Wait. You replaced that glassed in thru hull thingy with a proper thru hull fitting and valve?
Details of THIS you must share.
Bilge Pump Location
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Russ
- Admiral
- Posts: 8310
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:01 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Bozeman, Montana "Luna Azul" 2008 M 70hp Suzi
Re: Bilge Pump Location
Details of THIS you must share.
--Russ
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Jimmyt
- Admiral
- Posts: 3402
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 9:52 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Mobile AL 2013 26M, 60 Etec
Re: Bilge Pump Location
Sorry to have misled you. I was speaking of future conditions. Should have said "when I get the plastic thru-hull replaced with a....". This is on the list, but not yet executed. I will certainly post the details when I do it.
And, to your earlier post. I don't expect the bilge pump to save me if I knock a bowling ball sized hole in the hull. I just want some time to figure out what's leaking and see if I can get it stopped or greatly reduced; so I can limp back in under my own power. I wouldn't have one if it was just me on the boat, but I have friends and family that I take out. A few of them are nervous around boats and might have a hard time coping with a swamping and subsequent wait to be rescued...
Jimmyt
P-Cub-Boo
2013 26M, Etec 60, roller Genoa, roller main
Cruising Waters: Mobile Bay, Western Shore, Fowl River
P-Cub-Boo
2013 26M, Etec 60, roller Genoa, roller main
Cruising Waters: Mobile Bay, Western Shore, Fowl River
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Russ
- Admiral
- Posts: 8310
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:01 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Bozeman, Montana "Luna Azul" 2008 M 70hp Suzi
Re: Bilge Pump Location
That factory molded thru hull without a way to shut it off is the weakest link on our boats and the most likely place to have a problem with massive seawater coming in. It scares me.
It's small enough that if a hose broke or some catastrophic event, a decent bilge pump would certainly get you home and save you from clinging to a swamped boat or a bucket brigade. It's also easy enough to plug from the outside. I'm still amazed Roger got away without a shut-off valve on the 26M.
For anything larger than 1" hole and/or deeper below the waterline, I have little faith any 12v bilge pump would keep up. But I suppose after you jammed a rag or something in the hole to slow it down, the pump would do the job of keeping up.
For example, when I pulled my thru hull knott meter fitting (2" diameter) I was getting 10-15 gallons of water in 3 seconds. On the low end, that's 12,000gph. An 800gph bilge pump isn't gonna handle that much water. So for hull breaches, the best bet would be to plug the leak as best as possible and let the bilge pump handle what seeps past the temp plug. But find the leak fast and slow it down.
However, I believe statistically speaking, hull breaches are extremely rare. Most sinkings occur from something with a thru-hull fitting; engine exhaust, cracked hoses, prop shaft, drain lines etc. Things our boats don't have. Our boats have ONE thru hull and if the ballast is out it's above the water line. With ballast IN, that bugger goes underwater and becomes a real liability.
On my Hunter, I kept rubber plugs by each thru hull in the event of a failure I could jam it in and slow the leak down. I ALWAYS shut off seacocks when leaving the boat. We can't do that with our Macs.
I once hit a floating log, bent the rudder and the rudder shaft was leaking water alarmingly fast (and I was in the Ocean). The bilge pump was able to keep up until I got to the marina and a travel lift. So, yea, in some situations, it's great to have and can save the day.
A bilge pump is an inexpensive safety item, especially with that jenky factory Mac thru hull that can't be shut off.
Just don't run your boat up on rocks and put a massive hole in her.
(Emergency Plugs)
https://www.westmarine.com/forespar-sta ... 01640.html
It's small enough that if a hose broke or some catastrophic event, a decent bilge pump would certainly get you home and save you from clinging to a swamped boat or a bucket brigade. It's also easy enough to plug from the outside. I'm still amazed Roger got away without a shut-off valve on the 26M.
For anything larger than 1" hole and/or deeper below the waterline, I have little faith any 12v bilge pump would keep up. But I suppose after you jammed a rag or something in the hole to slow it down, the pump would do the job of keeping up.
For example, when I pulled my thru hull knott meter fitting (2" diameter) I was getting 10-15 gallons of water in 3 seconds. On the low end, that's 12,000gph. An 800gph bilge pump isn't gonna handle that much water. So for hull breaches, the best bet would be to plug the leak as best as possible and let the bilge pump handle what seeps past the temp plug. But find the leak fast and slow it down.
However, I believe statistically speaking, hull breaches are extremely rare. Most sinkings occur from something with a thru-hull fitting; engine exhaust, cracked hoses, prop shaft, drain lines etc. Things our boats don't have. Our boats have ONE thru hull and if the ballast is out it's above the water line. With ballast IN, that bugger goes underwater and becomes a real liability.
