Water heater for shower

Neeves said:
We use a Bosch gas water heater, have done for 20 years. Instant hot water. We do have a desal unit, lots of solar and a windgen. Very civilised. As far as I can ascertain we are both still alive and kicking (and have 2 hot, Navy, showers a day).

As correctly mentioned we would often motor into an anchorage and I have thus wondered about engine heat but then have wondered what those with calorifiers do if they anchor in some idyllic spot for a week. Or are they the people who run their engines for 3 hours a day, or worse, don't shower. We have reached the age when cold showers lose their attraction. So enlighten me - you are in NW Scotland, just added another Munro to the list - and no hot water?

Jonathan
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I am not sure what your point is with the post, or even if it was really in reply to mine.

I asked about the relevance of the BSS, which is a British safety scheme for boats based on UK inland waters, to a yacht based in the Med.
 
I was indicating that other jurisdictions have a different view - as I thought your post underlined. Sadly everyone else seemed to ignore the point you made.

No need to be touchy - there was no criticism, it was reinforcing your comment.

Mind you no-one answered the comment, question, I raised either :(

Jonathan
 
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Neeves said:
We use a Bosch gas water heater, have done for 20 years. Instant hot water. We do have a desal unit, lots of solar and a windgen. Very civilised. As far as I can ascertain we are both still alive and kicking (and have 2 hot, Navy, showers a day).

As correctly mentioned we would often motor into an anchorage and I have thus wondered about engine heat but then have wondered what those with calorifiers do if they anchor in some idyllic spot for a week. Or are they the people who run their engines for 3 hours a day, or worse, don't shower. We have reached the age when cold showers lose their attraction. So enlighten me - you are in NW Scotland, just added another Munro to the list - and no hot water?

Jonathan
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You have a Glasgow shower, ie wet wipes. I once arrived in Stornoway and had a quick Glasgow shower before going ashore, and met a lady on the pontoons who said to me after we had chatted for a couple of minutes "You're the nicest smelling sailor I've met"!
 
Trop Cher said:
You have a Glasgow shower, ie wet wipes. I once arrived in Stornoway and had a quick Glasgow shower before going ashore, and met a lady on the pontoons who said to me after we had chatted for a couple of minutes "You're the nicest smelling sailor I've met"!
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Ugh (although I admit I've stepped ashore straight to a pub without washing). I think one of the most civilised things about the way I sail now is not having to go to marina loos or showers but just have a hot shower on the boat itself when tied up. We have a calorifier and an AC element too.

At anchor we don't really have the luxury of time so never stay longer than a couple of nights in an anchorage so on the first night we have hot water and on the second we either run the engine for 45 minutes or (mostly) use the cockpit cold water shower to have a proper wash after the last swim. In cold weather which we don't sail in often then it would be a night in a marina with AC.
 
RupertW said:
Ugh (although I admit I've stepped ashore straight to a pub without washing). I think one of the most civilised things about the way I sail now is not having to go to marina loos or showers but just have a hot shower on the boat itself when tied up. We have a calorifier and an AC element too.

At anchor we don't really have the luxury of time so never stay longer than a couple of nights in an anchorage so on the first night we have hot water and on the second we either run the engine for 45 minutes or (mostly) use the cockpit cold water shower to have a proper wash after the last swim. In cold weather which we don't sail in often then it would be a night in a marina with AC.
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That was with the previous boat, I now have pressurised hot and cold water and two showers on my current boat. :)
 
Trop Cher said:
That was with the previous boat, I now have pressurised hot and cold water and two showers on my current boat. :)
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We've made the same sailing journey then! I don't regret the rough and ready days at all and they have given fabulous memories, but having wife and I off to our separate showers on the boat is very civilised and when we do have guests on board I know they are more comfortable having one shower whilst we share the other.
 
RupertW said:
and when we do have guests on board I know they are more comfortable having one shower whilst we share the other.
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Its a pleasure to learn that Romance is not dead!

And thank you for the replies to my query - I hope to keep the Glasgow shower as a concept on which to conjure - and never need to use.

