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16-07-2020, 04:34
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Scotland- but heading south next year
Boat: Moody 39
Posts: 119
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Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
One of the things on our upgrade list is to ditch our elderly gas-fired water heater and install a calorifier, to be fed by some combination of the engine, shore power, and perhaps excess PV as a dump load. Basically, the standard setup that most boats have.
Our intended usage for the boat is to set off on an Atlantic circuit next year, and perhaps into the Pacific if time etc allows.
We've never had a calorifier on our previous boats, so we are well accustomed to simply boiling a kettle every time we want to wash up, or for filling a solar shower. But we've never lived aboard full time either.
I'm wondering just how much use we will get out of a calorifier? Whilst we do a fair amount of motoring at the moment, we expect that to drop once we are going bluewater- we will have the luxury of much more time to wait for suitable winds, we will be making longer passages, and we will be on a tighter budget. We also don't expect to access shore power very often at all, again mostly due to budget.
For those of you cruising bluewater in the usual places (Carib etc) do you actually get any use out of a calorifier? It's starting to seem like a job that I could take off the list.
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16-07-2020, 04:43
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#2
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Senior Cruiser

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,570
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
never needed to heat water for a shower on 2 circumnavigations untill we got to the lattitude of the azores,sea water temp was 32C in the red sea!
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16-07-2020, 05:39
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#3
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Freelance Delivery Skipper..


Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: PORTUGAL
Posts: 25,708
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
If your used to stove top hot water stick to it.. as Atoll says, once the butter gets soft cold showers get very desirable.
Wash down with sea water, rinse off with cold fresh.
__________________
Born To Be Wild.. Double Click on the picture.
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16-07-2020, 05:44
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Rochester, NY
Boat: Chris Craft Catalina 381
Posts: 1,676
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
Personally, I hate cold showers no matter how hot it is outside. So I'd vote for having a water heater to make a brief, slightly warm shower an option. I can't say we use a ton of hot water on the boat other than showers, but I think I'd miss having it available.
If you're used to not relying on it, you can probably use a fairly small heater and be fine with it.
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16-07-2020, 05:47
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Scotland- but heading south next year
Boat: Moody 39
Posts: 119
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
That's very encouraging, thanks. Looks like I may be able to shorten the massive jobs list by one item!!
I wonder if I should still remove the gas heater. It would free up a bit of space in the galley but it could be useful... occasionally... and it does seem to work perfectly well, despite my safety concerns.
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16-07-2020, 05:54
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#6
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Freelance Delivery Skipper..


Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: PORTUGAL
Posts: 25,708
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
Spend the calorifier money on upgrading your refrigeration/cold box system.. if its basic.
Keep the water heater.
__________________
Born To Be Wild.. Double Click on the picture.
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16-07-2020, 05:55
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#7
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Moderator

Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Jacksonville/ out cruising
Boat: Island Packet 38
Posts: 31,464
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
We find that once acclimated to the air temp, we like a hot shower.
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16-07-2020, 09:30
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 42
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
If it was me I would keep it simple, but I enjoy having my wife still with me.............
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16-07-2020, 09:35
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 296
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
We fitted a small calorifier in the engine room of our 36 ft yacht ( at that time). If we were not under way we ran the engine for short time and, as well as having hot water for a shower, we charged the batteries. There was more than enough hot water for both of us to have a shower. Great idea and my wife loved it.
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16-07-2020, 09:36
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Maryland
Boat: Outbound 46
Posts: 294
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
We find that, after spending a few days at anchor, we start looking forward to our next passage so we can have hot water again. We really detest cold showers, and are very happy not to wait for water to boil before we wash dishes. Wd did learn that, late in the absorption phase of charging our batteries, our little generator has enough excess amps to manage the electric heating element in our water heater.
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16-07-2020, 09:45
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Fort William, Highland, Scotland
Boat: Bavaria Cruiser 40
Posts: 900
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
You could purchase a couple of those black "solar shower" gizmos and lay them out on deck during the day to heat up. Think they are 20 litres or so which is enough for a shower and maybe washing the pots.
But there is nothing like a nice hot shower to get you clean so personally I'd go for the calorifier (admission - we already have one on our boat in the Med).
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16-07-2020, 10:05
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#12
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Moderator Emeritus

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Lived aboard & cruised for 45 years,- now on a chair in my walk-in closet.
Boat: Morgan OI 413 1973 - Aythya
Posts: 8,210
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
Over many times of warm weather cruising, spending months in the Bahamas, we saved our fresh water by bathing in the sea or from buckets of seas water and with a final rinse of fresh water. Our only time spent heating water was with preparing meals. Some soaps, like "Joy", lather well in salt water. We had a means to use a water heater when running our diesel generator, but we never used it in warm weather.
__________________
Take care and joy, Aythya crew
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16-07-2020, 10:12
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#13
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Senior Cruiser

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,570
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
probably better spending your money on 4 or 5 cafrano fans for the saloon and bunks so you can have a cool breeze inside when it gets really hot
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16-07-2020, 10:12
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Baltimore Harbor MD
Boat: Catalina 270, 27 ft
Posts: 67
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
I am assuming a "calorifier" is an electric/engine fed water heater. I have a 6 gallon unit. My little 2 cylinder diesel provides enough hot water for at least 2 showers and lots of dish washing. Water stays hot at least 12 hours after engine shutdown. I have only used it on electric to test the function.
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16-07-2020, 10:26
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Back in Ontario
Boat: Hans Christian 33
Posts: 22
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Re: Cruising in hot places- do you need a calorifier?
We have lived for a long time with hot water only after we run the engine for a bit, coming into port or some-such. Hot water, for us, is a treat when available, even when the weather is warm, and we do treat it as something special. If you are accustomed to limited hot you will be fine and can likely divert the ££ and energy to other projects that might be more rewarding in the long run.
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