Hot Salt Water Shower

[RDW]

I have thought that it would be neat to set up a system to have salt water heated by the engine cooling system and use it for showers for log passages or when ever you wanted a good hot shower but did not want to use much of your fresh water. You would rinse off at the end with fresh water.
Any ideas or experience?

[ggray]

Never done it myself, but Dashew recommended doing just that in one of his books. I can't remember, but maybe it doesn't get so hot that you need to have a tempering valve.
He said the salt water being hot made the salt less objectionable.

[Auspicious]

I can't speak to heating salt water from personal experience. It does sound like you would have to essentially duplicate your pressure water system including a water heater. Unless you are going to do a lot of passagemaking that seems like a lot of work.

On passage in warm waters I have run a hose from the salt water washdown forward back the aft deck. Conveniently, there is a fresh water connection there for a stern shower. That has worked out quite nicely.

In colder or more bumpy conditions crew and I use baby wipes to stay clean. They work remarkably well.

[tartansail]

In lower latitudes, this would seem to be a good use of a sun shower. Fill it using the deck washdown or a bucket and funnel. If it turned out to be a romping success, then building a pressurized system would be an option. However, I would think you'd need to consider your components carefully. Hot salt water creates wonderful opportunities for chemistry to do its destructive magic.

[thinwater]

Corrosion is a real concern in the cabin, so I would certainly keep it above decks. If it's cool enough I really need the water heated, I don't want to be showering on-deck. I would rather take a record-fast freshwater shower or just use a washcloth. Saltwater baths and showers are sticky and not worth the trouble unless it is warm outside and swimming is involved.

Just my thoughts.

[atoll]

you could try putting an old heat exchanger in the cooling water">engine cooling water loop and run salt thru one side of it,but would probably need some type of tank to store enough for a shower.

[ggray]

Well, I checked Dashew's book, and according to him, this worked only on jacketed exhaust systems.
You could have the second heat exchanger, as mentioned earlier,which would be complicated, or you could get a water heater with a second heating coil in it for heating the salt water, which would be expensive.

[Bergovoy]

salt water would not lather up like fresh water would, and without emulsion, the oils would still stick on your skin... mostly...

it might help, but kinda like chaging the oil and not the oil filter, or buyiing new shoes and re suing your old shoe laces...

also, I would think hot salt water would create more salt water 'creep' all over.. thats an aquarium term for the crystalization of salt particles near and around salt water...

anyways... your idea sounds good, but then again a warm blankie sounds good too...

[atoll]

the global challenge boats have hot salt water showers,but i think they are similar to the domestic electric shower type and use the gen set for power,about 3-5 kw
Marey Aquamatic Electric Shower Water Heater Tanklles For Sale

[roverhi]

The salt in sea water precipitates out at temperatures much above 140 degrees and will clog water passages. That's the reason you can't get hotwater from an engine heated water heater on a salt water cooled engine, btdt. If you install one of those gas fired on demand water heaters, you'll either be showering in tepid water or ruining the heater very very quickly.

As mentioned above, one of those shower bags is about the only way to get hot salt water for a shower.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by ggray

Never done it myself, but Dashew recommended doing just that in one of his books. I can't remember, but maybe it doesn't get so hot that you need to have a tempering valve.
He said the salt water being hot made the salt less objectionable.

Hmmm. Steve's new boat, Wind Horse, has a Village Marine 800 gallon-per-day watermaker.

I'm betting he's taking freshwater showers these days.