ducked
Well-Known Member
and Eye of Newt. Never work.I forgot to add toe jam.
Shower draining to bilges?
- Thread starter Minerva
- Start date
Baggywrinkle
Well-Known Member
MABs, "manky auld boats" got their name because so many things leaked into the bilges where they mixed to create a unique perfume, which was a mix of diesel, oil, and stagnant salt water - if really unlucky, there was then a tank mounted over the lowest point in the bilge preventing decent access. Back in the day, stern glands were not particularly watertight, anchor lockers drained into the bilge, oil and diesel also leaked into the bilge from poor sealing - they never had the machining precision or the materials they have today - engines leaked fluids, and boats let water in. Condensation also formed on the inside of the hull as many used solid laminates - this then promoted mould growth behind trim panels and glued on coverings. The permanently damp bilges also caused mildew to form in the interior.
Why did people accept this at the time? ... because wooden boats, which were still common as family cruising yachts in the 70s & early 80s were even leakier. Every year I watch the wooden lake cruisers where I live getting launched at season start, and they are left tied to the pier in the shallow water because the hulls dry out over winter, the wood shrinks, and the boats sink when launched. They need a few days in the water to get the wood to swell and seal - then they get pumped out and moved to their moorings.
We really do have it good today, sail drives don't let water in, anchor lockers drain overboard, nothing drains into the bilge by default, and a modern engine doesn't leak its fluids everywhere. Any fluids in the bilge are a fault, a leak somewhere, usually in the fresh water system, but rain water is also a regular culprit.
The secret to a pleasant smelling boat is a clean and dry bilge, I vacuum mine out regularly as crumbs, sand, grit, and dust collect there over time. It smells a lot better than the boats of my youth - but even that filled with fresh water when my stern shower head sprung a leak.
Why did people accept this at the time? ... because wooden boats, which were still common as family cruising yachts in the 70s & early 80s were even leakier. Every year I watch the wooden lake cruisers where I live getting launched at season start, and they are left tied to the pier in the shallow water because the hulls dry out over winter, the wood shrinks, and the boats sink when launched. They need a few days in the water to get the wood to swell and seal - then they get pumped out and moved to their moorings.
We really do have it good today, sail drives don't let water in, anchor lockers drain overboard, nothing drains into the bilge by default, and a modern engine doesn't leak its fluids everywhere. Any fluids in the bilge are a fault, a leak somewhere, usually in the fresh water system, but rain water is also a regular culprit.
The secret to a pleasant smelling boat is a clean and dry bilge, I vacuum mine out regularly as crumbs, sand, grit, and dust collect there over time. It smells a lot better than the boats of my youth - but even that filled with fresh water when my stern shower head sprung a leak.
Dellquay13
Well-Known Member
I’ve got a MAB. It’s too small for anyone but me to have ever considered fitting a shower, so it doesn’t have one.
Inventing a way of showering the bilge clear of all the crumbs, fluff inevitable rain leaks, stern gland drips and condensation from behind boards is appealing, but not if it involves using shower waste water.
Yuk
Poignard
Well-Known Member
My Twister didn't have a shower but my wife and I managed to keep ourselves clean with a sponge and a washing up bowl of soapy water (which went over the side when finished with).
Nobody ever moved away from us in restaurants or on buses and trains because we smelled unpleasant.
Mind you, it was in France . . . .
Nobody ever moved away from us in restaurants or on buses and trains because we smelled unpleasant.
Mind you, it was in France . . . .
Baggywrinkle
Well-Known Member
Our Vega didn't have a shower either - we were a family of five living on board 2-3 weeks at a time during the school holidays. We didn't smell very nice.
Back then there were hotels/guest houses all up the West Coast of Scotland that would let you shower for a small fee - even use a washing machine/dryer. My favourite was the Tigh na Mara Guesthouse on Coll, followed by spending the evening in the Coll Hotel where it was warm, and we could waste hours drawing in their guest book while the parents got sozzled.
The Q
Well-Known Member
Many of the older broads hire craft had showers draining into the bilges, both wooden and fibreglass, my glass fibre ex hire boat does . Considering the hammering the showers get in season, the long winters unused with the bilges "maturing", they are remarkably free from smellies.
Mister E
Well-Known Member
I just did a search for a shower tray with 12v pump.
This was the first one that came up. The are probably better ones available from elsewhere.
Shower Pump, Shower 12V 750GPH Sump Pump System Boat RV Bilge Marine Multi Port Drain Box, Multi Port Shower Sump Pump Drain Kit System : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors
This was the first one that came up. The are probably better ones available from elsewhere.
Shower Pump, Shower 12V 750GPH Sump Pump System Boat RV Bilge Marine Multi Port Drain Box, Multi Port Shower Sump Pump Drain Kit System : Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors
Baggywrinkle
Well-Known Member
Were the bilges where the showers drained into accessible and part of the cleaning schedule before handover to the next client?
The Q
Well-Known Member
The showers are normally at the sides therefore clearance to hull is limited, as the floor is as low possible to give head room.
All showers along with everything else would be cleaned between customers, therefore the last thing draining into the bilges would be cleaning liquids, the bilge pump would be left to do it's stuff.
All showers along with everything else would be cleaned between customers, therefore the last thing draining into the bilges would be cleaning liquids, the bilge pump would be left to do it's stuff.
wingcommander
Well-Known Member
Also smegma, bogies and clingons. .........ahhh the human anatomy can produce some remarkable byproductsI forgot to add toe jam.
Beneteau381
Well-Known Member
Essence of armpit?
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
That type of shower sump isn't great, will clog with hair and allsorts and smell disgusting when you come to clean it out.
Mister E
Well-Known Member
Still better than cleaning the same out of the bilge I would have thought.
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
I fitted a whale gulper to my previous boat, worked well but you had to manually switch it on and off, no big deal. Pumped the water straight out of the side of the boat.
Current boat came with manual pumps too, but i removed both (two heads) and fitted a "Whale Manifold IC" fully automatic, straight over the side, no maintenance. Also available for a single heads "Whale gulley IC"
Current boat came with manual pumps too, but i removed both (two heads) and fitted a "Whale Manifold IC" fully automatic, straight over the side, no maintenance. Also available for a single heads "Whale gulley IC"
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Definitely, but pumping straight overboard is even better
potentillaCO32
Well-Known Member
Occasionally, on a good day, i have added a few other body fluids to the shower outlet.
Poignard
Well-Known Member
Talking of manky shower drains, I used to have to clear the shower drain at home about once a month. A mess of soap, hair, &c.
Then we started using Pears soap, now it rarely needs cleaning out.
Bit more expensive than most soaps but worth it.
Then we started using Pears soap, now it rarely needs cleaning out.
Bit more expensive than most soaps but worth it.
billskip
Well-Known Member
Poignard
Well-Known Member
Dockhead
Well-Known Member
Gross. Jesus. You guys are adding to the weight of arguments in favor of a sterilising, purifying nuclear war.
