Two Heads are Better Than One.

Conversations surrounding the ideal accommodation layout on a boat often centre around spaces that you do or don't have. We are a two by two with a keel. That is, two cabins and 2 bathrooms with heads. Heads being the nautical term for a loo. Seeing as ropes are called sheets and other ropes are called warps, there is no end to the crazy terms on board. But I digress. We have two loos that are each in their own bathroom.

We often contemplate if it would have been better to have a single larger bathroom so that the shower could be separated or screened from the rest of the workings. The spaces I'm talking about are about the size of a loo on an airplane. Yup, just that small and compacto!

We had made a couple of observations over the previous month that seemed to have no explanation or connection. Our normally dry bilge had a trace of water in it when the boat was surveyed in Hobart. The taste test confirmed it was fresh rather than salt water. At least we weren't sinking. We parked that thought - Note to self: pay attention and investigate some time later. More recently, I'd noticed that the roll of toilet paper in the bathroom (that we normally use for showering) was damp. In fact, an under-sink basket of bits and pieces had become sodden too.  The Bloke was unaware of this as this is not a compartment he visits. I'd assumed that the door hadn't been closed properly allowing The Bloke's shower water to get it. Naughty, naughty! It happened again with a new roll of paper. Mmmmm. Time to say something, this is no ordinary roll. It's a triple roll and now all damp too.

Claiming innocence to guilt The Bloke said that the shower sump pump had been making a weird sound and the presence of soapy water in the bilge sump supported the observation that something was indeed amiss. Contorting himself into the cupboard below the sink in a room the size of an airplane loo commenced earnest investigations to reveal that, yet again, a repair would need to occur in an impossible space.  A replacement part was ordered and the various tool boxes opened up for implements. The mechanical tool box, the electrical tool box and the f@%k box was also on standby.  A replacement collar needs to be fitted inside a cupboard and around a corner.

What all the fuss was about.

  The problem with big heads is.....they don't fit into cupboards.

The supplier cheerily informed us that "Oh yes, we sell quite a lot of these". On the strength of that we've ordered a 2nd.  The identical part, in the other bathroom/heads can break whenever it likes. We are ready!

Although a bigger bathroom might have been nice, having 2 heads is better than one. At least we can shower in the other bathroom/heads while we get this one sorted out!