On my Hunter, I kept rubber plugs by each thru hull in the event of a failure I could jam it in and slow the leak down. I ALWAYS shut off seacocks when leaving the boat. We can't do that with our Macs.
I once hit a floating log, bent the rudder and the rudder shaft was leaking water alarmingly fast (and I was in the Ocean). The bilge pump was able to keep up until I got to the marina and a travel lift. So, yea, in some situations, it's great to have and can save the day.
A bilge pump is an inexpensive safety item, especially with that jenky factory Mac thru hull that can't be shut off.
Just don't run your boat up on rocks and put a massive hole in her.
(Emergency Plugs)
https://www.westmarine.com/forespar-sta ... 01640.html
--Russ
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OverEasy
- Admiral
- Posts: 2893
- Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2020 11:16 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: NH & SC
Re: Bilge Pump Location
For our Mac26X Over Easy we decided to pre-emptively install three bilge pumps with future plans to install two more.
We located the first three pumps amidship with one in each of the bilges outboard of the water ballast transfer tubes and one in the center bilge alongside the swing keel trunk under the aft dinette bench. The future two pumps will be located in each of the aft corners along the stern wall.
Each of the pumps have both an automatic and manual mode function.
The pump discharges each have their own dedicated through hulls located above the chines with their own close mounted isolation valves that are readily accessible. Two on the starboard side and one on the port side. (The two future aft corner pumps will also have dedicated through hull discharges which will be as high up on the stern as we can manage but with their isolation valves located in the aft berth for accessibility unless we can figure out how to make them operable from the cockpit ( hence why we haven’t installed them as yet.
On our custom electrical control box we have installed five separate alarmed bilge control switches that allow for auto/manual/off function selection. Additionally we have installed a high water switch in the central bilge under the aft dinette seat and it’s own alarm on the electrical control box to alert us should the bilge pumps malfunction or are unable to keep up with the potential water ingress.
Over Easy has been and is a dry boat.
Our bilge pumps have been installed pre-emptively to aid and assist us by giving us time should we ever incur a problem.
Time is the one commodity needed in dealing with a water ingress crisis.
Time to identify where the leak is coming from, what caused it, determination as to whether it can be plugged/covered and allow for continued operational navigation to an appropriate place of relative safety if that is possible.
We chose to pre-emptively install our initial three bilge pumps amidship as they can be located at the lowest points of the hull in relatively confined spaces where any water ingress would most likely collect. The two future bilge pumps to be located in the aft corners will address any potential water ingress when under motor power as those areas become the lowest water collection areas under that condition.
We view our bilge pump system as a pre-emptive planned action to assist us in the mitigation of a condition we will hopefully never incur.
Any one of the bilge pumps is going to be much more effective than any normal individual at removing water from the bilges and getting it out of the vessel and will be capable of doing so for a protracted period of time regardless of operational or environmental conditions.
We chose to utilize individual circuit breakers for each pump. That way we can immediately reset them if tripped without fumbling around removing blown fuses, looking for replacement fuses and installing them.
Our dual battery system should be capable of operating up to five bilge pumps for at least an hour.
With the assistance of the electrical output from outboard engine alternator the five bilge pumps could operate as long as there is fuel.
With our shore powered automatic 10 Amp battery charger the bilge pumps can operate nearly indefinitely when connected in a marina slip should the need arise.
We view with equal importance being prepared to isolate, mitigate and potentially effect repairs should a water ingress event be incurred.
This includes having plugs, fabric cloth and towels readily available as well as underwater marine epoxy putty. ( Recognizing that many areas with our vessel are difficult to access from the interior a set of swim goggles is also part of those materials should repairs need to be addressed externally. )
Again, these are pre-emptive preparations for a potential event we hope to never incur.
But if the unthinkable were to happen then our bilge pump system can buy us the most valuable commodity…time.
Given that our vessel is made from fiberglass the most likely consequence of a significant underwater collision
resulting in a hull breach would most likely result in a fracture leakage rather than an outright punched hole to the water.
For us preparation is the key to a successful outcome.
We are firm believers that Murphy is always about to visit when we least expect him and it is best to plan accordingly
We documented our bilge pump system modification in our post
viewtopic.php?t=28224&hilit=Bilge+pump
Hope this helps!
Best Regards
Over Easy
We located the first three pumps amidship with one in each of the bilges outboard of the water ballast transfer tubes and one in the center bilge alongside the swing keel trunk under the aft dinette bench. The future two pumps will be located in each of the aft corners along the stern wall.
Each of the pumps have both an automatic and manual mode function.
