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  • #10326
    Derrick Ardron
    Participant

    Forgive me, but being a relatively new owner with a boat that leaks (if only slowly) can I ask what other owners believe was Fairey’s intentions with regard to bilge pumps and take that further by asking what other owners have done in recent times in their boats?

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    • #10327
      murray reid
      Participant

      Get a good sponge! Its not so easy with the boat being divided up into so many separate compartments! I have made the situation worse by adding several floors that divide the “bilges” even further. I am going to have an electric pump in the engine compartment, with a long hose that I can use to suck out each individual compartment. Also have a whale gusher…but I am hoping after all the work I have done on the bottom A87 wont leak!!  

      A87

    • #10328
      Dominic Dobson
      Participant

      I believe faireys didnt believe in bilge pumps as one of their slogans was “our boats dont leak”. Ive installed an electric bilge pump in the engine bay and also a manual whale gusher also in the engine bay. I also have a gusher type pump and long hose stowed so that it can be used as a roving pump if needed, however I use a sponge mainly just to mop up those annoying leaks Ive also cut down a plastic pint milk bottle to use as a scoop.

       

      regards

       

      Dom

    • #10329
      colin twyford
      Participant

      I think that Faireys’ probably thought a bucket would be adequate, even though they installed toilets.  It seems to me that you have it all covered right down to the milk container, what would we do without them?……………….Colin

    • #10330
      Trevor Thompson
      Participant

      The various responses to the initial question have covered the issue very well. I also use a sponge for those small pockets of water which accumulate in odd corners, as well as an electric pump in the engine compartment, and a whale pump in a cockpit seat which can pump out the engine compartment or the main cabin.

       

      However no one has actually mentioned emergency situations, although the bilge pumping arrangements will all cater for emergency use.

       

      So my point is that you dont have to only think about getting water out under normal circumstances but also in an emergency.  What happens if we hit a waterlogged tree trunk at sea? The electric bilge pump is going to help but that whale gusher is going to be the main method of removing water. It needs to be able to collect water from the main cabin as well as the engine compartment, perhaps using a change over valve to swap suction pipes. The bucket could also be very useful but I dont know how long you could keep up using a bucket for.

       

      We really need to think about damage control as well. Some pieces of plywood, assorted lengths of wood and some nails could enable a temporary patch to be fitted at sea – so that the water inflow could be reduced to a level which can be handled by the bilge pumps.

       

      Not that I have ever had to use these things for real you understand, but we need to be ready for the unexpected, and be able to respond to it.

       

      Trevor

    • #10331
      Pete Crane
      Participant

      Eriena has always leaked in rough weather. Hopefully the leaks have now been traced to around the cockpit forward bulkhead over the keel boxes. We put small holes through the bottom of internal divisions, with small bungs nearby, so the water can make its way to the lowest point and leave an automatic pump on when on the mooring, but after the first week It doesn’t have to do anything. While sailing we use a dinghy pump with a long outlet pipe that can reach into the cockpit. We also carry a gusher pump with a long inlet that could reach any part of the boat in an emergency, plus a couple of buckets.

       

      Did have an offer from a crew to pump out the rear of the keel boxes: I said it wasn’t necessary, but it would have been great to watch for hours and hours.

       

      Pete

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