how the marine personal in a ship, take a shower, is true take a shower with sea water and salt soap?

Question

i mean the fresh water is limited i suppose, but what about in a submarine??, how they get clean?, can somebody explain me this, i mean how this work?, i've always had this doubt thanks for your commentaries

Answer 1

That is absolutely not true... least not anymore. Probably not since WWII. Larger ships, ie: cruise ships, cargo, freighters, tankers, etc. have all had fresh water-makers in my boating lifetime. While it is true that there is special soap for salt water, almost no one uses it anymore (sailors on small sailboats without a water-maker - being the exception).



Believe it or not, it was in 1791 that (of all people) our future President Thomas Jefferson, described the results of a simple desalination process (taking the salt out of salt water). The information was to be printed on the back of all the papers on board ships so that there would be a source of fresh water in an emergency.



The first large capacity fresh water conversion units were made so that steam ships could have fresh boiler water. It was this process that made the steam ships capable of ocean travel, and made it so economical. Since steam engines (and thus steam ships) could not run on salt water, their cargo bays (or space) would otherwise have been full of fresh water to run the ship.



By World War II - hundreds of smaller mobile desalination units were in use and all military vessels had them.



In the US, there was a program established by the Secretary of the Interior called OSW (Office of Saline Water). They set up the Maritime Saline Water Act of 1952. which out of fear of thirst at sea, and fear of having unclean, unhealthy crew - established a Maritime law requiring fresh water makers with enough capacity to furnish all passengers and crew amply fresh bathing and drinking water on board all ships traveling to and from all US Ports.



So... to answer your question, No, not on large ships, least not since 1952. And yes, submarines had fresh water showers and water to drink in WW II.



Happy & Safe Boating,

John

Answer 2

Yes, the special soap that works in saltwater is true.



(Well, it's available, although I'm not sure it actually 'works' mind you!)



Many smaller vessels intended for long sea-passages have salt and fresh systems. And it would of course be possible to provide saltwater to the shower. But at the washbasin will be two pumps, or taps: one supplying saltwater and the other fresh.



Using the special soap that works in saltwater will get you clean, (though some say it is not very good!) but it will also get you very salty! So you will then need a quick rinse down with fresh. To get the salt off!



Don't forget also that on most such vessels (for long sea-passages) of any reasonable size - say, fifty feet in length and longer - watermakers are very often installed. These work by a process called 'reverse osmosis' using filters and produce copious quantities of freshwater.



On larger vessels - say, eighty feet and longer - they might be used to fill on-board swimming pools. Which, as on land, are freshwater.



These watermakers make fresh water from saltwater in quantities measured not in gallons, but in tons - per day!



So on a ship there is never any shortage of fresh clean water for a shower!



By the way: the special soap is not 'salt soap' - it is not made from salt (!) - it's just supposed to work in saltwater.



-|--)

Answer 3

Here is how its done on a sailboat . We may be at sea for weeks at a time.

Fresh water is hard to come by. Wash with salt water, usually using one of the

dish washing soaps. Some work great and lather up real good.

You then rinse with salt water. Then use a small spray bottle with about 12 oz of fresh water

and spray yourself . This removes the salt.

To wash clothes, during a storm, you close the scupper drains on the back deck. wash your clothes

in the collected water and then wait for them to dry.

On Big ships, they have water makers. They take in salt water and thru reverse osmosis

the create fresh water.

Water makers are getting cheaper and many cruising yachts now have water makers on board so you don't have to worry about fresh water.

Answer 4

Modern ships make their own fresh water. Some smaller vessels load freash water in port. Normal soap is use for bathing. Not much difference from home.