Date: 12 December 2016. Hanging In the Head.

© janice142

Seaweed's *head has had some hardware additions over the years. I've made it more convenient and added little touches that might work aboard your boat too. These are a few of the tweaks I've made. All are inexpensive. They make my life easier and better.

*Head: the bathroom on a boat.

Head also is the term used for your M.S.D. aka Marine Sanitation Device. (That's the toilet.)
 

The head is in my cabin tucked in the corner on the port side. In the above schematic, it's labeled W.C. for water closet.

For the curious, I take a shower in the area directly in front of the steering wheel. It is a bit cramped. The best part is it is private and easy to use.
 

If something is not easy I tend to not do it.
Having conveniences is critical to my happiness.

When I come aboard after swimming I rinse off with fresh water in the cockpit. Out there I have a simple spigot. It is one such as you would find on a house to water the garden. That spigot allows me to wash off the salt water before traipsing through Seaweed.

Salt makes little white crystals when it dries. It's icky and feels sticky too. A two minute rinse in the cockpit keeps the salt outside. A short piece of hose is all that is required.

Real showers are taken down below in the privacy of my cabin. I have a shower curtain that prevents water from getting on the bunk. My shower area is small.
 

My sink is tucked in the corner. Frankly it is not in the best spot.  To use it I sit on the head because there is no way to stand at the sink.

At the left corner of the sink counter is a plastic Huggies brand box with baby wipes inside. Huggies boxes are slightly larger than the discount brands. It may be important to have the larger size box if your refills require those dimensions.

I use baby wipes often. They are refreshing. DO NOT put them down any marine head ever!
 

The Baby Wipes article discusses how to save money on wipes and how to select the best ones.

Also you might note a roll of bags hanging just above the sink. Let me tell you about that.

When I first bought Seaweed she had two small inadequate cleats mid-ship. One of the first things I did was install two larger cleats just forward of my pilothouse doors. The bolts come all the way through the deck, a backing plate and into my cabin. By using extra long bolts I had room to add a second nut.

That second nut allows me to use the bolts as a support. In this case a line secured with the second nut holds another bar. That is where I hang a roll of plastic garbage bags.

It's not fancy. I could store the bags elsewhere however this is convenient. The bags are secure when underway. Aboard a boat that leaves the dock often means that each item is considered in the light of "what do I have to do to keep this in place when underway?"
 

Seaweed has a lot of stuff. Stowing my gear out of
sight is preferred. Otherwise I shoot for neat and tidy.
 

If friends want to take a ride, it's easy when things are properly put away.

Edwin captain'ed Seaweed on a jaunt up the river. That was a fun afternoon.
 

Having a boat that can be taken out in fifteen minutes or less keeps me happy. It also means that when someone says "it's a nice day out there" I can be underway in just a few moments.
 

One thing I discovered is how much fun it is to have someone to talk to. Years ago I had Bob. See the Time Stopped article for details. Bob was my phone friend and de-facto cruising partner. Sharing the journey makes the trip all the better.
 

Well, it's obvious I've wandered down a Bunny Trail. Kidlet tells me when I don't say on topic that I'm off on a bunny trail. Oops! Let's get back into the head.
 

This is my shower bag:

In front of my sink I screwed two cup holder hooks into the teak trim. I hang my shower bag from the hooks. Everything inside dries quickly. The little items don't slide around and fall because they are contained.

For my shower gear I use a small mesh bag. These can be found at dollar stores. The marketed use is for protecting delicates in a washing machine. On a boat they are useful for organizing stuff.

Side Note: I have a purse that had the top zipper fail. I have one of the mesh bags inside the handbag now. It corrals my gear. Everything is easy to get to. The small items cannot fall out because they are secured in the zippered mesh bag.

The damp shower bag is hung on the hooks. When my items have dried I put them into the locker under my sink. On a boat keeping mildew at bay can be a chore. Drying thoroughly makes that a non-issue most of the time.

Recently I added a third cup hook holder to the left of the two that secure the shower bag. Now I can hang my panties at night.

During shower time I also wash my panties and silk nightie. They hang over night and are dry by morning. Keeping laundry at a minimum is easy if I do some each evening. By rotating my nighties I always have a fresh clean one to put on.
 

This is in the head of Lily Maria. ↓ The half-moon towel hanger is unique and beautiful.

Visit the Lily Maria in the Life onboard Lily Maria (Thompson 44 M/V) article.

Friends Colin and Jean on M/V Lily Maria showed me their lovely boat. One thing that really struck me was the nifty half-moon towel rack in their head. I can easily imagine hanging my nighties and clothes to dry on that gizmo. I'm not sure what it's called but sure do like it a lot.

"My name is Janice. I'm a gizmo-holic..."
 

One of the best parts about visiting aboard other boats is getting to know the owners. Many have well thought out tweaks which make their home better. Boats brimming with personalization are a particular favorite. Those unique touches often spark my imagination. Later I might adapt their good idea into my Seaweed. Perhaps you're the same?
 

Well I've meandered all over the place in today's article. The fog is lifting and I can either fix the article or take Seaweed for a ride. McDonald's has parfaits and iced coffee. Guess what? One of those parfaits has my name on it.

I'll see you on the water.

Do you have anything nifty in your boat that makes it special?
And, what is the coolest gizmo you've seen on another boat?

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© 2016

Categories: Boat Talk, Boats, Characters, Unmentionables,

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