After the unfortunate sinking of the springer

[Wakes]

.... I was about to buy, I have put an offer in for another boat. However I am a little unsure about the bathroom which is absolutely miniscule. Does anyone know anything about wetrooms on boats? This boat has what appears to be one, however the floor is only lino on top of a ply wood base. No sign of any plug hole or drain away which is strange, surely it will flood? The owner is away so cannot get an answer as yet. The shower is just a hose attachment from the basin and appears to be a makeshift set up. Is this normal?

 

 

http://www.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=304923

 

Other than that, any other thoughts?

 

Cheers, Wakes

[Captain Fizz]

That doesn't sound quite right, there must be a drain somewhere. Showers usually drain into a small sealed sump/tank from where the water is pumped out through a skin fitting.

[jelunga]

Without a shower tray you might be asking for trouble.

[Wakes]

If there is a drain it is hidden under the lino, however the fact the floor directly below is wooden ply it doesn't seem quite right. I'm guessing it is only suitable for a quick rinse standing in a bowl with plenty of towels to soak up the water? Is this a common practice on boats that have tiny bathrooms?

[Titus]

On our Springer we had the shower tray under a board that the porta potti stood on,

could it be there ? we had to move the loo when we needed a shower

Edited September 13, 2013 by Titus

[FadeToScarlet]

Without a shower tray you might be asking for trouble.

Our old boat had Lino over a ply base with no problems at all. If its been carefully designed, it ought to work well.

 

Edit to add- it had a drain that was under a cupboard, so not immediately visible. This may be the same.

Edited September 13, 2013 by FadeToScarlet

[jelunga]

Our old boat had Lino over a ply base with no problems at all. If its been carefully designed, it ought to work well.

 

Edit to add- it had a drain that was under a cupboard, so not immediately visible. This may be the same.

I think you are right if well maintained and all perfect. But if it "springs a leak" not visible easily it could rot for months. At least with a shower tray you have more chance of observing a leak.

But I am not adamant in this.

[RLWP]

As it's a Harborough, it's possible that the water drains straight into the cabin bilge, then back into the engine bilge

 

That's how they did it back then

 

Richard

[Wakes]

Well the porta potti is stored under the basin so it has to be pulled out to use. I looked at the entire floor space and there was no visible drain. The engine bilge did contain water, don't know if it was just rain water however.

Just found an identical one here, this one has a tiled floor but wheres the plug hole?

 

 

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/image.phtml?id=325902&ximage=175335

Edited September 13, 2013 by Wakes

[Naughty Cal]

.... I was about to buy, I have put an offer in for another boat. However I am a little unsure about the bathroom which is absolutely miniscule. Does anyone know anything about wetrooms on boats? This boat has what appears to be one, however the floor is only lino on top of a ply wood base. No sign of any plug hole or drain away which is strange, surely it will flood? The owner is away so cannot get an answer as yet. The shower is just a hose attachment from the basin and appears to be a makeshift set up. Is this normal?

 

 

http://www.apolloduck.com/feature.phtml?id=304923

 

Other than that, any other thoughts?

 

Cheers, Wakes

Our "bathroom" is also tiny and has the sink tap doubling up when pulled out as the shower. It does work surprisingly well.

[Wakes]

But where does the water drain to?

[matty40s]

As richard says, into the bilge and down to the rear of the boat where the bilge pump hopefully copes/works.

This was common on early harboro's and fernies.

[Naughty Cal]

But where does the water drain to?

Our room is plastic lined with a plug hole which leads to a sump box with a float switch and pump which sends the water overboard.

 

Not the same I'm afraid!

[Wakes]

Please excuse my ignorance, surely in order to reach the bilge there has to be a hole in which the water drains down? The 2 boats I have linked to have no visible drain holes. Are you saying the water just falls onto the floor and then leaks into the bilge any which way it chooses?

