Has anyone converted their head into a real shower (i.e. with a proper drain, pump and through-hull outlet)? If so, how did you do it? Were there any problems or tips you could pass on? And do you have any pics?
I have a SunShower and that works fine out in the cockpit - and frankly were it up to me I wouldn't care who the heck sees my lovely bottom waving in the wind - but I've got a somewhat modest wifey who likes to be clean, so I'm trying to make our 'new' 1997 Mac 26 liveable for her... no small order, as you might imagine!
until you get yours built in..take 4 beach towels and clip them around the bimini. We have a sunshower and I love it. We traveled with some friends who use a pressure garden sprayer. It holds 3 or 4 gallons ..doesnt fall overboard (they said they'd had a couple sunshowers do that). If ours goes over...I think thats what we'll do next. The water got warm in the container...had good pressure...and also gives you a few extra gallons aboard. And my husband would probably enjoy rinsing me off.
Hmm.. yes, well... we don't have a bimini either yet... that's also on the list, but awaiting a bigger budget allocation! Once she's out on the boat (and hopefully enjoys it) then I'll get her to go for spending more $$ on such things. At least that's the plan, anyway.
But thanks for the suggestions... the pressure bottle is a good idea!
Check out the RV and Camping sites, like Coleman, etc. I have seen shower enclosures that have a curtain hanging from a round or square tube that is suspended from something, like the side of an RV or the boom of your boat. I think some may even come with the shower that your garden hose supplies (for an RV).
While Billy would do it with bungees, I would cheap out and do it with PVC pipe (and maybe some bungees) and a regular shower curtain. If you haven't got a bimini, let your wife troll for helicopters.
I put a couple of showers in X's It was part of the Presure Water Upgrade.
It's really not too hard. I suppose you could even mount a Y valve and suck from a sunshower if you wanted to get hot water from the sun. The only thing I tell DIY people is look before you drill. I doubt Fixing a ballast tank under the pan in the head is any fun. Any good automatic pressure pump will work supplying water.
The Key to a good shower system is the pump to rid the water out of the shower pan. Use a Gulper 220 or use a Gulper 220. A Y valve here can turn it into a good bilge pump too. Because its a diaphram pump you can pump it right out the sink drain. And as a bilge pump it is self priming.. which means you can attach a hose and suck the water out of all those crevices the balast tank creates.
I would still put ball valves on all sink drains anyways and shut them while sailing on a mac since X's heel better than my dog. Whether you do the mod or not.
I cant see doing this on an M. The cost of the pan and conditioning to the walls and door would cost too much. It's also a bit small to take a shower. Just stick the hose on the transom and wash in a skimpy bathing suit.
I would agree that having a shower on-board would be nice, however we stay at developed marinas around Puget Sound that offer full service facilities such as showers, laundries and restrooms.
Thanks, BobCardz, that's very helpful info! Plumbing it to the already existing bilge pump is a good suggestion.. I'd have to override the float switch, but it would mean one less thru-hull.
For those of you who don't necessarily demand a hot shower, Coleman makes a great battery powered shower. A lot of the guys out here have used Sunshowers, but they are not all that durable. The Coleman unit uses a small battery pack (4 d-cells), a small submersible pump, and a hose w/shower head. Puts out great pressure, and it will connect to their 5 gallon flexible water bladders. (I know I must sound like a Coleman sales rep, but I bought one of these things out here off the net and it's the best investment I've ever made.) The best part is they are only 25 bucks, and don't take up much space at all.
My General rule is never run a centripital bilge pump through the sink drains. The back flow will fill the boat on a long reach. A check valve will slow the flow down but what if something gets caught in the swing... water in the bilge.
Diaphram pumps have double checks in them. But I still will put ball valves near the exit for use when sailing in weather.
If you want to put a bilge pump... run it out the back fairly high and put a vented loop in the line. You can put a check valve if your worried about knock downs on the exit side or monster following seas.
liveable for her... no small order, as you might imagine! 
