Bilge Pump

[John Hart]

In a recent post related to a bilge pump, Andreas mentioned "They are a very important safety item to have on any boat, no matter the age, material, or style. "

Last summer, after launching my 1960 Seacoaster I noticed some water around my drain plug... I stuck the end of the towel down there and it wicked up maybe several cupfuls.... It was interesting that nothing came in when the boat was on plane, or later even standing still... As I hung over the transom, it was clear that the union between the garboards and the transom was above the water.

After that vacation, I pulled up the floorboards again, and as usual the entire bottom was dry as dust.... After all of the time spent sealing, caulking, barrier coating and painting, I have not wanted ANY water seeping in....

Looking very closely at those mating surfaces from the outside of the transom, I could see a hairline crack through the varnish, and between the two wood pieces... maybe a double hairline width for about 3 inches on the starboard (non plug) side... I concluded that the water was seeping in, right after launch, maybe even as it is shoved off the trailer and sits still. Then it ran over 6 inches along the varnished bottom to the lowest point right around the drain plug.

So I injected CPES with a syringe in and along the crack from the outside, and a few days later, brushed it on the inside at the transom/floor union again.... then I caulked the inside joint with 3M 4800 (very sticky, but removable)... This seemed like overkill, since it looked completely sealed from previous finishing.

I also pushed whatever 4800 I could in the hairline crack from the outside, which wasn't much... by the way, this cleans off really well with denatured alcohol, without deglossing the varnish. Then I revarnished that bottom 1/2" four or five coats

Thinking that I had things sealed up, I went to Nestegg in August.... unfortunately, I still got a little water in... maybe 2 shotglasses worth. over the first few minutes.

Now, that is the setup.... here is the point... All this time, I have been thinking that I will make my boat so waterproof, I won't need a bilge pump.... that a bilge pump just compensates for a not-so-tightly sealed craft.... BUT, I was thinking more as a perfectionist, than from a perspective of safety....

Even though this boat may look really nice, I can't avoid the fact that 99% of the wood is 45 yrs old.... how do I know that one day while bouncing along the waves, I might hit hard, and crack a member and begin taking on real water.....

So, now I am thinking that I should at least get a hand operated bilge pump to use in an emergency situation..... You would think this would have been an obvious conclusion a long time ago, but I needed to get my mind off that one track perspective....

John Hart

[thegammas]

John, given your subject and the experience you seem to have with sealing your boat up, thought I would bounce htis off od you. I'm working through my engine and hope to float my sea coaster in a few weeks. When I floated it for the first time a few weeks back it took on a fair amount of water in just a half hour. Inspecting the outer stem/keel it is apparent that the leaking is coming from the outer stem just fore of where it transitions over to the outer keel.

I want to complete sorting out the motor and test it at higher RPM than is recommended with a hose hook up in my drive. But I dont want to wait until I have pulled and refurbished, resealed the outer stem/keel.

My question: What's a good product to use to cualk the keel that will be reasonably easy to remove when I redo it later this winter?

[txcaptdan]

John, I would not even consider taking one of these boats out without a bilge pump. I don,t care how dry bilge is. I have seen too many incidents of hull failures and puncures to not be backed up. An old seacamper I owned opened a scarf area about the size of a finger on day and the pump allowed me to return to dock and retrieve on trailer.

A friend of mine who has beautiful Thompsons snaged an underwater log and punched a 2" hole in the bottom of his offshore and again pump worked well enough to make shore.

They are of no use in massive failures though, My 62 Seacamper peeled open a bottom panel at a scarf at speed of about 2'x3' and sank quickly. But when We towed hull to shallows the pump was still running even though hull was awash.

I would suggest a pump with an automatic float that will protect your boat when you are not there.

Invest in the 50 bucks a pump and hoses you will be glad you did.

[a j r]

Peter, Boat Life Life Caulk is a good quality marine caulk. It should be fairly easy to remove.

Dan, I absolutely agree with having an automatic bilge pump and float switch for ALL boats. What about the boat sitting at the dock or at anchor that fills up with rain water. Having the float switch and auto bilge will take care of this.

Andreas

[John Hart]

Thanks for all of the comments fellas, I am convinced.... In my case, I launch and pull out on nice days, so am pretty unlikely to ever get much rain water... but I may change habits over the next few years, or get caught in the rain during a boat rally picnic!...

The previous owner left a bellows type Atwood lever operated pump mounted on the floorboards... It was pretty clunky looking with 1 1/2" PVC... It took up a spot where I like to have a second fuel tank, so I may choose a portable hand operated pump. I always have at least one other person in the boat.... That way, I can store it when it is not needed, and I could use it even if my battery is dead... On the other hand, even the smallest electric has the same 350gph output, and would avoid having a 170 lb guy standing at a stern full of water.... especially if that person is needed to help paddle to shore...

One question... do most of the small electrics mount directly on the bottom, or do some of the small ones have a suction tube/hose? Although I might include an automatic switch for unattended safety, I will want to be able to activate it manually, even with very small amounts of water present. The plan would be to mount it next to a stringer, with a 1 or 2" take up hose touching the area by the bailer plug, and have a flexible output hose that I could toss over the side when use is planned.

By the way, I made a mistake when I said I used 4800 caulk.... it was 4200... it is considered less adhesive than 5200, and therefore more removable..It stayed gooey and really sticky on the popsickle sticks on my bench for weeks.. For the keel, I believe I used 3M 101 Polysulfide... this was an external application, as I didn't remove the keel when I redid the bottom.. (I probably would have, if I was doing it now)..

Thanks again for the tips... and Dan, I remember reading about that time that panel ripped off your boat. That really must have been heartbreaking.

[thegammas]

John, thanks for the comment on the caulk.

I've been looking at pumps for my Sea Lancer. The ones I found in my local marine shops were all basically the same. The one in my boat is perhaps three - four inches tall. It sits on the bottom and picks up water through slots in the pump housing, much like your basic basement sump pump. It sits next to the drain plug and It JUST fits under the floor. The guy who put it in plumbed a hose through the hull planking that exits about eight inches below the gunwales just forward of the transome (I assume he mounted it that low to avoid the finished plank below the gunwales).

Since mine is manual only, but i will be replacing it with a fully automatic pump with a manual override - best of both worlds - which I saw in the marine shop. Not sure though it will fit without somesort of fiddling about. I'm thinking of moving the the second pump up front and have it pump water to the stern pump via a house under the floors, where the second pump would move it overboard. We'll see.

I couldnt sleep at night if my boat was moored with out an automatic pump, no matter how water tight she is.

And there you have my rookie two cents.