The value of the marina shower

[Scillypete]

Facilities onboard are not that bad but on an extended cruise (such as now) when keeping costs low by anchoring as much as possible it also becomes necessary to conserve water so full on showers are out of the question. Five weeks of continuous bird bath washing with the occasional camping shower hosedown and my recent arrival in what seems to be a very nice marina (I'm not a regular frequenter of marinas so its hard to judge) has caused me to consider the luxury element of the marina shower.

Here I am its 28 degrees so I'm showering morning and late afternoon, there is all the water you could want so you can just stand under and not worry about emptying the tanks and boy what a luxury it is after trying to waste not a drop.

Marina costs are not cheap which is why I tend not to use them often, but what element of the cost can you put down to the luxury of a long refreshing shower . . . . . there are no tokens involved here

 

[Hydrozoan]

Some even have baths - though asses' milk is not on tap.

 

[Vara]

After long trips its a bath I hanker after, sometimes booking into a hotel is the only way to get one.

 

[Dockhead]

Facilities onboard are not that bad but on an extended cruise (such as now) when keeping costs low by anchoring as much as possible it also becomes necessary to conserve water so full on showers are out of the question. Five weeks of continuous bird bath washing with the occasional camping shower hosedown and my recent arrival in what seems to be a very nice marina (I'm not a regular frequenter of marinas so its hard to judge) has caused me to consider the luxury element of the marina shower.

Here I am its 28 degrees so I'm showering morning and late afternoon, there is all the water you could want so you can just stand under and not worry about emptying the tanks and boy what a luxury it is after trying to waste not a drop.

Marina costs are not cheap which is why I tend not to use them often, but what element of the cost can you put down to the luxury of a long refreshing shower . . . . . there are no tokens involved here

Sounds like you need more fresh water tankage.

Even anchoring out most of the time, I have never found it a problem to take on water every four or five days when cruising Atlantic Europe.

 

[lw395]

After long trips its a bath I hanker after, sometimes booking into a hotel is the only way to get one.

Remember the good old days of the Yealm Hotel offering baths for Yachtspersons?

 

[johnalison]

We mostly shower on board, except when:
I need a thorough drench
They are free
They are acceptably hygienic and I perceive that the risk of athlete's foot is sufficiently low.
It's not too cold out there.

 

[sailorman]

We mostly shower on board, except when:
I need a thorough drench
They are free
They are acceptably hygienic and I perceive that the risk of athlete's foot is sufficiently low.
It's not too cold out there.

Dont shower in the UEA then

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-29552557

 

[johnalison]

Dont shower in the UEA then

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-29552557

I think it is hard to stop them.

 

[Skylark]

They are acceptably hygienic and I perceive that the risk of athlete's foot is sufficiently low.

Now that's an interesting comment. We prefer to shower on board (and now have the luxury of His and Hers but that's just showing off) for the very same reason.

How do you assess if the showers are hygienic with low risk of AF infection.........just observation and the yuk factor?

 

[mjcoon]

We mostly shower on board, except when:
I need a thorough drench
They are free
They are acceptably hygienic and I perceive that the risk of athlete's foot is sufficiently low.
It's not too cold out there.

There's a facility in Turkey at which they provide wooden clogs to wear inside so you leave outside footwear at the door. I imagine that makes the chance of cross-infection even worse...

(The climb from harbour to facility is on slippery cobbles, so ideal outside footwear is climbing boots!)

Mike.

 

[prv]

Remember the good old days of the Yealm Hotel offering baths for Yachtspersons?

I have a 1934 pilot book which tells me that "hot baths may be had" at various places

None of them are marinas though - in fact it only mentions one marina as we would recognise it, and refers to this innovation as a "maritime garage". Furthermore, because of the "very tight quarters" among the pontoons (which in the plan and sketch look fairly generous by modern standards) the author advises people to anchor outside the marina and await slack water before entering

Pete

 

[mattonthesea]

In Horta, after several weeks of crossing from Antigua, I went for a quick shower. It was so nice to get rid of the salt; and I emerged 40 mins later!

Matt

A Year at Sea: sailing solo around the North Atlantic

 

[Scillypete]

Sounds like you need more fresh water tankage.

Even anchoring out most of the time, I have never found it a problem to take on water every four or five days when cruising Atlantic Europe.

Got plenty of tankage (just a shade under 300 litres) and I reckon with full tanks I could manage two months without having to look for a top up, but that's sponge bathing all the way and I like a little more than that from time to time. Maybe I should be going alongside more often but the tightwad in me is trying to keep the spending down, I would rather waste my money on cheap alcohol but its no good for washing in. I have to admit that the last few days spent in this lovely marina have swayed my views a little so I may just look into others elsewhere a little more often.

 

[wiggy]

If at anchor, how do folks heat water for showering, run the engine for a while or generator and 220v element?

 

[pagoda]

If at anchor, how do folks heat water for showering, run the engine for a while or generator and 220v element?

No genny or engine required.... Running the Eber for 20mins will produce enough hot water for a careful, quick shower, and leave enough for washing up.
For marina showers I hate the kind you need to feed £ coins for a specified number of minutes. More than once I have slotted in the dosh, got changed and then discovered the actual shower is faulty and stone cold!

 

[Grumpybear]

Remember the good old days of the Yealm Hotel offering baths for Yachtspersons?

Ooooooooh yes! I think our ages are showing.....

 

[elton]

I went to our shower block last night at around 10 for a wash and a shave, and found it empty as usual, but with one shower running continuously, which had depleted the entire hot water supply. So I stepped around the water, and wiggled the button which had stuck in, to release it and halt the flow. As I wandered across to the marina office to report it, I wondered what kind of selfish cretin would just leave it running like that.

 

[mjcoon]

I went to our shower block last night at around 10 for a wash and a shave, and found it empty as usual, but with one shower running continuously, which had depleted the entire hot water supply. So I stepped around the water, and wiggled the button which had stuck in, to release it and halt the flow. As I wandered across to the marina office to report it, I wondered what kind of selfish cretin would just leave it running like that.

I think it was Fethiye marina showers a few years ago when the water supply failed. Lots of people just left the taps open so when the supply resumed the place flooded!

Mike.

 

[Sybarite]

I think it is hard to stop them.

It's just a wee saving.

 

[HenryEDM]

Some even have baths - though asses' milk is not on tap.

Deganwy Quays marina has a bath in the ladies' but not in the men's. Where's the equality?