Washing machines aboard.

[Koeketiene]

Thinking of getting a small washing machine for on the boat. (One of these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B0NFW...TF8&colid=1H63OAZ6C92SV&coliid=I1AXAVUKJWLRFX)
Would only be used when alongside and hooked up to shore power.

How does the plumbing side of things work?
Is this at all feasible/practical?

 

[P4Paul]

Thinking of getting a small washing machine for on the boat. (One of these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B0NFW...TF8&colid=1H63OAZ6C92SV&coliid=I1AXAVUKJWLRFX)
Would only be used when alongside and hooked up to shore power.

How does the plumbing side of things work?
Is this at all feasible/practical?

Taken from the Q&A section on the page you linked:

It doesn't spin dry. It only does the spin wash. You'd have to wring all to remove excess water manually. Drainage is done manually as well, there's a selector for releasing dirty water before you can refill it with fresh water & repeating the spin wash/rinsing cycle .

 

[vyv_cox]

As already suggested, your problems are just beginning when you have washed the clothes. It's the rinsing and wringing that takes the effort, you could just wash the clothes in a bucket with little more work. I suggest you want a twin tub at least, spending the money on a washing machine only is money down the drain (haha).

 

[coopec]

How does the plumbing side of things work?
Is this at all feasible/practical?

I bought my mini washing machine on eBay. It is a twin-tub and does spin dry. I have a "drying louvered door cabinet" which has an exhaust fan (that also evacuates the toilet)

As far as the plumbing is concerned I plan to place it in the shower recess (the unit is very light), fill it with the shower rose and empty it down the shower recess.

 

[Hadenough]

We livaboard 365 and have a mini (3kg) twin tub £85 from eBay. We fill with and drain into a bucket and reuse the rinsing water. We can get it into the heads and use the shower hose / drain but the bucket is easier. We even use it in the cockpit in good weather and drain to the cockpit drains. It will just about do a double sheet but not a quilt cover but is brilliant with everything else. I was very anti at first but as it has saved us about 50% on our laundry bill for an hour and a half effort each week. On shore power at the moment but will be running it off the genset while cruising. A tip, we weeded out our wardrobe and got rid of as much cotton and linen clothing in favour of micro fleece type stuff as possible, they come out of the spinner practically dry.

This one (2.6kg not 3!)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Wash...81301?pt=UK_Irons_Presses&hash=item3f2ae1cef5

 

[coopec]

On shore power at the moment but will be running it off the genset while cruising. A tip, we weeded out our wardrobe and got rid of as much cotton and linen clothing in favour of micro fleece type stuff as possible, they come out of the spinner practically dry.

This one (2.6kg not 3!)]

My machine looks identical to yours.

I wonder what the attitude of authorities would be if you emptied some soapy water down the cockpit drains in (1) a marina (2) an anchorage (I guess they would never know) I guess I'm really asking what the law is in a lot of places

You raised a couple of points there that I had not previously considered. Thanks.

 

[vyv_cox]

I wonder what the attitude of authorities would be if you emptied some soapy water down the cockpit drains in (1) a marina (2) an anchorage (I guess they would never know) I guess I'm really asking what the law is in a lot of places

In Greece nobody would be the slightest bit concerned. In Turkey, in some places less than a mile away, you would be shot by firing squad!

 

[Cardo]

We have that exact machine on our boat. We use it in the heads, fill it using the heads extending tap (or the hose if near mains water) and then drain it (there's a hose that comes out of the bottom) into the shower sump. It uses little power, though so far we've only ever used it when in marinas. As mentioned, it doesn't spin dry, it only jumbles up the items to stop you from having to do it manually. Mrs has been experimenting to find the most efficient way to use it, and I think the trick is to use the minimum amount of soap possible, so you only need to do a single rinse, before putting out to dry.