Jonathan

Since posting I had quick look at the origins of a Glasgow Shower, it being a term new to me (I've been away too long). Google told me what it meant but, possibly wisely, made no mention of why 'Glasgow'. Glaswegians are much maligned.
 
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Equally civilised - leaving an anchorage early in the morning, sails set and trimmed, decent breakfast with fresh coffee, toast and marmalade and then a hot shower (alone, someone has to be on watch, (save romance for the next anchorage :) ).

Jonathan
 
Neeves said:
Equally civilised - leaving an anchorage early in the morning, sails set and trimmed, decent breakfast with fresh coffee, toast and marmalade and then a hot shower (alone, someone has to be on watch, (save romance for the next anchorage :) ).

Jonathan
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Very good but I wasn't saying we were in the shower at the same time! Not enough room for a start.

But yes that morning sounds idyllic and we've certainly done that once the engine has heated the water. Gas heating sounds interesting but we would hardly ever use it.
 
Neeves said:
Its a pleasure to learn that Romance is not dead!

And thank you for the replies to my query - I hope to keep the Glasgow shower as a concept on which to conjure - and never need to use.

Jonathan

Since posting I had quick look at the origins of a Glasgow Shower, it being a term new to me (I've been away too long). Google told me what it meant but, possibly wisely, made no mention of why 'Glasgow'. Glaswegians are much maligned.
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I believe in Glasgow, they are called Edinburgh showers!
 
Kelpie said:
The idea of heating the water electrically using anything other than shore power is a complete non starter. Just don't go there. Heat it directly using a fossil fuel, or the sun.

A couple of years ago there was a PBO article about making a small solar thermal panel for a boat, nice project but I don't know how practical it would be.
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We know a couple who made a solar water heater , and it worked fine in the Med sun.
Foil inside a box with copper piping painted black and a R/I glass top and a small pump .
 
After a couple of days, the smell disappears.... I spent two weeks on a cat in Ireland a few years back, and that had no showering facilities. Your body gets back into an equilibrium. I was less "smelly" on return from the two weeks than from a day commuting to London...
 
Neeves said:
We use a Bosch gas water heater, have done for 20 years. Instant hot water.
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I'm surprised that sort of answer isn't more widespread.

I've given thought to hot shower-water (or washing-up water) on small boats, and it seems odd to me that so many think it can't be done unless there's a 240v marina hook-up, or until the boat is big enough to have an engine which can supply a calorifier.

A propane flame can heat a kettle...so it can heat a bigger boiler. Granted, it's probably fortunate that every sailor isn't suggesting his friends and family wash with scalding DIY-heated water, but with sober care and testing, I don't believe it can't be done, even if it involves filling a five-gallon tank with separately, gently-heated water, then using a one-gallon-per-minute pump to send the warm water up to a shower head, operated by the showeree, with a foot-pedal.

Using an all-electric source of water heat seems an amazingly problematic way round the problem. What's wrong with this? https://www.worldofcamping.co.uk/ka...=2e43b65cbbe10069215ffcb4df43b6c5&fo_s=gplauk

Kampa%20water%20heater_zpscsxt0efi.jpg
 
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Neeves said:
Equally civilised - leaving an anchorage early in the morning, sails set and trimmed, decent breakfast with fresh coffee, toast and marmalade and then a hot shower (alone, someone has to be on watch, (save romance for the next anchorage :) ).

Jonathan
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Easy just have an outside shower at the stern and you and shower and keep watch at the same time.

BTW we also use an instant gas hot water heater as well as an engine /mains heated tank. I fitted a change over valve so we can use either depending if the marina we are in has mains or we are sailing/motoring.
 
poter said:
Got a solution chaps
Run this one up the mast:

Gas water heater as used for marine/caravans etc. A Morco D61B LPG water heater
with a separate gas supply and vented locker, ok I have to be careful fitting the flue but it can be done.
Thoughts?
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Instantaneous gas heaters have been used on boats for years, I had one in a Westerly Pentland in the 70s, and it allowed the luxury of long hot showers. However, regulations have got tighter and the Morco D61B you suggested can't be installed in a confined space. But Morco do make a room-sealed version, the F11EL, which could be installed in a boat, although it needs a balanced flue installation.
 
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