Mark Evans, who is working in London and living on board a relatively small boat (i.e. under 38 feet) to save up money for voyaging, wrote to ask if we had any suggestions as to how he and his partner could appear at work fresh and well dressed, without formal marina facilities.

We wrote back describing the solution used by friends who are currently moored in the river at Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia. These people both have executive type jobs. Their shower facilities on the boat work well when they are in cruising mode, where there is no tight schedule to meet. But for their working life, with two people needing to get up, organized and off at almost the same time, tension started to fill each morning.  Solution? They found and joined a gym enroute to their jobs. They arranged to rent a relatively large locker there. The clothes they need for a few days of work, plus specialized toiletries are left at the gym. A morning stroll in exercise garb, a short wake up exercise program, shower, a change of clothes and they meet for a coffee before going their separate ways. Far less costly than staying in a regular marina, and they really like the center of the city mooring atmosphere they’d lose by making any other choice.