Electric Bilge Pumps on 170's.

[c master]

Over on "Rebuilds", Kraw2 is starting a 170 project...about the same year as mine.  He mentioned installing a bilge pump, which we've discussed at length.  But in thinking about it, I'm gonna open up a can of finger mullet and ask the question:  "How important is an electric bilge pump on my 170?"

1. I like the idea of an electric pump.  
2. I don't have one.
3. I'm not really sure why I need one.

Here's the thing:  For boats with inboards, raw water heads or other thru-hulls, electric bilge pumps are required and critical.  But for my 170, I have a single underwater opening to my bilge...my transom drain plug.  

I carry a nice hand pump that will easily reach through my floor pie plate.  I've never used it.  And aside from punching a hole in my hull, or cracking it, how likely is it that I will ever get a large amount of water in my bilge?   Rain and spray run out the back.  

Questions:  Has anyone on here ever 'holed' their hull?  How?  What model boat?  Did the electric bilge pump save you?  Is it really just for convenience?  If you pump water out on a regular basis, where does it come from?  

These are the things I think about when I'm driving to work on Thanksgiving week.  Set me straight so I can move on to, "Can I really justify the new Callaway RAZR Fit Driver when my game leveled off 15 years ago?"

[seabob4]

C,
First, no you don't need the Callaway, just some lessons from a good pro as far as stance, swing, grip, and the like.  Work on your short game, that's where you shave strokes off the handicap.  Putting a drive out there 320 does no good if you can't get out of a trap or put it close from 20 yards off the green...

Anyway, bilge pumps.  No bilge pump is going to keep up with a holed hull.  A 2000 or 3700 will buy you some time, that's about all.  Maybe a 1500.  Below that, and that hole will overwhelm that pump in no time.  Remember, pumps are rated at 0 run and 0 rise, basically right at the pump.  Add 6' of run and 2' of rise, and that 1500 quickly becomes an 800, maybe a 750.  The main reason I would recommend an electric pump AND float switch is for when the boat is left unattended, either in the water or on the trailer, and heavy amounts of rain can be too much for any deck drains to deal with, thus the water overflows any gutters and drains into the bilge.

Myself?  I recommend the biggest pump that will fit, on small boats.  Just bought a Rule 1500 from River Marine in Miami, $63.  Throw in another $30 for the Rule float, and you're looking at $100, pretty cheap insurance...

[c master]

Seabob -

I hear you...seems like bilge pumps really ought to be rated some other way, such as 10' of run, 2' of lift.  The type of hose matters too.  From the bottom of the bilge in my sailboat, to the discharge outlet below the toe-rail, is about 7' of lift and a lot more run.  

I was motoring back to Galveston one night after a sailing race.  It was dead calm.  There was a 40 Cheoy Lee following about 2 miles behind us.  Beautiful boat.  Anyway, we rounded the south jetty light, which is about 1/4 mile further out in the Gulf than the last visible rocks.  If you don't look at the chart, the light's pretty easy to miss.

About 20 minutes later we hear the Cheoy Lee captain calling Galveston Coast Guard.  He had cut between the light and the rocks...hit the granite, broke open the bow and cracked that sailboat from stem to stern.  The CG sent a helicopter and a cutter from their port, which was conveniently only about 5 miles away.  Good thing, because we listened to the swimmer/pilot conversation after the CG dropped a pump into the vessel.  Their estimate over the radio was 100 gallons PER MINUTE!  Apparently the CG has some sort of underwater foam product they apply to the outside of the hull to seal it up, and eventually the boat was stabilized and got towed in by the cutter.  I'm sure it was a total loss but at least it wasn't sunk.

100 gallons/minute x 60 = 6000 gph.  

C

[seabob4]

100 gallons/minute x 60 = 6000 gph.  

C

Bingo!

[Fletch170]

Hey,

I just bought a 500 GPH pump for my 17. I just bought it to keep rain water out of the bildge. If the hull cracks, shes going right to the bottom. The good news is....it's a bay boat, and if I'm 15 miles out....I'm the idiot.

[c master]

Fletch -

So how did you / will you run your wires, and your discharge line?   Any photos?

Cliff

[MarshMarlowe196]

From what I've heard and observed, what usually happens when boats like ours take on hull damage that causes a leak is more often a crack with a relatively slow leak than a gaping hole.  A head on impact would usually be necessary to create hole versus a crack, and the part of your hull that will impact most often is the keel.  I'm sure we've all seen the videos where boat MFG's drop a boat on the unforgiving concrete, and what type of damage do we see most often?  cracks.

So, if you hit something hard enough to crack your hull, you'll usually have a leak slow enough for your electric bilge pump to compensate for while you're running back in.  I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather flip the switch and haul a$$ to the hill than fool with a manual pump in a sinking situation.

[Fletch170]

Hey guys,


I am running the discharge over the port stringer and out a 90 degree through hull fitting. (you can visualize in the pictures how it will work. I am running the wires through the yet-to-be-installed rigging tube.

http://fletch170.blogspot.com/

[c master]

Fletch -

i wish I had my floor out...that would make things easy.  
As it is, I believe it's pretty much impossible to run the discharge line with the boat intact.  If you know of a way, I'd like to hear it.

[Fletch170]

C Master, I wish I had the answer for you, but I'm kinda making it up as I go. However, without tearing up the deck or cutting a huge access panel in the port aft section, I would agree that the rigging will be a bit of a nightmare.