Shower in head

[Randygh]

Since I installed pressurized hot/cold water in our boat, the Admiral would like a shower. The head has a molded fiberglass floor with drain, but the door, walls and sinkstand are nice mohogany. The head is small but if I line it with a curtain and install a sump pump in the bilge it will be functional. The previous owner installed a bilge exhaust fan in the head and it works well so ventilation is not a problem.

My question: What is a good shower curtain? The Admiral says the fabric curtains allow water to soak into the fabric. I plan to install some snaps on the walls to snap the curtain(s) on/off. I don't think the vinyl plastic type curtains would hold the snaps very well. I thought about customizing a blue tarp, but the Admiral wasn't impressed with my idea!!!

[sunnydude2]

Our boat has a fiberglass bottom and to cover the door opening there is a plastic curtain. It folds up small so not in the way when you are in the head which is nice.

[Go Aweigh2452]

Randy, I've been thinking the same thing for our head. I think the shower curtain on snaps is a great idea. When not in use, you fold it up and make it dissappear... I only have to caulk the wall next to the stove and place the curtain behind the head and on the hull. Of course, I will have to cur a hole for the drain as well...

[Tullamore dew]

We have a simular set up in our boat but with the t bar rod with rollers that runs around the perimiter of head . Seen the very same items at West Marine for sale We have a plastic cutain that ties into corner when not used. The plastic curtin is tough and does not mildew. But with that all said and done , we have only used the shower once in five years. And after drying the head and shower curtain well you just about need another shower after that. The drain does go into a pan that has a bilge pump but it never removes all the water so i ended up using a sponge on it . But of course if it makes the Admiral happy. we all know thats whats important. Have fun with the install.

[SomeSailor]

I plan to install some snaps on the walls to snap the curtain(s) on/off. I don't think the vinyl plastic type curtains would hold the snaps very well.

Velcro can be easily attached to the vinyl and then a few small Velcro dots on the walls would keep everything where you wanted it. Another method would be to use some small (1" or so) disk magnets. Attach a few in the proper places permanently to the walls. Then use another from the "inside" of the curtain to hold the thin vinyl to the wall.

I've also seen shower curtains with weighted lower edges that keep the curtain edge down and in the shower pan.

[Randygh]

My shower project is almost completed. I found an extra tall (84") shower curtain at Bed Bath and Beyond. I installed brass hooks at the top of the walls in the head next to the ceiling. I didn't use the coffee cup type of hook. The ones I used screwed into the wood just like a hook but the brass is straight about 1" then turns up 90 degrees. I put in one mounting hook for each curtain grommet. The tall curtain covers the toilet, port wall and wash basin counter with the bottom fitting into the shower pan perfectly. I also purchased a standard 72" tall curtain that covers the door-side, front and aft walls of the head and it overlaps the other curtain by 2 gromets on each end. It too is the perfect length to fit inside the floor pan. The head floor is a shower pan and has a hose that drained into the bilge. I connected the hose to a plastic Tupperware like container ( 6 qts) in the bilge. The commercial sump pump boxes are too tall to fit in the bilge beneath my sole. I drilled a hole in the stern end of plastic container and put a thru-hall fitting on it that I attached the drain hose to. I mounted a Sahara 5oo GPH bilge pump (with built in float switch) inside the sump container. I drilled a hole in the sump container lid, ran the sump drain line to my head's sink drain where I tapped into the sink drain hose with a T. (I pointed up the end of the T that I attached the sump drainline to.) I ordered a dog-wash shower head that quick connects to my head's sink faucet. It has an 80" hose that I'll hook over the top of the curtain. The head has a spring-load lever (like the kitchen sink spray nozzle) so it'll shut off when not used while sudsing up. I'll post picts as soon as I receive the shower head. The total cost--curtains, plastic container, drain hose, fittings, bilge pump and shower head will be about $100.00. The Admiral should be pleased.

[SomeSailor]

Good job Randy. Ya gotta keep the Admiral happy, and that's sure to do it.

[bayliner2855]

What is wrong with standing on the bow with a hose.

[Avanti42]

why don't you just jump in the water with a bar of soap?:mrgreen:

[Go Aweigh2452]

What is wrong with standing on the bow with a hose. :oops::eek:

[Randygh]

Many years ago while docked at Sucia, a fellow boater made a shower that was quite inventive for his admiral. He had a 26' Tolly with full canvas over the cockpit. He'd fill one of those solar showers and set it on the flying bridge to warm. He made a shower from a hula-hoop suspended from one of the canvas top stringers. A shower curtain was hung from the hula-hoop. The shower curtain fit inside a small child's inflatable wadding pool. He extended the solar shower drain tube to go inside the hula-hoop. His admiral would shower at night. He drained the pool directly onto the cockpit floor than drained to the outside. It worked great.

I don't think my Admiral would think much of me hosing her down on the deck with cold water. Last month when we were up at Stehekin on Lake Chelan, I washed my hair with lake water. The water temp was 55 degrees. Brrrr. Sure made the old scalp tingle.

[Randygh]

Here's some picts of the finished shower project.


http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t301/randygh/P1011986.jpg
This is the dog-wash shower head. Spring loaded so won't waste water.


http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t301/randygh/P1011989.jpg
The 80" shower hose has a quick snap-on adaptor for the shower hose.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t301/randygh/P1011981.jpg
Brass hooks to hold up the shower curtains. I put in a hook for each curtain grommet.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t301/randygh/P1011980.jpg
The shower drain line plumbed into the sink drain. I elevated the shower drain so there won't be any drainage from the sink into the shower sump.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t301/randygh/P1011976.jpg
This is the completed sump. The plastic container lid snaps tightly. The container is only 7.5" tall so it fits into the bilge space very easily.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t301/randygh/P1011975.jpg
The shower pan drains into the sump container by way of a thru hull adaptor. I sealed the adaptor phlange with silicone so there won't be any leakage into the bilge.

[Randygh]

The poor man's shower I made worked great. Cheap and very effective.

[Go Aweigh2452]

Wow, great ideas and install!!! Nice job there Randy... guess you will be the sweetest smelling boater around these here parts!!!

[SomeSailor]

Careful Randy... Doug's got an eye on ya now... :)

[Tedster]

Especially since his boat ain't got no shower!

[SomeSailor]

... and ya know Doug has Soap on a Rope!!

[Randygh]

Soap on a rope. Isn't that the stuff that makes you real purdy!!!!!

[Go Aweigh2452]

yea, soap on a rope is better than the flake style soap SS uses... I heard he keeps dropping the flakes in the shower... :eek: