My wife and I didn't like the aft bathroom layout when we bought Britannia. It was very nice to have a private en-suite bathroom off the owners master cabin, but for some inexplicable reason the washbasin had been built in the bedroom, not the bathroom? The position also made it very difficult for the person on that side of the bed to get in and out. I have never seen an aft cabin and bathroom where the washbasin was installed in the cabin, not the bathroom. There were a few other things we didn't like as well, like the small wedge shaped bathtub and the old fashioned manual pump-out head.

I decided to undertake a complete remodeling.

As part of the bedroom remodeling I had already dismantled the washbasin and cupboard and removed the bulkhead to make it easier to climb in and out of bed on either side. I had also removed the bathroom door and its framework and relocated it at an angle, allowing room for a washbasin to be built in the bathroom like any normal bathroom.

The bathtub was neither one thing nor the other and no use whatsoever for a six-footer like me. I cut it out with great difficulty, with a plan to convert it into a shower area. After a week the complete bathroom was gutted down to the floorboards, at which point it became apparent that if I cut 4” inches out of the engine room I could fit a full size bathtub back in the same space. I bought a tub from a local spa manufacture but it was no ordinary bathtub. I had it fitted with ten adjustable jets and a pump, that along with a heater and pressure pump converted the bath into a real hot tub.

Once the bath had been manhandled down the companionway and into the bathroom it plonked down exactly where I had planned it and slid into the neat alcove I had pinched out of the engine room.

There wasn't enough water in my boat's 11-gallon hot water system to warm 55 gallons with hot water, so I installed a second tank and connected them together. The new tank gave me two immersion heaters and along the the engine hot water (calorifier), enough hot water to fill the bath.

I removed the old manual head, (toilet), and pipes and after a lot of thought about "electric or manual" I bought a Raritan Elegance electric head and installed it next to the bath. I piped it into the shore side freshwater supply by using non return valves that ensure it remains completely isolated from the boat's freshwater tanks. Freshwater flushing eliminates odor and keeps the bowl cleaner. When at sea the toilets can be switched to seawater flush to save water from the tanks. I even found a patriotic British toilet seat.

Installing the toilet was the usual struggle with 1½” inch discharge pipes, but this was mainly because I did not want any exposed pipework showing in the bathroom. I hate to see marine heads with exposed pipes and valves, when with a bit more effort they can usually be neatly enclosed.

Direct discharge is illegal anywhere in American waters, so most boats have holding tanks. We had learned from the initial survey that the large aluminum holding tank that was supposed to serve both heads was not even connected, because it leaked and was about as efficient as a colander! It had to go, so it was chopped out in five hours of very messy work. We used up ten die grinder cut-off blades and finally wore out the grinder itself when it started to smoke. The only consolation was, I did get $50 for the aluminum from a recycling plant.

It was impossible to install another tank except maybe a rubber one, but I hate holding tanks anyway that nearly always smell. I therefore fitted the Raritan Purisan waste treatment system that injects chlorine into a maceration tank and neutralizes the waste. This is US coastguard approved and quite easy to install below the level of the head. I now use the space where the holding tank was for storage of spare mooring ropes and lines.

With the toilet in position and working, the next job was to install a new washbasin and faucets. I bought a basin called a vessel bowl from the local hardware store. This sits on the counter top, not recessed into it and permits a larger bowl to be fitted than one that is recessed. They are made of thick tempered glass and available in many different colors. I bought a beautiful blue and black bowl, along with taps with polished brass handles and spout. I then rebuilt the pedestal on a split level configuration using two shaped pieces of blue/black marble.

It took longer to trim the bathroom than to fit the equipment. I used a fascia of blue vinyl tiles and also installed a new headliner. The headliner was plastic (PVC) tongue and grooved panels called Plank Paneling used as wainscot panels on house walls. I also wired in two 120-volt sconce lights and two extra 12-volt ceiling lights. I even found an oval painted glass picture of a square rigger that I inserted into the alcove, with a light behind it. The whole room was then clad with clean white plastic sheet and caulked to make it waterproof. All this took the best part of two months to finish, but the result is a beautiful bathroom reminiscent of some elegant Victorian yacht. This alteration can be seen on the before and after drawings

It is absolutely marvelous to be able to soak in the bath after a hard day's work on the boat, especially with a pint of Boddington's pub ale that fits in the folding holder on the wall. I haven't yet used the bath anywhere other than in our marina, where the boat hardly moves, and trying to have a bath at anchor could be interesting, when a passing motorboat causes their usual massive wake.