hainoon2

Toilet Well, this surely is one of the most important challenges: where to put the toilet in a Shark? We don’t like porta potties or chemical toilets, we think they smell ugly and when I think of cleaning them ... brrrr! I know, this topic is delicate, but a reasonable loo is the most important equipment on a cruising ship! Don’t you remember the miserable voice of your wife when you entered the harbour looking around for a place to moor: " I think I need a toilet ... " How, my dear! I didn’t even find a place yet! And if you managed to moor somewhere in a hurry, you have to bear the sight of your loved one hurrying down the stage searching for a toilet ... Believe me, if you don’t solve the toilet problem she will have joined you twice on the Shark: the first and the last time!! You are well on the way towards single handed cruising! We found our solution by accident. On a rainy harbour day in Enkhuizen, Holland we were strolling around through a household supply store (as far as I remember we needed a new corkscrew). Suddenly an outcry from my wife: "Lueder, ich hab’s" (my wife speaks German with me normally!) *Click pictures for enlargement*
	An ordinary metal garbage can with a removable plastic ring to secure a waste bag properly. Exactly, that’s it! And it also fixes the problem with the not existing waste water tank (which is mandatory in many harbours nowadays)! Since then he has his home on our Shark. He spends a very honourable life as a sea toilet! He lives in a seat located between the two wardrobes which additionally makes life easier when fishing for something in the wardrobes or on the bookshelves (because of 1,3 m headroom you always have to sit in the Shark). A knot in the waste bag and it will be absolutely tight (we checked it, it’s true!). And instead of the boat lady in a hurry you can watch the skipper now, with a happy whistle on his lips disposing the boat waste (together with ...)!
	In front of the seat (bow-wards) is another (smaller) locker hosting the battery, charging controller for the solar panel and the main fuses.
Pantry We straightened the sloping sides of the existing lockers and added handles on both sides. Handles are urgently needed if he (mostly she!) is on the way in the cabin for a beer or the cigarettes! Without these handles there where bruises periodically (no, I never beat my wife!!), once even a broken rib ... which all doesn’t guarantee not to finish life as a single! We don’t have an ice box and a drain in our pantry, both where victims of the compromises mentioned at the beginning.
	We never missed the drain. We do dish washing – seldom to be honest – in a bucket in the cockpit. Mostly we make use of the low freeboard: grip the spoon tight if you log more than 4 knots, otherwise it will be gone! An ice box would be nice, but the beer is amazingly cold if it is stored underneath the waterline – you will get used to it! The actual pantry consists of small drawers (lightweight, 5 mm plywood!) and of an alcohol stove which slides under the drawers and is secured by a (red) strap. The drawers keep everything our pantry life needs: below left the cutlery, above left the glasses and mugs, right the plates and in the middle spices and all the other kitchen stuff e.g. can opener, lighter, corkscrew etc. The stove is pulled forward when in use. We don’t have gimbals. We never cook underway and hot water for a cup of coffee can be prepared without gimbals as well.
The drawers are kept in locked position by a small cam at the bottom. You must lift the drawer a little to open, it’s very easy.
	Underneath the pantry there is a water tank, it has to be pulled out a little bit to get water. On the left there are boxes for all the daily food we need for breakfast. Keeping things in such a box is very convenient because we can supply everything for the cockpit breakfast with one grip.
Sleeping The two quarter berths were to small for us – and they were too far away from each other as well! We additionally use the aisle between the quarter berths as a bed. A board can be drawn from under the cockpit. It runs on two wooden bars fixed by screws to the cabin seat walls. The bars carry the seat for the navigator mentioned above. The rectangular cushion from the original V-berth fits exactly on the board!
	During day time the board hides under the cockpit but not completely: one part remains outside acting as a step. The board serves as cockpit table as well, if we take our breakfast outside in the cockpit. On both side of the hatch there are handles – very useful when the boat heels.