Shower and Creature Comforts

F

FWTMD

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 15, 2020
Messages
283
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
While The Admiral is generally on board with a boat in concept I think it wise to slow down on reading diesel service manuals and address her needs. She is not a camper. Comfort seals the deal.

While we are looking up and down the size lineup we come back to the RT29. It has a hot water tank with 11 gal capacity which seems generous. But in practical terms how long can one shower before the hot water runs out? A short navy shower is fine for me. Probably her too. But I’m thinking I can promise her more without fear of disappointment. So, how long?

On a related and open ended question, what comforts do the ladies most appreciate, or request upgrades to address?

The AC comments I’ve seen suggest it cools well? Ditto heat?

In the cockpit do you like the second fridge, or freezer?

Our expected use will be afternoons with 6 aboard, cruises for we two.
 
The shower time will depend on how many gallons of water you use per minute / based on the shower head and GPM pump rate. Plus you don't always use just the hot water in the tank. Add in some cold to the mix and it will lengthen the amount of water consumption / time in the shower. Don't know much about the AC unit but I opted not to get that feature. I am in the PNW so we figured it wasn't worth it. The heater works amazing and keep everything and everyone toasty warm and dry. Hope this helps a little. It is just my personal opinion. I am sure other will chime in with better input.
 
My wife likes the ease with which the boat gets in and out of the slip at marinas. No drama, even in less than ideal conditions. She can relax while I put the boat up against the dock with the side thrusters.
We have a 29, and she loves the island berth. Much easier in and out than a v-berth.
She loves the galley, and all the storage.
We have never had an issue with the amount of hot water available.
Her absolute favorite thing though is the Webasto diesel furnace. We boat all year in the Pacific Northwest, and it keeps us nice and toasty. We don't have air conditioning, so I can't address that.
 
My bride did used to be a camper but long ago graduated to "glamping". She requires a shower at least every third day and/or at the end of fishing days. It's not a lot of hot water. The tank on our 25 classic is even smaller. If the expectation is a long luxurious soak under the shower head then there will likely be disappointment. If the expectation is for the hot water to last the duration of a thoroughly cleansing shower without running out, then you should be OK. However if not already equipped with it I'd change out the shower head with one fitted with an on/off feature which allows starting/stopping the flow without having to readjust temperature every time. Saves a lot of water. Wet down, stop. Soap up. Restart with the press of a button and rinse.

We do have an older boat with no thermostat on the heating coil when heated by engine coolant. So even though small our water heater reaches engine temperature which is well above the typical 120-130 degrees of home water heaters. So when blended with cold water to bathing temperature even the small capacity lasts quite a while.
 
Here is the list for us. living in the midwest but cruising at times more than 3 weeks at a time.

We have only 5 gallon hot water tank and it is sufficient for two "boat showers" different from marina showers and house showers.

We have a transom shower which is a big plus while on the hook. We have installed a full shower curtain system for showering in the head. This makes it easier to shower so none of the things stored in the head have to be removed.

We like watching movies, a 26" smart Tv for night time viewing V berth and still have the 12V TV for morning news and coffee in the morning at the dinette.

Shelves in the galley cabinets, head cabinets, larger mirror, 12V fans in the berth area for sleeping comfort while on the hook.

A custom mattress, real mattress ! custom fit for the berth design

Marine air I believe is essential for comfort and the heat side works well for any boating we have done. I believe when water temperatures get in low 40's and high 30's it is not as effective.

Generator, I don't have one but we have wished we had one a few times while staying on the hook for a few days at one location.

Good wifi or hotspot to use for communication and entertainment, internet when TV signal is limited.

A larger anchor than the factory anchor. Break loose once or start dragging in the middle of the night and you will find out how important this is to your Admiral.

Comfortable cockpit foldable chairs

additional freezer would be a plus. Built in or portable.

On my list for this year is a retractable screen door for the pilot house door. fly's, mosquitoes, and no-see-um's can change the boating experience to hard core camping if your not prepared or equipped.
 
