wants to rise to the top of the system ( the solar collector). This is why you see packaged solar systems on house roofs in warm countries with the hot water tank above the solar collector.
We use a black watering can left in the sun all day. We hoist it up 3m for a shower in the cockpit. Often it can be so hot we have to add some cold water! I keep looking out for a black 15 litre plastic container that I can add a tap to to make a new solar heater but they seem hard to find in black

 

[Tim Good]

Possibly for warmer climates where the sun shines, but anyone seen, made or used a solar hot water heater mounted on a gantry and connected to a hot water tank. Not sure if pumped water or how controlled. Having seen a few webpages of homemade ones.

PBO did a feature on one a while back. A frame was made painted in all black with coils of black copper. It was put up above on a gantry and connected to the calorifier. The thermal movement of the water alone I think did the trick but a simple 12v pump could have been added.

I must say, I think I could probably pipe in something like this into my existing webasto system fairly easily but I'm not in sunny climates enough to warrant it. On a bigger boat I think i would try it for sure.

 

[Greenheart]

I have long thought that running hot water is one of the crowning achievements of human invention and social organisation, somehow far more valuable, important and enjoyable than flight, iPhones, or almost anything else.

I think you may be right, especially at our latitude. I'm only surprised that the benefit of it, more available now than ever previously, isn't higher on more yachtsmen's list of kit to fit.

...having 2 heads/showers has been really useful. Having one each for all the times it's just us on the boat, and roughing it when we have guests by sharing the ensuite one and letting the guests have one of their own.

I'd bet anything, all previously non-sailing guests will be more likely to agree to a second trip if they'll get their own loo & shower.

This optional Nauticat 44 interior layout amuses me...it isn't such a big yacht, but FIVE separate bathrooms?

 

[rogerthebodger]

I think you may be right, especially at our latitude. I'm only surprised that the benefit of it, more available now than ever previously, isn't higher on more yachtsmen's list of kit to fit.



I'd bet anything, all previously non-sailing guests will be more likely to agree to a second trip if they'll get their own loo & shower.

This optional Nauticat 44 interior layout amuses me...it isn't such a big yacht, but FIVE separate bathrooms?

I sailed on a similar boat that was a charter version of one of the jen/ben type 49 ft that also had 5 bathrooms. one for each of the 4 guest cabins and one in the separate crew quarters. The crew quarters was accessed from a hatch on the for deck. No access from within the guest quarters.

 

[cherod]

the gas one seems obv to me , and that is what i have in mind ( unless ifind some reason not to , already have propane cooker ) or an electric one ran from the
( planed ) invertor

 

[Tim Good]

How about a sauna up front on this Nauticat 521

 

[geem]

PBO did a feature on one a while back. A frame was made painted in all black with coils of black copper. It was put up above on a gantry and connected to the calorifier. The thermal movement of the water alone I think did the trick but a simple 12v pump could have been added.

I must say, I think I could probably pipe in something like this into my existing webasto system fairly easily but I'm not in sunny climates enough to warrant it. On a bigger boat I think i would try it for sure.

Unless the calorifier is above the solar collector then gravitation won't work. You need to pump it. If you trying to get the water from the solar collector to your existing calorifier then a pump is essential. Stopping the hot water gravitating from the calorifier when the solar collector cools down and the calorifier is now warmer needs some sort of valve control. The lots of ways to achieve this but nothing is as simple as having the calorifier above the solar collector. No valves, no pumps, no hassle. It just doesn't work very well on a boat!

 

[Greenheart]

...the jen/ben type 49 ft that also had 5 bathrooms. one for each of the 4 guest cabins and one in the separate crew quarters...

Sure, at the 50ft mark, four en suite cabins isn't pinching...but five in a 44ft hull, without dividing the aft cabin, was impressive.

 

[RupertW]

How about a sauna up front on this Nauticat 521

We have one ready installed between the engine and the hot water tank in a cabin sized space that contains most of the things that go wrong on the boat from autohelm and steering gear to plumbing and mains equipment. The advantage of my sauna over the one in the picture is that it is self-oiling and greasing and provides a sort of contortionists workout as you retrieve slippery tools.

 

[DownWest]

Going cruising up the coast next year on a very small boat. Kettle on gas, then mixed with some cold in a garden sprayer with a shower head attached. Cabin is tiny, so ablutions out in the cockpit.