Bilge Pump(s)

[christopher]

Today I drove up to my boat on the hard with the intention of fixing the bilge pumps, getting the coamings off for refinishing and bringing the cushions home for sizing out new ones. I got the cushions out and then the fun began. I started by trying to get the coamings off. I popped out all the little wooden caps and unscrewed all the bolts. The suckers wouldn't budge. It appears as though a previous owner decided to use 5200 to adhere the wooden coamings to the fiberglass riser attachments.

I decided I'd move on to the next part of the day's project which was troubleshooting the bilge pumps. The previous owner told me that neither the manual whale pump nor the newly installed electric bilge pump had the strength to get water out of the bilge. The ultimate problem with the B29 is that the water tank completely blocks access to the bilge area and doesn't look like it will come out without removing the entire cabin sole. I couldn't see what was down there so I finagled my arms in with my camera clutched between my fingertips. I aimed down and took a series of pics and here's what I saw:



I took a long piece of pvc and stuck it down in there and it's somewhat liquid, but mostly goopy. I imagine the density only increases as it gets down to the bottom. I'm guessing that the bilge pump hoses are just clogged. I could see the hoses were moving with the air pressure change from the whale pump but the had to have been blocked up. I think I'm going to have the marina evacuate the bilge contents, somehow, and possibly figure out a way to blow out the hoses. I don't even know how I'd get down there to check anything out myself. At some point that water tank will have to come out.

Also found the fuel cap screws were all stripped but one leading me to question how much of the gas tank is being held up by those screws.

Every time I go up to the boat I find 10 things that need to be fixed and don't get anything done that I set out to.

Splash down is May 28th!

[Quetzalsailor]

Grab your favorite wet-or-dry shop vac and clean it out. It'll do just fine, if it's larger than the baby sized ones. Tape the wands together (so you don't loose 'em), even buy extra bits at the Despot to get the length. Rinse a couple times with soapy water and vacuum that out, too. You'll feel much better.

Then you can get to work on the pumps, hoses, strum boxes and whatever else is causing issues.

There are several posts, including my 'Gone to the Dogs', on this weekend opportunity. Many of us have been there!

[Case]

Umm... how about installing a garboard drain? That will solve water in the bilge issues that occurs during winter. It also avoids damage caused by freezing water in the bilge. To install this, drill a hole in the keel...

Then let all of that water drain out. Install the garboard drain piece after you are done.

- Case

[Rachel]

Case,
That's a good idea, and one that does not take too long to accomplish (oh wait, we are never supposed to say that!).

Christopher,
I bet you are going to be sooo glad to have your boat within striking distance. It is frustrating to be far away, and feel like you can never get any one thing finished.

[christopher]

Didn't even know what a garboard drain was until reading the post that Quetzal suggested. The boat may have one. The yard would likely take offense to me draining it on the ground... I wonder how much goop, volume-wise, the bilge can hold. Perhaps I could bring a good sized bucket and pop it off... presuming of course it has one.

Regardless of the method I use to get the contents evacuated, the ultimate problem is getting access to the pump. The water tank completely blocks access to the bilge. I can just barely fit my arms in the gap between the cabin sole and the tank. I'm sure there must be some way but I'm just not aware.

Are those fuel tank cap keys common? It's got two little holes where a machined key would go to unscrew the cap. I see the value in securing the tank, but I looked all over the boat and couldn't find the implement to open the tank.

[Case]

If its just water, just drain on the ground. The yard won't care. If not, then use a bucket.

As for the gas cap, the keys are very common. Powerboats use them all of the time. Just measure the distance between the holes and see what's available in that size. Hopefully, its an extremely common size that uses a solid stainless steel key (powerboaters often have them with ignition keys - at least I did). Otherwise, you will have to buy an adjustable key which costs a bit more.

The bilge access... Is the water tank removable? If so, remove it. If not, well... I guess you will have to engineer a new bilge pump system that is attached to a handle. There are some info on that, I think. Poor bilge access is an unfortunately common issue.