Brad:

Thanks for that. No question that good handling around the dock is a selling feature. I am planning to handle as much of the docking chores as I can handle myself. I'll let her decide how much she wants to handle and the rest of the routine will be planned around that. A chance to participate, but low stress. The Captain has already received his instructions: No Barking Orders. Yes my dear. 😀
 
Dan:

The temp aspect didn't occur to me. Big thanks for that. And great idea about the shower head switch. I've added that to my upgrade after purchase list.
 
Brian:

Great info as always. Lots of stuff in there.

My takeaway: If 5 gal yields two decent navy showers, then 10 should yield one pretty good one for her. That's what I need to know.

Making sure I have enough anchor is already on my list, and I see enough suggestions to move up a notch that this is on my immediate action items. Feeling OK that I won't drag is big, but of course I end up checking during the night because that's no guarantee about neighbor boats.

The 29 reportedly has a good mattress. I'll know more when I see one at a show next month.

I'll definitely have a generator and AC in the mix. On the Chesapeake that is simply a must.

And screens! The Eastern Shore of MD has a wide variety of flying carnivorous insects. Mosquitoes everywhere. The lower Shore has large aggressive sheep flies. (The local joke is they are so big they carry ticks. 🙂) It's the door to the cockpit I'll need to address.

Cockpit chairs have been on my mind. I figure I'll have to see what storage options exist.

And then you open pandora's box on TV. And wifi hotspot. With AC wiring on the boat, I guess I am not understanding why DC TV's are installed? Is it some power consumption issue? This topic demands more of my attention, because it will be important to her.

And screens! Absolutely.
 
FWTMD":2gbck1xj said:
With AC wiring on the boat, I guess I am not understanding why DC TV's are installed? Is it some power consumption issue?
Click to expand...
The TV is DC-powered so that it will function on battery power alone such as when at anchor. AC power is only available when using shore power, the inverter or generator.

Many other electrical items are DC-powered: All interior and exterior lighting, including navigation lights, the refrigerator, the toilet, all helm electronics including chartplotter, VHF radio, autopilot.

Your power panel will be split into two sections, one side for DC and one for AC. That is the easiest way to determine what type of power a particular item requires.
 
FWTMD":hg6qgudy said:
My takeaway: If 5 gal yields two decent navy showers, then 10 should yield one pretty good one for her. That's what I need to know.
Click to expand...
Ten gallons of water should be plenty to shower on the boat. Our hot water heater is a 6-gallon and we’ve never run out of hot water taking navy showers. Keep in mind that most good marinas have showers. We use them most of the time. Occasionally we run into marina situations where showering on the boat is a better option and it’s a nice one to have.
 
From the Admiral's side..... We moved up to a 29CB from a bare bones fishing boat. I chose this model for the following features: I love the forward facing seat that is high enough to see over the bow and the option of sitting next to the captain on his side. The command bridge is just fun. Not there a lot so far (PNW winter) but love it anyway. Great observation deck. The bed is great - however I did put a 2" gel topper on ours, much better on my hips in the morning. We have not showered in the boat yet, but we can stop at 3:00, not plug into shore power, and still have plenty of really hot water the next morning. I am always surprised by how much I get into that refridgerator. Have plenty of room for everything I want on board. Even on a couple week trip. We have a small Keuric on the counter. There is seating for 7 comfortably on the back deck. I used black velcro and made a bug net for the big back window. That way I can leave the door closed and still have lots of air flow without bugs coming in - but I also have a 12v bug zapper that is quite entertaining. On the same velcro, I made black out curtains for the back windows so we don't have to close our berth door at night - easy up, easy down. The closet holds a surprising amount of clothes. We opted for no wine cooler and have more cupboard space in that area. As far as docking, it is so easy. No more jumping off with both lines in my hands. Thrusters are my best friend. All in all WE love this boat. We got it new in May 2019 and have over 500 hours on it already. This is our relaxation and our escape.
 