[Neil2]

As it's a Harborough, it's possible that the water drains straight into the cabin bilge, then back into the engine bilge

 

That's how they did it back then

 

Richard

The first boat we ever hired had this arrangement, but this boat seems too young for that, a 1986 boat should have a sealed cabin bilge should it not? Our first boat, a Springer just had a submersible pump in the shower tray - could that be how it's done and the pump is missing?

 

BTW this boat is ridiculously overpriced unless I'm missing something.

[eightpot]

That flue pipe! During the summer, expect concussion. In winter, concussion and burns.

[Graham Davis]

Please excuse my ignorance, surely in order to reach the bilge there has to be a hole in which the water drains down? The 2 boats I have linked to have no visible drain holes. Are you saying the water just falls onto the floor and then leaks into the bilge any which way it chooses?

Neither boat photos are really good enough for anyone here to give you an absolute answer to your question. The only answer is for you to either inspect the boat or ask the sellers a direct question, and hope you get a sensible answer.

[RLWP]

Neither boat photos are really good enough for anyone here to give you an absolute answer to your question. The only answer is for you to either inspect the boat or ask the sellers a direct question, and hope you get a sensible answer.

 

Armed with the knowledge that Harboroughs are relatively old boats, so check the build date is true, and that they often had only one bilge for the cabin and engine bay

 

What is the cabin top made of?

 

Richard

 

MORE: which engine does it actually have, and SR2 or an SR3? The advert lists both

Edited September 13, 2013 by RLWP

[PaddingtonBear]

I am extremely sorry but should you not take someone with you when viewing boats that knows something about them - will save you a lot of grief, especially at the end of the market you are dealing in. Most of the boats you will be looking at have been bodged and messed about with by half wits and in general you will probably have to rip out most of the stuff and start again especially with any thing that involves water..........or electrickery ...................or gas............or diesel..........+10 :. Starry is your spirit guide here (or MtB)

Or the Ducks, everything has happened to them over the last few years and now they are boat fitters supreme, nothing beats brains and experience.

[FadeToScarlet]

Someone mentioned the possibility of there not being a shower drain, but instead having a submersible bilge pump to drain it.

 

I can see this working very well, and would minimise leaks and let you clear long hair, etc, out easily.

[Neil2]

Someone mentioned the possibility of there not being a shower drain, but instead having a submersible bilge pump to drain it.

 

I can see this working very well, and would minimise leaks and let you clear long hair, etc, out easily.

It was me , and yes it did work very well, simplicity itself. The only reason I can think it isn't used more often is that like a bilge pump it doesn't remove every last drop of water, but a cleverly designed shower tray would resolve this.

 

I once saw a DIY shower/hip bath on a yacht where often the space/shape inside doesn't permit fitting a standard shower tray. This involved building a compartment shaped to the hull side out of plywood, then sealed with epoxy and painted white. The bottom sloped down to a sort of sump where sat the pump. It also had a pull out wash basin that also drained into this sump. I thought it was such a clever inventive way of having facilities where space really is at a premium. Yotties are very good at this.

[Wakes]

Well, I just received a phone call this morning informing me that my £15,500 bid subject to survey has been accepted. 3k under the asking price without any haggling!

 

Apparently the owner is in the States and with the boat apparently being on sale for quite a while has accepted thats probably all its worth, so a pleasant surprise and I just pray to God that this one won't sink lol!

[Cassi Crow]

Hope it all goes through smoothly for you.

[Wakes]

Thanks! Has happened really quick, they have offered me a slot this Weds to get it craned out and a survey done on the hull. Fingers crossed!

[carlt]

Someone mentioned the possibility of there not being a shower drain, but instead having a submersible bilge pump to drain it.

 

I can see this working very well, and would minimise leaks and let you clear long hair, etc, out easily.

I had a shower tray with no drain, many years ago, which was pumped out using a whale hand pump with the pipe in the lowest corner (deliberately tilted) to get the last drop out.

 

That actual shower was a pump-up hozelock killaspray tank with a shower head grafted to the pipe which worked extremely well.