If you heard Allison talk about #boatlife at all in the last few months, you were probably aware that we didn’t have hot water. I was so ecstatic to have running water at all (a short 13 months ago we didn’t…) that I dragged my feet a little on the installation of a water heater.

For good reason, though. See, the boat had a rusted out piece of crap water heater when I bought it. So last spring, when I totally gutted the freshwater system, I took it out and trashed it. But in the process of installing a new water manifold with shutoff valves, the hole that the water heater used to be in shrunk.

I couldn’t find a water heater that was small enough to fit. No matter how I measured it, I couldn’t make it work. So I went on with my life taking cold showers until a long haired hottie moved on board and made the hot water to happiness ratio more clear.

I renewed my search efforts and even located a compromised heater location in the engine room. Just before placing my order, however, I spotted a new entry in the 2015 West Marine catalog that was practically lit with a spotlight from above. Enter the new Isotherm Spa heaters.

It can use either 120v power or the hot coolant from the engine, and the dimensions are perfect. It took a few days to epoxy new mounts, glue them, epoxy them again, paint ’em, bolt on the bracket, then actually plumb the thing, but as of 11:15 last night, we had hot water flowing from the faucets.

Now Allison can wash her hair with pressurized hot water for as long as she’d like.

Or until the 4 gallon tank runs out, anyway.