How to shower while crusing?and where

trouville

trouville

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Im haveing problems to was and shower. In Stokholm this summer i was tied to a key in the center and couldent wash even though there were showers in the flats opposite,just as on the first floor were 20 wash machines and dryers seldom used all doors had huge locks and i couldent find anyone to let me use them as each flat had a particlar day!In all towns it was about the same.

In marinas i could pay for a shower when they were working!One i had to get 2 tokens as when the 3mins were over a valve stopped the hot water and ice water continued--very healthy im sure!

As for washing i found only one launry in the whole of Sweden, though some marinas did have washing machines but ofter broken down!!

Now thats Sweden a very rich expensive contry, and where a solar shower on the deck was impossiable becouse of being in a town center or becouse the water never got above freezing and it was pouring with rain! When asked why there were no facilities its becose everyone has them with their flats!

In France Every port and pontoon on the canals has a shower not far away but by now the key has largly been replaced with a code changed daily in summer and weekly in winter and in winter it can be a long cold wet wait untill someone comes to take a shower so where can you go to have a shower in winter??? If you havent arranged or found a winter mooring??

Dose anyone know if there are public baths anywhere?? surly im not the only poor person in Europe? and in summer while the solar shower works wonderfully in the south its still nice to use a fixed shower once in a while, but then even if i could affors the 60euros per night theres not always room even for a small boat!

What do others anchored around for winter do about washing??Or do all boats by now have showers??and hot running water???

A list of European wide public baths would be wonderful but google hasent come up with one
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Not a direct answer to your question, but for washing while at anchor a sponge is an enormous benefit. Even with a sinkful of water, it's nearly as good as a shower.

Also, while at anchor in the Baltic, the water is barely salty so soap works fine in it. A series of buckets of water over the head plus lots of soap works a treat - see my avatar for an example!
 
I dont like cold water!!Though i did wash in it this season! Lots of people were swimming in lake malleran which is fresh water, but it had lots of algey and could cause skin irritations, the Swedish powers that be recomended not swimming.
While sailing in June i saw amazing long line of green algy streching for kilometers, Globle walming??

I hoped i could find a good chain of public baths/showers with lots of hot water,even on a folkboat its nice to wash once every few weeks!

I have another problem washing wise that is i carry 75 liters fresh water and a 5 gallon solar shower, which lowers my waterline several centemeters,id like to reduce my water to 25 liters plus the solar shower as 50 extra kgs make a difference to the sailing!
 
Re:Devils advocate

Well .I lived and cruised on a21ft boat for years,icy winters to sunny old Carribean,had a really good scrub every morning and for a hair wash used to stick my head out of the companionway and pour a nice bucket of heated water over me head.Wonderful.Carried 100litres in main tank and about 40l in jugs,.......what is your problem,you want a free ride? Try visiting the town swimming baths/befriending someone who owns a flat and has a washing machine. I would NEVER go in to a marina just for such inconveniences as electricity,showers or to save a dinghy ride(daily exercise).By the way an acquaintance of mine sailed his Maryholme folkboat right round the world,I don't recall his moaning about anything too much..
 
Bit limited for fixing a shower onboard in a folkboat.

I fitted a good shower in my boat in the heads compartment last winter, but I already had hot and cold pressurised water, so all I needed was a sealed base, a shower sump and pump, and a curtain and away you go - well worth the funds.
 
We must be spoilt then 'cos we've had h and c on board, along with a super shower for many years. The engine gives us just over 6 galls of really hot water in 15-20 minutes running, so it's very seldom we have to use it cold.

Over-wintering in marinas we plug in of course.

The best 'simple' showers we've seen, especially in warmer climes, is to use a solar heated flexible bag hung from the boom/rigging with an attached shower head, or an ordinary garden pressure sprayer. Kettle of hot water into the latter, top up with cold to 'taste', a few pumps on the handle, and a relatively tiny amount goes a long, long way! Brilliant for hosing off after swimming!
 
