Why can a warship run short of hot water for showers?
Short answerThe participants disagree over the immediate constraint: freshwater production is raised, while Dr. Clarke identifies water-heating capacity in the example being discussed.
NotesA claim that shower allowances had grown from two minutes to roughly three prompts a disagreement about the limiting equipment. One suggestion is that desalination capacity governs the time available. Dr. Clarke instead identifies the separate hot-water plant for showers as the constraint in the ships he is discussing. Machinery and boiler feedwater systems operate at unsuitable temperatures for that purpose. The exchange ties an everyday welfare rule to supporting equipment, without establishing a universal shower allowance for every ship.