Showering on a Charter Boat

Charter boat guests use the showers not only for basic hygiene, but must also rinse off seawater after swimming to avoid nasty skin rashes (sailor’s sores). The water pump must be turned on, and water flows from either a dedicated shower hose or an adaptable sink faucet. Water conservation is important, due to limited water tank capacity. Turn on the water to get wet, and then turn the water off.  Cleanse with soap and shampoo, and then turn the water on long enough to rinse.

Shower water drains into the bilge in some boats, and the bilge pump removes it overboard.  Most charter boats have a separate pump that drains the shower water overboard.  This is turned on at the circuit breaker panel, and activated separately in the bathroom. The label for this is often in French and is called a “douche”.

After showering, I recommend spraying the shower floor with a disinfectant.

On many remote charters, you’ll need to be very cognizant about conserving water. This is one way of doing it. After a swim in the sea, soap up with biodegradable soap then swim again, then rinse off with fresh water. Depending on hair length as little as 1 liter of water can be used in this manner.