Smallest boat with dedicated shower?

Jan 18, 2021
9
Hunter 26 Wasaga Beach
When I first saw my Beneteau on the hard at the AYS dealership, I fell in love. 6 months later I bought it once the money came in. One of the reasons was the head. It has alot of room, a teak seat in what is the shower area. I put up thingies to hang a shower curtain on. A week after I bought it, my club had a rendezvous at a marina. I opened the boat up to show it off. The first lady into the head ( I could hear her through the open port), she said, "My god... that's not a HEAD, that's a BATHROOM!". Money well spent.
Which Beneteau?
 
Jan 25, 2007
286
Cal Cal 33-2 cape cod
Yes, get a boat with proper shower, if I may also recommend. Ivation portable outdoor shower (keeps indoor shower very clean) beach sand, and suntan lotion = outside shower, low flow, makes a gallon water go a mile. You can shower outside on deck. (bathing suit gets clean too) I have 2 adults with 3 kids, keeps inside of my Cal 33 spotless. Also I use gizmo for washing down deck, cleaning dinghy, and washing dishes. Recharges from USB. Ivation + 5 gallon bucket = EASY.
 

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Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Yes I'm looking for a boat between 30-40'. Something easily to maintain and manage in tight marinas etc but still roomy enough for me and the mrs.
When were looking for a new boat to take an extended sailing trip, we found ~35 feet was a sweet spot. Large enough to have some decent amenities, shower, decent galley, livable space and ease of handling, lower operation costs, and cheaper transient marina rates. Going from 35 to 40 feet can easily add $10 a night to marina costs. Doesn't sound like much and it isn't on a week or two cruise through the Great Lakes, however on a year long cruise it can add up quickly.

Many people who look for "the getaway" boat focus on sailing characteristics and hull design. While important, no one likes to sail a dog of a boat, they are not the most important characteristics. For my money, livability is most important. This will be a small space can you and your wife live comfortably together in about 300 sq feet? Do you have comfortable spots to get away from each other at "those" moments? And do you like looking at the space around you? Even on a summer vacation cruise more time is spent in the boat at anchor or at a dock then actually sailing.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Rarely does a story with the topics 'couple', 'live-aboard', 'Caribbean' and 'smallest boat' end well.

In any case, I'd focus on where the shower drains.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,723
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Hi all,

Are their any sailboats under 40ft out there with seperate/dedicated shower? All i'm finding are wet heads.

The mrs and I are looking for a coastal live-aboard for Caribbean cruising but one of my essential criteria is a seperate shower not wet head.

Any suggestions?
Check out the Beneteau 373. Still a little pricey (~$100-$115k) but a modern boat with a huge head and shower.

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Greg
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
There is a shower curtain, but we never use it. A little spray ends up in the head, which is better than a wet hanging shower curtain. Our head has 3 opening ports with good cross ventilation in the shower compartment so it dries out quickly.

The bowl on the head can be replaced without changing the whole head, it is 4 bolts. That can be an easy (albeit expensive) post purchase upgrade.
My last boat had a wet head with 360 shower curtain- the boat came with a nylon cloth curtain that dried very quickly, and the fabric breathed enough so we didn’t get pockets of moisture when it was folded in open air. I draped it over the steering pedestal to dry in the cockpit every night, (tied loosely to keep it in place) and under the bimini it dried in hours except in the worst weather. The only part of the head that needed wiping after showers was the floor grate and the part of the wall that opened for the shower head.
 
Jun 25, 2004
475
Hunter 306 Pasadena MD
Old thread, I realize. But this is also one of my wants for the future. A boat big enough to have a separate shower and the water tankage to go with it. I look at a lot of boats on yachtworld, and I'm always blown away that even boats with a separate shower will often have copious quantities of varnished wood in it. I mean: it's just totally impractical! The whole point of a separate shower is... oh never mind.
 

jviss

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Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
I think a separate shower is a luxury that would only exist on boats 40' and up. I get the idea - it would be great! But on smaller boats you'd be sacrificing some space that is probably better used for another purpose.

Mine is a 38, and the shower isn't separate. We have a shower curtain track that runs along the hull above the vanity and head, that covers that up when you're showering. It works O.K.! But not as good as a separate shower would be.

I enjoy showering on the boat. I can live with it as it is.
 
Apr 8, 2010
1,942
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
I look at a lot of boats on yachtworld, and I'm always blown away that even boats with a separate shower will often have copious quantities of varnished wood in it. I mean: it's just totally impractical! The whole point of a separate shower is... oh never mind.
"Copious" may mean rather different things to different people. Can you cite an example of a boat that otherwise would meet your needs, but (from a picture on the web) has more wood in the shower area than you believe is appropriate?
 
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Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
Jeaneau Sun Oddysee 36 is a gorgeous boat with separate shower. It's a really nice boat for 60-100k price point. Most seem to be 2010 and newer
 
Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
Spending two weeks on the boat (without a separate shower but a shower head in the bathroom) I would not want a separate one. Yes it would be nice but unless you have a water maker, it would be wasted space and too temping to use too much water. Just having hot water made it temping to “keep it flowing”. I have a water flow meter on my system and was able to get showers down to less than two gallons. Living aboard? Then yes but you have to have systems capable of supporting it.
 
Dec 20, 2020
124
Prindle 16' Corrotoman River, VA
Rarely does a story with the topics 'couple', 'live-aboard', 'Caribbean' and 'smallest boat' end well.

In any case, I'd focus on where the shower drains.
Sometimes it does. Not my thing but apparently cramped quarters works for some people Microcruising
 

w4swk

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Mar 23, 2015
185
1991 Catalina 22 Wing Keel 15202 Nocona
Old thread, I realize. But this is also one of my wants for the future. A boat big enough to have a separate shower and the water tankage to go with it. I look at a lot of boats on yachtworld, and I'm always blown away that even boats with a separate shower will often have copious quantities of varnished wood in it. I mean: it's just totally impractical! The whole point of a separate shower is... oh never mind.
I have sailed for many years...my wife and I currently own a Catalina 22 but are homing in on a Catalina 380...As to the point of a separate shower, I remind my friends that spend time with us on the '22, that on a boat, there is very little privacy and eventually someone will get caught naked...so far no one has cared about that...:)
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
I have sailed for many years...my wife and I currently own a Catalina 22 but are homing in on a Catalina 380...As to the point of a separate shower, I remind my friends that spend time with us on the '22, that on a boat, there is very little privacy and eventually someone will get caught naked...so far no one has cared about that...:)
It’s not about privacy. The point of a separate shower is that it’s not a wet head. Having a separate shower space makes it easier to keep things dry that you want to stay dry. Easier to clean everything.