NB "Discovery"

I've had to make the best of some tiny spaces on boats over the years but the bathroom on "Discovery" is as tight as they come.

 This large cupboard isn't really used much for storage, but it gobbles up space in this tiny bathroom making it uncomfortable to use the toilet.

Elbows get banged whilst getting dry after a shower.

The whale pump is boxed inside the shower cubicle reducing space and preventing maintenance

The owner has developed a pathalogical hatred of shower curtains from using this space! (apparently it attacks your legs when the water is on!)

The stained walls make the bathroom very dark and dingy, and the plastic wall fixtures are a bit dated albeit functional.

This bathroom seriously detracts from the owners enjoyment of his much loved boat, and I've been given the task of sorting it out.

The customers' requirements seem uncomplicated... 

1. It must look modern

2. The shower must be bigger

3. It must be brighter

4. It must be done on time

5. It must not break the bank

Oh dear... Those of you who have attempted stuff like this before will know what I'm on about! I haven't even removed the old fixtures yet to work out how long the piece of string is!!!

"Youve got a lot of leeway to do what you want in there, but basically; i want to walk into that room and say..... WOW! "

 The customers parting shot is either very brave or...... OH SHUT UP AND GET ON WITH IT!!

 Having removed the trees the wood dosen't look too bad.. no nasty surprises thank goodness.

The problem with a blank canvas and freedom to experiment is making sure the job turns out right!

The plan is to fit a new stone resin shower tray which is larger that the old fibreglass one, increase the leg room around the toilet by about 4 inches (assuming a suitable sink can be found), paint the ceiling and fit new LED lights, and cover the whole bathroom in light plastic cladding of the customers choice.

The new larger shower means the switch for the whale pump needs to be relocated 5 inches to the left...... that'll be easy then!

 Skipping straight to the finished article is best as this job was a real challenge, you can see immediately that the room is brighter and has the impression of being more spacious.

The sparkly cladding is quite something to behold.. from wearing a head torch on the toilet it is now more advisable to don the welders mask!

The new showering space is much larger and more comfortable complete with a new thermostatic mixer. The whale pump is tucked inside the angled cupboard on the left which removes the elbow whacking risk whilst allowing access to the pump.

The shower awaits a custom made bifolding glass door from Wesley Marine Windows which at the time of writing is yet to be delivered. (Come on boys!) At 790mm wide it will provide easy access, and the owner wont have the shower curtain sticking to their legs anymore!

New LED's in the ceiling throw a veritable riot of photons in all conceivable directions! Its quite grown on me this stuff... but I'm not about to re-do "Bardens" bathroom just yet.

If you're not keen on having to wear sunglasses in the shower, there are many styles of plastic cladding available... some are a bit more subdued. Check out the NB "Quercus" post on this blog.

That's the wow factor the customer was looking for alright!

NB "Jemima" (again!)

Having refurbished "Jemima's" rear cabin earlier in the year she's back.... seem to be getting quite a bit of repeat custom at the moment!

Its bathrooms again! my second this year where the old and rather thin original shower tray has succumbed to the passage of time and cracked in several places.

You can only cope with remedial measures like putty and sticky bandages for so long in the shower!

The straw that broke the camels back.... the entire flange for the drain has cracked and fallen out.!

.

Careful stripping out reveals the usual hornets nest of problems one encounters by having the audacity to attempt a repair on a narrowboat....

-Services have been laid under the old tray.  Replumbing the boat is not in the customers budget so the new tray will have to be raised by the minimum amount possible to maintain headroom in the shower on a sturdy plywood base

- The old shower tray is an unusual size (no surprises there) so I had to increase the width of the cubicle by 20mm and the depth by 100mm. 

The larger cubicle now accommodates a new stone resin shower tray. These trays are available in a wide range of sizes... usually one is near enough to the now obsolete fiberglass caravan style trays. They are also cheaper and much more solid.

White wall tiles brighten up the new cubicle, and are given a contemporary flourish with a strip of pastel coloured mosaics and a new shower rail. The existing shower mixer is in good condition, and refitting it helps to keep the cost of the job down.

Chocs away.... the new sanitation station is ready to go. Time to say "Tra" to the boat tan... 
(glossary of liveaboard boating terms available on request!!)
Cheers, Kris.

NB "Quercus"

Everything has its day, and the sun has set on the shower room on narrowboat "Quercus"!!

Tight a space as this is to wash, the only access to the shower area is over the step of this steel hip bath. The plastic wall covering has seen better days!

A bit of stripping out didnt reveal too many problems, I've reinforced the floor under where the old bath was to support a new shower tray.

 Cladding the small cubicle on top of a 1200mm x 700mm stone resin shower tray makes the new facilities seem cavernous, and removes the slip hazard of the old hip bath installation.

So much for the great unwashed eh! There's no excuse now!!





.... bet you're wondering whats under the gunnel aren't you?....

Checkmate x