Large black bin liner(as used for wheelie bins)pour in two or three pints of warm water step in kneel down pull up over shoulders and go to work with sponge and a bit of shower gel.Worked for me in the desert should work even in the confines of a folk boat.If you don't use to much gel you don't need to rinse.
 
He's not asking for advice for onboard showers he wants to where there are public facilities and why are there non in Sweden.
We know that we can always find a municiple bath/ shower in Britain.
 
Re:Devils advocate

the IF (plastic folkboat) has a far bigger cabin and no cockpit plus you share it with the main sheet horse! It will go around the world and is a fantastic boat,I almost bought one this summer as in Sweden the rain ment i couldent use my cockpit which is very comfortable but drains to the deep bilges.
A real FB is the Baltic FB which dosent have the cabin carried forward of the mast is clinker and faster than the IF
It also has a wonderfully comfortable cockpit to relax in the sun?and to live in.


/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gifThe large plastic bag works wonderfully!!3 walm liters to wash with (soap) i will try shower gel but isent it sticky???

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gifThen to rince /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gifa second plastic bag with 5liters walm water the sack kept the warmth great idea and works really well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have the only FB in the world with a hot BATH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks

Now a washing machine?????
 
He may not want advice on how to "shower" aboard but who the hell is going to compile a list of public bath houses??. I like the bin liner idea but space to kneel could pose a problem on a smqaller boat! From personal and current experience we have found a large natural sponge and half a standard bucket of water does just fine. For those of you who hold that ANY B.o is a crime I suggest a large supply of baby wet wipes be kept to hand in the head.
 
The Japanese say that one can wash with a cup full of warm water. We do not have a shower onboard and rely on marina services. In between we we do a complete body wash with a kettle of hot water. Mankind survived for a million years before the first shower was invented.
 
yes! but when the air is chilly the plastic bag does a wonderful job almost a sauna bath?? washing in autum air even below chills as one washes the layers of dirt off!! or rather layers of umm outside living!

Standing on the large uncluterd fordeck with a solar showers great but only when at anchor not in the center of town and not when the air temp falls below 22 degrees!!!! and then no wind chill

Its a pity about the list! wouldent it be wonderful if there were useful registers for wi-fi recomended spots (check first with the hobbs wi-fi detector)

then the recomended cafe/lunch stop (ssb liveaboard link recomended)

then later a walm/hot bath shower!! later back to the boat large or small just wonderful!
 
In Sweden they do sell soap and shampoo for use in the lakes, as many poeple will wash in th elake at their summer house, at least we did. But it must be a problem living aboard as I 've never seen many laundrettes, or public/marina showers. I'll have a look in Ystad today.
 
We have a garden plant spray on board, pop in some cold and a kettle of hot water and off you go. My wife and I were having cockpit showers in Scotland in May at 59 deg north. She is made of stern stuff - from the Orkneys!.
 
when i first read charles post i was sure it said south of 20N!! now ive re read it i wonder are you in southern spain? no Baleares? marinas are very expensive im told. Could you be in southern Italy? Rome? Sardinia?

Anyway now i have a smaller boat i can moore almost anywhere? and Italy has the lega naval? havent got the spelling hear which has millions of small places, i hope!

The plastic sacks a good idea, i found a builders "bag" that they lift move rubble its blue plastic very tough and quite large but folds up to a small package, it makes a real bath!!! and fits between the cockpit seats or below (when cold) havent tried it yet with real water but sat in it!

I found something far better than even that shes called suzzan!! a female girl with a bathroom hot water clean towles and a super gally which provides good food!!! Beats even my large plastic "basket"
 
Why don t you do what we hardy Scots do . Its entirely free of course ( thats why we do it ) and as you say there is plenty of it in Sweden .

Cover yourself in shampoo and dash out into the rain to wash it off.
Its exhilarating .

I used to do my car that way as well and also wash down my boat

if there is snow on the ground you have an extra bonus you can save on soap and shampoo. Collect it in a bucket and use it as a sponge inside your heads . The dirt sticks to it and you can throw it away afterwards . Your skin also gets nice and rosy
 
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