Installing a shower on an '84 Cat27

[Fred McMullen]

Hello All I would like to install a handheld shower on my '27. The K.I.S.S. solution I've come up with is to use our propane stove and our soup pot (read: Dungeness Crab Sauna) as the hot water source. I would like to install a sitdown handheld shower in the head attached to a Whale 'Tip-toe' manual powered foot pump in a raised floor pan. The source of the heated water will come from a 1/2" plastic supply line snaked through to the galley long enough to stick into the heated water pot on the stove. The waste water will drain into the bilge where an existing monster electric bilge pump (attached to a float switch) will drain the grey water. My questions are:1) Has anyone attempted this project with success?2) Any thoughts about building up the foot space of the head with a false bottom and a drain? Teak grid or concave fiberglas drain pan? (Or what have you?)3) The interior of the head is teak paneling. Would a pull-around curtain be needed to keep soap water from damaging the head enclosure even if it was properly oiled?Any thoughts would be well appreciated as I know for a fact this solution would be cheaper than spending $40K for a case of 3 foot-itis. Fred

 

[Todd Osborne]

In the true sense of KISS

Your idea of the head shower seems quite plausible, although I have the shower setup in my C30, I wouldn't consider actually using it (neither would several other owners I know). The damp conditions beg mold growth on the teak, and the bilge water (some always stays in there eh?) can get stinky from our bodily cleansing. Not to mention getting everything else in the head wet. Let me, if you will, redirect you to our preferred method (in full accordance with KISS). Use a sunshower hoisted up the backstay via halyard to shower in the cockpit. Use the Dungeness sauna to warm what the sun hasn't. Your cockpit is made to get wet, has immediate drainage, & has way more room (especially headroom) than the head. If in a crowded anchorage or timid, put towels on the rail &/or keep a swimsuit on whilst sudsing up. We actually prefer this method above indoor bathing. Total investment $15

 

[Nick]

Even More Kiss . . .

Sometimes I sit on the cockpit deck with a solar shower bag hung from the boom. A few towels over the life lines for modesty is all you need (if you're modest). When it's cold I dash below to towel off. Nick"Julia Bell" C-27, #86

 

[LaDonna Bubak - CatalinaOwners.com]

Sump pump

I think you'd definitely need a separate shower pan with sump pump to avoid getting the grey water in the bilge. You don't want 1/2" of that stuff sitting in there decomposing - YUK! As far as the wood is concerned, you'd have to finish it with something harder than oil for it not to get "damaged". Granted the damage involved would probably only consist of needing to reoil more frequently than desired but still...Personally, if you're looking at infrequent showers, the towels on the lifelines/sunshower idea is most cost effective. But along those lines, you might look at buying a nice pesticide sprayer (new!). You pump up the pressure so it doesn't rely on gravity to come out. Fill with water, add a kettle of hot water & you have enough water for 2 people! Hmmmm...good thing those towels are up!! ;-)LaDonna