Salt-water soap

Greenheart

Greenheart

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Tranona, avert your gaze, sir. Once again, I'm dreaming of systems costing double what my yacht is worth...

I hope the following hasn't been covered so thoroughly and recently that you're snoring as you read. I haven't worked out how to search 'archived' threads, yet. (Any helpful hints on that, will be welcome. They'll need to be simple, though.)

I hate dribbling showers, but at the rate which my excuse for a shower operates, I may be taking a watering can aboard this season, as an upgrade.

Economy seems unattractively inherent to every galley/bathroom fitting in every boat of less than 40' that I've encountered...not just economy of quality (I can live with that) but miserly economy of water-usage.

Granted, hot-tubs and plunge-pools don't belong aboard yachts with 150 litres of water tankage.

The accepted solution seems to be either:

a) Accumulating bodily dirt (I can live with that too, for a long weekend. Discovered by necessity...).

b) £5000 for a 12 volt desalinator (and as much again for a generator to power it).

c) Saltwater soap (didn't the Swallows use it while offshore, and find it left them "rather sticky"? No thanks).

d) Solar distillation. This one is interesting, mainly because it doesn't seem to be used much. Actually, for once, I feel the solar element is irrelevant. But does anyone make a propane-powered seawater salt-remover? Is it too complex a bit of science to have a try at? Or, is it unbelievably fuel-inefficient? If the distilled water comes out bath-warm, all the better!

Maybe these systems have been quietly in use for decades, without any coverage? I can't find a thing about them. :confused:
 
The solution is simple: (a) decent tankage; and (b) decent conservation methods. I have never had to stay dirty or suffer from lack of fresh water on any yacht of any size.

A 36' yacht should be able to manage at 300 -- 400 litres of water tankage, which is enough for two or three people to live for a week without any drastic conservation measures. Or several weeks if you try harder.

Really useful things for saving water:

1. Foot pump in the galley instead of using the pressure system. Allows much more precise control of water flow.

2. A momentary valve in the shower head to allow you to switch water on and off without resetting the temperature. A proper maritime shower procedure uses very little water -- as little as a couple-few litres.

Forget washing in salt water -- ick! You will get fungus infections in your skin if you do it for long, and you will never feel clean.
 
I have very limited wtaer tankage on my Fulmar yet I can have great showers on less than 2 L of water.No pressurized water or heater as well.
I heat up a saucepan on the hob.Then I mix that hot water with cold water from the tap(foot pump) into another pot while sitting on the head.I pour a bit over my self together with a little shampoo.Some scrubbing follows and I then rinse off with the remaining water suitably mixed.I've learned I can use very lttle water and still get a very thorough wash with the added benefit that the heads compartment also becomes sparkling clean.
 
Dan, forget salt water soap - shampoo works brilliantly in salt water, you just need to use a bit more than you would normally use in fresh water.
Or if you are desperate, and have no shampoo, dishwashing liquid also works well.

If you are severely rationing fresh water (and have no water maker, eg on an Atlantic passage), salt water showers are fine if you can dry off afterwards - and even better if you can allow yourself a half pint or 2 (you don't need much) of fresh water for sponging off with afterwards instead.

We (4 on board) crossed the Atlantic in 18 days and used about 90 gallons in total - but we were rationing water severely (we only had 120 gallons on board to start with, and no water maker).
 
At a pinch fresh water can be distilled from sea water. I used to mention a sailor whe cobbled together a system when the fresh water tank turned nasty when 'doing' distillation. Perhaps Blythe or Chichester(sp?)
 
Dockhead said:
The solution is simple: (a) decent tankage; and (b) decent conservation methods. .....

2. A momentary valve in the shower head to allow you to switch water on and off without resetting the temperature. A proper maritime shower procedure uses very little water -- as little as a couple-few litres.
Click to expand...

Very, very good idea.

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4174.0.html
 
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