How (not) to wash! A beginners guide to washing on a moving yacht.

Location: Walthamstow, London

Blogger: Jenny

It's not all glamour you know! By popular request, a “How do you wash at sea?” picture blog. Photos from the most calm day of the trip, with the engine on (so not very realistic really). Sorry to those of you who do this on your boats on a regular basis and know the drill. Sandy, this one’s for you…..! It is HARD work.

Hairwash

Take two-day old, unwashed, salty, windswept, matted hair. When it’s really rocky you just can’t be arsed to wash at all!

Take a sink with a foot pump. Dampen hair using said sink and foot pump using as little water as possible (if water is very limited then replace this step with a bucket of sea water).

Add shampoo. Lather.

Rinse using sink and foot pump. Try and stay upright on one foot as boat rocks. Add conditioner. Rinse using sink and foot pump. Try and stay upright on one foot as boat rocks.

Dry hair using towel. Bash at least one elbow on wall as boat rocks and you are upside down. Add to growing list of bruises.

Brush or comb. Finished!

Body Wash

Time at start: 15:05

Take one washing up bowl. Undo rope holding jerry can in place, pour an inch of water into washing up bowl. Put washing up bowl down. Do up rope holding jerry can in place. Retrieve washing up bowl from other end of boat where it’s slid to.

Take washing up bowl, razor and soap onto deck (if nice weather, if not, wedge yourself in the front of the boat).

Forget towel. Go back down below for towel.

Wedge yourself at back of boat. Try not to slide off.

Wash legs. Shave legs (optional).

Wash body. Try and retain modesty (unlikely).

Wash dirty clothes, dry yourself, put clothes on. Pour minging water over the side.

Take all washing items back down below (note sleeping dad).

Hang out wet clothes.

Finished!

Time at end: 15:30

n.b. during the following wash to this when it was rougher I managed to pour my entire, fresh, washing up bowl of water over my clean clothes and towel……