Modern boats - no wet locker - what's that all about?

[webcraft]

.
Just back from skippering a short and somewhat wet charter on a Dufour 36. A nice enough boat, but no wet locker. I know the theory is that the heads can double as a wet locker but using the facilities they are full of dripping foulies is frankly not a pleasant experience . . .

This is not the first 'modern' boat I have skippered recently with no wet locker - but fortunately most previous trips have been dryer. Is this the norm, and does it mean that people no longer go out in the wet?

- W

 

[capnsensible]

.
Just back from skippering a short and somewhat wet charter on a Dufour 36. A nice enough boat, but no wet locker. I know the theory is that the heads can double as a wet locker but using the facilities they are full of dripping foulies is frankly not a pleasant experience . . .

This is not the first 'modern' boat I have skippered recently with no wet locker - but fortunately most previous trips have been dryer. Is this the norm, and does it mean that people no longer go out in the wet?

- W

Entirely normal, I reckon. Doesnt do a boat good to keep wet gear below.

 

[webcraft]

Entirely normal, I reckon. Doesnt do a boat good to keep wet gear below.

Doesn't dry it very well keeping it on deck in the p1ssing rain either - but then you don't usually sail in Scotland, do you?

With no wet locker all that happens is it is hung in the heads - rendering them unuseable - or hung in the salon near/over the eber outlets filling the place up with steam.

A well ventilated wet locker with a hot air outlet in it surely isn't beyond the scope of modern designers?

- W

 

[Wansworth]

Considering the thought and time that must have gone into yacht design over the years obviously mainstream yachts and their design is basically about berths,where to put the flat screen and to to some extent actually remove the yacht from its element at least suggest that its almost like being at homwe in a luxury flat.

 

[bikedaft]

more sprayhoods stay up all the time? - at least that's what we use

one of the eber vents goes to heads as well

 

[Coaster]

...but then you don't usually sail in Scotland, do you?...

...A well ventilated wet locker with a hot air outlet in it surely isn't beyond the scope of modern designers?

Clearly boats are built to meet demand.

If there's little demand for wet lockers it would be financially unwise to incorporate them.

I wonder how many boatbuilders that produced boats with wet lockers have gone out of business? And, for that matter, how many Scottish boatbuildrers are there?

Most of the time, whilst it's in use, there are two people on board our boat (length 34', age 27 years). We have no wet locker. If there are wet garments to deal with we hang them on deckhead hooks adjacent to the companionway where they dry more quickly than they would anywhere else.

 

[FullCircle]

A well ventilated wet locker with a hot air outlet in it surely isn't beyond the scope of modern designers?

- W

I have just such a locker on my fine craft, and I took a Tee into the heating ducting for drying.
One thing I noticed though was the waterproofing seemed to go very early on the newish Gill suits that I had at the time, so I am now sparing with the heating into the wet locker.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35 2 cabin - you dont get it with the 3 cabin as the heads/shower is moved forward to allow access door to aft stbd cabin.

 

[dunedin]

The vast majority of boats are European built and the volume goes to
- charter boats - hence priority number of cabins not stowage
- warm climes - hence showers on stern a priority over wet hanging lockers

 

[capnsensible]

Doesn't dry it very well keeping it on deck in the p1ssing rain either - but then you don't usually sail in Scotland, do you?

With no wet locker all that happens is it is hung in the heads - rendering them unuseable - or hung in the salon near/over the eber outlets filling the place up with steam.

A well ventilated wet locker with a hot air outlet in it surely isn't beyond the scope of modern designers?

- W

Hee hee, no but I used to! Doesnt get much wetter than Faslane

Being 'not my boat' and without the delights of a sprayhood, we used to shove stuff on top of the engine to dry it out overnight Encourages engine checks...

Any boat Ive sailed probably in the last 20 years has no wet locker...our 1977 Moody doesnt. On her we do have the advantage of a cockpit tent, useful for storing wet stuff in, say, Antigua, or in a hoolie off the Azores

Down here in Gib, it is wet during the winter and our solution on my Sun Odyssey is ro hang it all in the heads, put the dehumidifier on in there and tell everyone to go pee ashore! Works well overnight and the saloon stays relatively dry.

Also no eberspacher to keep fixing....

Long time since 70's sailing when you expected to stay wet at all times unless in pub!

Just sweaty at the moment though......

