Anyone thought about expanding the head to add a shower?

[Greg & Angie Wheeler]

I am in the process of restoring hull #40 which is in such a state that I am starting from scratch on much of the interior. I was thinking of possibly stealing some room from the pilot house so as to give the head a little more space. What I am contemplating is pushing out the aft wall of the head and stealing about 18" into the pilothouse and in that space I would install a recessed sink into a small cabinet with a mirror above. Then I could possibly get a faucet that has a long shower hose attached, build a shower pan/sump in the floor and I would have room enough for a makeshift shower. Sadly I couldn't think of a way to add a separate shower stall, but even if you didn't bother with any shower area, having a larger head would be beneficial. Stealing 18" from the forward port side of the pilothouse wouldn't be missed by me, we are not configuring the pilothouse to have a berth on the port side, I just have a desk and electronics planned for that area. Anyway this is not on my short list but something I am mulling over for a future project. 

[Greg & Angie Wheeler]

Clyde, 

Thanks for the info, what I was thinking was just going from the pilothouse sole up from there, just to give me room for a sink, and small counter. Just doing that would open things up in the head and it would leave the bulk of that bulkhead and shouldn't affect the structural strength noticeably. As far as creating a shower I would just create a waterpoof floor pan with sump and just have a shower curtain on a ceiling mounted track. I have a watermaker I will be installing so I might as well have a shower, I doubt it will get much use, but if I ever sell the boat it would be a great selling feature, wives love the idea of a shower on board.

God bless, Greg

[Clyde A. Phillips]

Greg,

 This is another of those pesky little things that crop up when you consider something different from the original design.  It makes visible the statement that design is compromise.  Expand here, shorten there.  Maintaining the philosophy of the American bathroom (all in one: tub/shower, sink, toilet) may hinder design ideas.  In Russia the bathroom is divided into two separate rooms: a bath room and a toilet/sink room.  These can be next to each other or separated.  Think of a second space for something.

Thoughts on your idea of expanding aft: I first thought of the 18” expansion to be from floor level up, but there’s a tank there in the way for that.  But an 18” (or greater) expansion over the dog house sole is an easy change.  I’ll not get into the discussion on this messing up the structural strength of that then missing bulkhead; it may be insignificant.  What you’ll gain is the floor space of the sink and cabinet.  This may be your easiest way to expand the head.

 We did away with the port berth on one Newporter and put in a desk, file cabinet and book shelves for the owner.  That area (where the port bunk was) could be shortened to allow expanding the head forward any amount for a really large head.  Another idea is to put the galley in the dog house and use that space for the head or half head.  I was aboard a 36’ sloop that had a split head just aft of the forepeak between two bulkheads, each with a door to allow a passage way to the forepeak; close both doors for a private head.  That idea may work with the former galley and original head, but with doors in the passage way (hall) to port and starboard.  On this setup I think I’d put the shower to the starboard and leave the toilet and sink to the port.  Plumbing to a shower is easier than changing all the plumbing required for the toilet.

 There you go, some ideas without a measurement to see if any of it will work.  But you have given yourself time to really figure it out.

 Peace,   Clyde

[Greg & Angie Wheeler]

Yes Bob, I was planning on going from above the pilot house floor, just to allow space for a counter, sink, and a mirror above.

[bob mitchell]

mine actually did have a shower (hull 113) in with the head - but I am expanding the head forward into the main cabin. The way I am getting away with that is doing away with the forward locker bottom, so that my berth on the port side will extend into that lower locker space. My only comment is that I assume you are only talking about taking space from above the pilot house floor, because the fuel tank is underneath.