- Case

[Commander-147]

One possible way of cutting through the 5200 on the combing boards is a wire with a wooden block on both ends to hang on to. If you can get the wire started behind the combing and use a sawing motion you MIGHT be able to cut through the 5200. My previous owner had used a LOT of silicone to glue the combing boards to the fiberglass and I was able to cut them loose using this method. But 5200 is a LOT tougher than silicone so I offer this as a method to try but make no promises.

[christopher]

The yard maintenance guy gave me a reasonable estimate on clearing the contents of the bilge and back washing the pump hoses, so I'm going to just have it done. It's frustrating being so far from the boat, but once I get it home it'll be only a 15 minute drive to get to her. May 28th she goes in the water and hopefully stays on top of the water :). I really want to have two working pumps one high capacity electric and one manual which the boat is equipped with... so hopefully the marina can get em working by blowing out the hoses.

Good times ahead!

[Tom Young]

I'm plumbing two bilge pumps right now. I replace and old piston pump with a Whale Titan on an 1 1/2" hose for emergencys, and replumbing an existing Rule 2000 and float switch.

I've always been annoyed by the Rule as it comes on at night if the boat rocks, can get stuck on one tack i you hit a wave (tight area so the switch is oriented athwarthship). It's important though because I take some rain below through the cockpit scuppers in my old boat.

As I have everthing out of the bilge, the hose run to it, I'm thinking I may raise the Rule and switch a few, several(?) inches above the bottom of the bilge. The base was nearly clogged with gradoo from sitting in that hard to clean last half inch.

If I raise it, I could go above the strum box for the emergency bilge enough to the switch oriented fore and aft(should eliminate the stuck by heeling problem). This would also keep the Rule base in cleaner bilge water.

My reason also is I would like to use the emergency to regularly clear the bilge. It's handy now, right in the bridgedeck, and using it would ensure it's always operational. Plus it tells you how much water you're taking out when you pump.

I have a bronze check valve in the Rules line which pumps the bilge down quite far. But the strum box goes at least as low (lower maybe) and if the Titan check valve is any good, it should stay as dry. If the check is not, 8' of hose will dump back in.

What do others do?

[Chris Campbell]

I did exactly what you're describing on Weatherbird, with a similar deep (deeper, I suppose, since she wasn't a centerboarder) bilge. The manual pump was accessed in the cockpit, and would take the water level down about an inch and a half below the rule pump (I also used one of the rules that has a built in switch and never had trouble with it shutting off: the Rule-mate 500). I would always hand pump the bilge upon arrival, counting the number of strokes it took. Somehow that seemed reassuring.

[Quetzalsailor]

Well, I spent about 6 hours yesterday rewiring the two electric bilge pumps and the two radios and I don't even have the main one in again. Sheesh!

I replaced the PO's 14' of trailer wire and rejiggered the four-position terminal bar, in the process removing about 15 more feet of wire that had been festooning all sorts of things in the engine compartment (why would anybody drape about 10' of VHF power wire around (360 deg!) the Racor filter???). I swear that it's neater, even if no one else would see the difference (plenty of festoons and rats' nests remaining). I made up all the pieces for easy, fast removal of the main bilge pump to clear its strainer. Installation next weekend, with pictures.

[Tom Young]

I did exactly what you're describing on Weatherbird, with a similar deep (deeper, I suppose, since she wasn't a centerboarder) bilge. The manual pump was accessed in the cockpit, and would take the water level down about an inch and a half below the rule pump (I also used one of the rules that has a built in switch and never had trouble with it shutting off: the Rule-mate 500). I would always hand pump the bilge upon arrival, counting the number of strokes it took. Somehow that seemed reassuring.

That's just what I did yesterday Chris. Turns out I placed the Rule and switch on a bracket, 3 gallons above the strum box on the hand pump. I found that out as I replaced my garboard plug and poured in a 5 gallon bucket of water.

I think it will work a lot better. It should do away with the annoying sound (once or twice a night) of the switch jostled open with a little roll. It should also keep the Rule base cleaner not sitting in the bottom of the bilge. Plus the new hand pump with the strum box sitting on the bottom of the bilge, clears more water out.

Doug, I can't believe boat time either. This sort of stuff takes so much time, and I haven't touched a piece of wire.