 

[davidej]

We have an average AWB without a wet locker. I have put a rail across the shower and hang them there - lots and lots of room and they get well aired, unlike most traditional wet lockers. On the odd occasion when we shower onboard, I move them into the saloon.

 

[Skylark]

.

........................does it mean that people no longer go out in the wet?

- W

Blimey, as the proud owner of a Bene, I didn't realise that we were supposed to sail when it's wet Isn't it supposed to be fun rather than a penance

I've just sold my Kawasaki after 22 years of ownership. 8,000 dry miles only, same rules apply

 

[Canopy Locked]

A well ventilated wet locker with a hot air outlet in it surely isn't beyond the scope of modern designers?

- W

I think it is ... along with designing access to get at the drain points on engines; positioning electrical panels that don't require a knowledge to the karma sutra to get at them... and not fitting a simple hot air demist system.

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

When we designed the Rustler 44 we considered the whole wet locker issue. There was a perfect space for it, but I wanted to use that for the washing machine.

We therefore chose to put a removable rail across the separate shower. That seemed to be the best place to hang wet stuff anyway. With an outlet from the Webasto in there on full blast stuff dries really quickly and can then be put away.

Having said that, when its really wet we just stay below on passage anyway.

 

[wotayottie]

.
Is this the norm, and does it mean that people no longer go out in the wet?

- W

Yes and no respectively. Boats are designed to sell at boat shows, and at boat shows Mrs Yottie goes round opening drawers, pummelling seats, looking at the fridge etc. There is little boat show appeal in a wet locker just as there is little appeal in a secure cockpit, or sensible freeboard.

AWBs are not designed to be seriously used - they are designed to be attractive floating caravans that can sail OK in a nice dry sunny summer F3

 

[Deleted member 36384]

The Bavaria 45 Cruiser (when we met at Gigha) is from the same school and has no wet locker and no facility to hang wet oilskins from. I suggested to the owner that he added a stainless hanging rail to the forward shower room (not heads). The boat had two further combined heads and showers as well as a forward heads. For a yacht of that length and internal volume, the lack of any facility to hang wet clothes for 8 persons speaks volumes for what the yacht has been designed for: weekend sailing, round the cans racing and marina hopping. Clearly the convenience of the occupiers of the two forward cabins to shower without going aft, was more important than actually providing a single hook to hang a waterproof from. It was beyond the wit of Bavaria in this case.

 

[uxb]

Sensible people in Scotland sail boats you can steer from inside

( was it not your crew making you moist???? )

 

[KenMcCulloch]

.
Just back from skippering a short and somewhat wet charter on a Dufour 36. A nice enough boat, but no wet locker. I know the theory is that the heads can double as a wet locker but using the facilities they are full of dripping foulies is frankly not a pleasant experience . . .

This is not the first 'modern' boat I have skippered recently with no wet locker - but fortunately most previous trips have been dryer. Is this the norm, and does it mean that people no longer go out in the wet?

- W

Not just modern boats. Ours is 30 years old and has no actual wet locker. We manage ok with a huge sprayhood and hanging stuf in he heads.

 

[alant]

Hee hee, no but I used to! Doesnt get much wetter than Faslane

Being 'not my boat' and without the delights of a sprayhood, we used to shove stuff on top of the engine to dry it out overnight Encourages engine checks...

Any boat Ive sailed probably in the last 20 years has no wet locker...our 1977 Moody doesnt. On her we do have the advantage of a cockpit tent, useful for storing wet stuff in, say, Antigua, or in a hoolie off the Azores

Down here in Gib, it is wet during the winter and our solution on my Sun Odyssey is ro hang it all in the heads, put the dehumidifier on in there and tell everyone to go pee ashore! Works well overnight and the saloon stays relatively dry.

Also no eberspacher to keep fixing....

Long time since 70's sailing when you expected to stay wet at all times unless in pub!

Just sweaty at the moment though......

But when you were at Faslane, your 'boat' was permanently wet!
You could have been to Bermuda & not known!
Unterseeboots are like that.

 

[30boat]

Doesn't dry it very well keeping it on deck in the p1ssing rain either - but then you don't usually sail in Scotland, do you?


- W

Sailing in the rain?I'd have to be crazy to even attempt it...

 

[photodog]

Not just modern boats. Ours is 30 years old and has no actual wet locker. We manage ok with a huge sprayhood and hanging stuf in he heads.

I have a Bavaria.

It has a wet locker.

And a shower on the transom.

The best of both worlds.

(chart table is a bit small for its age... But a good size by today's standard!)