Shower...Use It?

[Siamese]

I'm just curious to know if anyone actually uses the shower on their 309?

I've never used mine (although I do shower elsewhere). I can see where having a shower available looks good at the boat show, but I'm a tad skeptical as to whether the shower on the 309 is really up to snuff for even occasional use.

On the plus side: There is a wrap around curtain and a pump in the floor. And the faucet extends to become a handheld shower. And the floor's fiberglass.

On the minus side: There's no fan to exhaust all that moisture. It's a little cramped (this will vary from body to body, of course). The shower curtain would be all wet when you're done...let it dry outside?

It's winter here in Muskegon, Michigan as I write this, so the boat's on the cradle and all snowy. Otherwise I'd just go take a look and see what I think.

If you've used your shower, did you find that the shower curtain actually did its job and kept the water away from places it shouldn't be?

Because I'm wanting to be able to do some nights on the anchor when traveling, I'd like to pursue this shower thing.

 

[jsalley]

I use mine, but it's a pain. I invariably get water under the head door into the cabin, and the sump isn't big enough to hold enough water without periodically running the pump. Finally, there's nowhere to hang the faucet/shower head so you have to set it in the sink when not actually using it. Ventilation is ok if you leave the port open. The curtain does ok - it actually is big enough to completely encircle you, and so far I haven't had any mold or mildew problems with it (though I leave it in the "extended" position until it dries).

 

[Stu Jackson]

You could get one of these handy dandy shutoff things for your shower wands:

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4174.0.html

You could also glue a holder up on the wall somewhere.

We put an old towel down outside the head door anyway, not a big deal.

Does your shower sump go into the bilge, or overboard?

I really enjoy showering on the boat. It's a lot cleaner than some of the land-side places I've been to, and it's a great way to clean the head compartment!

 

[jsalley]

Stu - That shutoff comes standard on the boat's faucet. Works well but still have to set the wand down when not rinsing. I like the idea of some sort of bracket on the bulkhead. Like you, I've learned to put a towel at the bottom of the head door. Sump is pumped overboard via the head intake seacock.

 

[jkittka]

I use my shower almost every other day when on the boat.
I have added zip ties to the curtain connectors as the OEM kept coming loose
As others have stated I put a towel outside the door, and keep the port open for ventilation.
I only use the curtain to cover the door and do not worry about the head and sink, but do mop up the excess water afterwards off of the vanity top.
When finished I open the curtain fully, along with the port, to allow it to dry, also while all are damp I quickly spray down with a cleaner. (309, Clorox water,etc) to prevent mold and mildew.
The regular maintenance is that the sump and screen on the pump need to be cleaned out regularly.

 

[Ken13579]

weird showers in Muskegon

I am not surprised that you are asking about the on-board showers. Your marina has the weirdest showers we have ever encountered cruising the MI shore of Lake MI. As I recall, the office regulates the temp. We have great showers at our marina in New Buffalo and have not used the on-board shower in 5 yrs.

I'm just curious to know if anyone actually uses the shower on their 309?

I've never used mine (although I do shower elsewhere). I can see where having a shower available looks good at the boat show, but I'm a tad skeptical as to whether the shower on the 309 is really up to snuff for even occasional use.

On the plus side: There is a wrap around curtain and a pump in the floor. And the faucet extends to become a handheld shower. And the floor's fiberglass.

On the minus side: There's no fan to exhaust all that moisture. It's a little cramped (this will vary from body to body, of course). The shower curtain would be all wet when you're done...let it dry outside?

It's winter here in Muskegon, Michigan as I write this, so the boat's on the cradle and all snowy. Otherwise I'd just go take a look and see what I think.

If you've used your shower, did you find that the shower curtain actually did its job and kept the water away from places it shouldn't be?

Because I'm wanting to be able to do some nights on the anchor when traveling, I'd like to pursue this shower thing.

 

[Siamese]

I didn't know that about the showers in Muskegon (Hartshorn Marina). We live just a few minutes from our slip, so we've never used the showers. We're thinking about when we travel to other ports. We go to Pentwater a lot, and want to be able to anchor if no slips are available.

 

[Siamese]

Exciting shower update:

First, I sewed a new shower curtain for the head that attaches with Velcro to all the walls and the door. With a cutout for the window. And a handy pass-through hole to bring the faucet head into the shower and allow temp adjustment without any leaks. Works very well, and it's pretty roomy. When you're done, you feel like you've had a good refreshing shower.

But....

I got a bug to put together a good shower system for the cockpit. After all, the pit's just a big bathtub, isn't it?

I considered using the stern shower, but I can tell you the hardware on hull no. 82 is crap. Leaked when new. I installed new seals and rings and still leaks like new...likes to drip into the aft berth, so I disconnected it.

Cool solution!!! I took a large bucket and drilled a couple holes in it up at the rim so I could use nylon zip ties to attach a hand operated fluid transfer pump to it. Like this: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...rod2-b2c4?counter=2&itemIdentifier=94647_0_0_

One of the hoses goes to the bottom of the bucket and I replaced the other hose with a kitchen sink sprayer. A little waterproof boat caulk made good connections. The pump is mounted vertically, and operates very smoothly. Just fill the bucket at the sink with warm water. About two gallons seems to be plenty. Take the bucket to the cockpit and use one hand to operate the pump and the other to direct the warm spray. Get wet, then stop pumping and lather up with a washcloth. Then pump to rinse. And rinse and rinse and rinse - it's amazing how far a couple gallons goes with this thing. Very efficient use of water because you don't waste any adjusting the temp as you shower, and the hand pump guarantees it never runs when you don't need it. Delivers a very satisfying shower. Because the water's visible, you always know how much is left. When you get down to the last inch or two of water, just pick up the bucket and dump it over your head. Heaven. A very satisfying shower.

I sewed up an enclosure that runs from the companionway door to the steering pedestal, and the width of the cockpit. Roooooomy. Room for your clothes, etc. I won't bother with details for the enclosure, as it's not rocket science.