Caspers & Nancy:

Thanks for that. That experience is exactly what I have envisioned and the confirmation is what I needed. Nancy, that's what the Admiral has been saying about the pilot seats and storage from pictures. The velcro installation sounds perfect for the job.

Now, if the market will just get over its panic attack over the flu!
 
I see your signature line is for Connecticut. I noticed you indicated being on the Chesapeake Bay. Where will you be keeping the boat? We are on the Chesapeake Bay with our 31 CB. Happy to have you hop on board and have a look around to help you make up your mind.
Best,
Bobby
 
Bobby:

I am living and working in CT, but still have a home in QA County I will retire to in a few years. My boat investigations are planning for the day, but no triggers to be pulled this season.

Your offer to meet and tour is generous and I'd love to take you up on it, in part to see the boat and in part to meet a fellow boater. I"ll check back in with you whenever some planned time in MD approaches.

I'll be keeping the boat in the Kent Narrows / Kent Island area. If you come that way and I am in MD at the time, the drinks are on me. 🙂
 
FWTMD":whlcq1sk said:
With AC wiring on the boat, I guess I am not understanding why DC TV's are installed? Is it some power consumption issue? This topic demands more of my attention, because it will be important to her.
Click to expand...

TV's and computer monitors all run on DC - most consumers don't know this about your flat panel LCD/LED home TV's because a house only supplies 120v AC. The TV manufactures build in a transformer that converts the 120v AC to 12v DC.

So why does the boat have a DC TV instead of AC since other components on the boat use AC? Because converting 120v AC to 12v DC is very wasteful due to heat loss in the transformer. And as mentioned, what would you do if on anchor? You'd have to run your inverter or generator. So in the end, you are generating AC just so you would then convert it to DC. In the long run, you "waste" more energy that way.
 
FWTMD - you will know your wife has embraced the boating lifestyle when you hear her telling her friends, "I can wash my hair and shower with only 2 gallons of water!" 😉 You conserve resources when on the water: judicious use of electricity (AC and DC), you find you don't need 3 gallons of fresh water to flush your toilet, and by simply turning the water on and off when showering, you will use WAY LESS water than in your home. In fact, when you get home after a couple months of cruising, you appreciate the flagrant waste of water in your home.

We have found (whether boat or RV) that we can be very comfortable using 5 gallons per day (showers, flushing, dish washing), and when in true conservation mode, less than that.

Your boat will be a lovely "cabin on the water" when tied to the dock with power and water available. It is when you untie those dock lines and get away from the masses that your boat becomes an "escape pod." The majority of boat owners don't use their boats that way, but you will have a boat that is perfect for it. Those are the times we hold as most special.
 
Robert:

Excellent points.

Since I am not now an owner please help me complete that puzzle picture.

Whatever model we select it will definitely include the generator and AC. It’s just a must on the Chesapeake and points south down the ICW.

I get your point about conversion and deconversion. But my assumption was that with AC outlets aboard and chatter about normal coffee pots, that systems were organized to run AC regardless of whether connected to shore power, generator, or drawing down batteries. Is that not accurate?
 
I get your point about conversion and deconversion. But my assumption was that with AC outlets aboard and chatter about normal coffee pots, that systems were organized to run AC regardless of whether connected to shore power, generator, or drawing down batteries. Is that not accurate?[/quote]

That is not completely accurate - depending on the boat and the way it is equipped - AC runs off shore power or generator with enough amperage to use high draw devices (AC / Water Heater / Microwave) - not necessarily all at once (at least for generator) - If equipped with an inverter, some relatively low current devices can be run off of 12 V - typically while engine is running for most loads - very small loads could be run off the house batteries - but it would risk depleting them if not careful.
 
Steve:

I think what you are really pointing out to me, is that I need to go to school on the electrical systems. That's not my forte and I've spent no time looking at it.

My expectations, with no real thought to it, was that on shore power its virtually sky's the limit on device usage.

I will be getting a generator, and in the summer it will be running AC. I guess I need to understand how much is being produced and what the different devices draw in consumption to understand what the "power budget" is.

Where can I find that information? In the owner's manual?
 
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