The pump discharges each have their own dedicated through hulls located above the chines with their own close mounted isolation valves that are readily accessible. Two on the starboard side and one on the port side. (The two future aft corner pumps will also have dedicated through hull discharges which will be as high up on the stern as we can manage but with their isolation valves located in the aft berth for accessibility unless we can figure out how to make them operable from the cockpit ( hence why we haven’t installed them as yet.
On our custom electrical control box we have installed five separate alarmed bilge control switches that allow for auto/manual/off function selection. Additionally we have installed a high water switch in the central bilge under the aft dinette seat and it’s own alarm on the electrical control box to alert us should the bilge pumps malfunction or are unable to keep up with the potential water ingress.
Over Easy has been and is a dry boat.
Our bilge pumps have been installed pre-emptively to aid and assist us by giving us time should we ever incur a problem.
Time is the one commodity needed in dealing with a water ingress crisis.
Time to identify where the leak is coming from, what caused it, determination as to whether it can be plugged/covered and allow for continued operational navigation to an appropriate place of relative safety if that is possible.
We chose to pre-emptively install our initial three bilge pumps amidship as they can be located at the lowest points of the hull in relatively confined spaces where any water ingress would most likely collect. The two future bilge pumps to be located in the aft corners will address any potential water ingress when under motor power as those areas become the lowest water collection areas under that condition.
We view our bilge pump system as a pre-emptive planned action to assist us in the mitigation of a condition we will hopefully never incur.
Any one of the bilge pumps is going to be much more effective than any normal individual at removing water from the bilges and getting it out of the vessel and will be capable of doing so for a protracted period of time regardless of operational or environmental conditions.
We chose to utilize individual circuit breakers for each pump. That way we can immediately reset them if tripped without fumbling around removing blown fuses, looking for replacement fuses and installing them.
Our dual battery system should be capable of operating up to five bilge pumps for at least an hour.
With the assistance of the electrical output from outboard engine alternator the five bilge pumps could operate as long as there is fuel.
With our shore powered automatic 10 Amp battery charger the bilge pumps can operate nearly indefinitely when connected in a marina slip should the need arise.
We view with equal importance being prepared to isolate, mitigate and potentially effect repairs should a water ingress event be incurred.
This includes having plugs, fabric cloth and towels readily available as well as underwater marine epoxy putty. ( Recognizing that many areas with our vessel are difficult to access from the interior a set of swim goggles is also part of those materials should repairs need to be addressed externally. )
Again, these are pre-emptive preparations for a potential event we hope to never incur.
But if the unthinkable were to happen then our bilge pump system can buy us the most valuable commodity…time.
Given that our vessel is made from fiberglass the most likely consequence of a significant underwater collision
resulting in a hull breach would most likely result in a fracture leakage rather than an outright punched hole to the water. For us preparation is the key to a successful outcome.
We are firm believers that Murphy is always about to visit when we least expect him and it is best to plan accordingly
We documented our bilge pump system modification in our post
viewtopic.php?t=28224&hilit=Bilge+pump
Hope this helps!
Best Regards
Over Easy
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Russ
- Admiral
- Posts: 8310
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:01 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Bozeman, Montana "Luna Azul" 2008 M 70hp Suzi
Re: Bilge Pump Location
Overeasy,
By being so prepared, you are ensuring you will never need to use those pumps.
Murphy always strikes the unprepared.
By being so prepared, you are ensuring you will never need to use those pumps.
Murphy always strikes the unprepared.
--Russ
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adudinsk
- First Officer
- Posts: 495
- Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2019 12:53 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Belle River Ontario
Re: Bilge Pump Location
Did the same with the thru hull... put in a Marelon one.. flattened the fiber work inside the boat.. used 3m 5000 inside and out.. now I can "shut er down" if needed
Also was watching YouTube (maybe the poster is a member? He had a LIST of mods.. and I believe something like 8 bilge pumps...
Here is his video showing all his upgrades/mods... (has lots!)
The channel is Dr MarCo
A good watch.
AD
Also was watching YouTube (maybe the poster is a member? He had a LIST of mods.. and I believe something like 8 bilge pumps...
Here is his video showing all his upgrades/mods... (has lots!)
The channel is Dr MarCo
A good watch.
AD
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kurz
- Admiral
- Posts: 1307
- Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:07 am
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26M
- Location: Zürich, Switzerland, Europe
Re: Bilge Poump Location
Concerning the through hull:
At a small line I have a plug like you have on the ballast tank vent. So in case I can close from outside maybe easier than from inside.
Bad design from Roger that you cannot close then through hull without having a drain for the motor well. My through hull is all time inside the water, also if ballast is empty.
At a small line I have a plug like you have on the ballast tank vent. So in case I can close from outside maybe easier than from inside.
Bad design from Roger that you cannot close then through hull without having a drain for the motor well. My through hull is all time inside the water, also if ballast is empty.