Warm water without the usual hassle
Issue 41 : Mar/Apr 2005
Here’s a shower idea I incorporated into the updating of our 1973 Bristol 30. Since I was building new galley counters, I installed a 3-gallon Todd water tank under the countertop.
Using the relocation kit available from most marine outfitters (Todd #902218), I was able to move and plug the fitting holes. After installing the small outlet and hose in the bottom of the tank, I found a piece of PVC at the hardware store which had threads that matched a plastic deck-fill cap. The PVC was installed through the top of the tank, then sealed with marine adhesive sealant. The top of the PVC finished flush with the top of the countertop for the deck-fill cap (now a counter-fill cap). Support the tank with stainless straps or a plywood shelf.
The hose runs from the bottom of the tank under the cabin sole to an on-demand pump or a small in-line gravity-fed pump, then up into the head to a hand-held shower. The shower drains through a screen filter into the bilge to be pumped out or into a sump, if you have room for one.
You simply fill the tank with a kettle of hot water from the stove and a kettle or two of cold. Then you step into a warm shower. The fill cap should be left ajar for venting when in use.
It may be hard to fit a small water tank under your boat’s counter, but if you have a head without a shower, it’s well worth a try. There’s no carrying extra containers or hoses for portable showers. You may be able to free up some space when you replace that old icebox, but that’s another project for another day.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
