Installing a bilge pump

[BOAT]

Hey Luna, I'm going to put waste water tanks in 'boat' - I plan to put plastic tanks made special by my motorhome parts vendor - the tanks will go under the aft berth between the tank splines. I'm changing out the entire system and putting in an Atwood shower sump system. Everything will be pumped to the holding tanks:



To cruise Catalina and the Channel Islands out here it's getting pretty crazy with the tree hugger enviro MENTAL stuff and since I live in California I need to pack out my waste. I'm going to do this system so I can pump out the tanks out at sea away from the Islands where it is legal to do so. I'm changing my thru hull to a real big one with a ball valve so it can handle the added flow.

[RobertB]

Tell me what your hose clamps look like when you do the change out. In installing my AP, I looked at the stock ones at the stern and the clamp screws were all rusted. Cheap clamps. Am changing them out with 100% stainless ones.

[Russ]

So!

Interesting this thread as I just ordered a bilge pump on Amazon thinking I will have one for emergency use on my I thought for the $25 bucks for 1100 GPH pump and $15 bucks for the fancy switch with an auto.....why not.

A little bit more safety for 40 bucks! The problem, is where the Frick do I install on a M? I wish those for and aft ribs on either side had drain holes in them as I do collect a bit of water in them. My bilge is always moist, with small bit of water in them, mold is always an issue. I think I will tie into the sink drain with it.

David

That's the problem with the Mac. No lower central bilge.
Keep in mind that a "small bit of water" won't be pumped out with a bilge pump. Most submersible pumps will always leave a small bit of water behind. That and they can't pump air, so the water in the hose to the top of the loop always comes back down when the pump is turned off. At least in my experiences.

[Russ]

Boat US magazine has had several great articles on pumps. This one recently sums up my view.

That bilge pump is not intended to keep your boat afloat in the event of a hull breach, but simply to remove "nuisance" water — including, among other things, small amounts of spray or rainwater that come in when the companionway is open, drips from the stuffing box, or leakage or seepage from a deck fitting or port light that's not quite watertight. Though those bilge pumps are not intended for hard duty, the BoatUS Marine Insurance claim files show that in many cases, sinkings have been delayed and even avoided because a bilge pump kept up with a small leak and allowed time to fix it before it became a large leak. Conversely, many sinkings involve a bilge pump that has been ignored for weeks or months as it cycled increasingly frequently, or one that has run the battery flat in a relatively short period of time when the volume of water entering the boat led to continuous running of the pump.

Now since our boats have no thru hulls like stuffing boxes or raw water intakes, the slow leak is not very likely.

Full Story http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/in ... e-pump.asp

Another http://www.boatus.com/magazine/2014/dec ... pacity.asp

[raycarlson]

Yeah Boat! Whats up with all those commie treehuggers and green enviro nuts. I would much rather be free of such gibberish, I mean what's a few brown sponges and some toilet paper floating by while sipping some wine at rest in Catalina watching the sun set and kids snorkeling..................NOT...

[Wind Chime]

So I just read this post to my wife, and she said; "you know, people with no respect for the environment should not be let outside".

I said it's okay honey, that's why its a trailer sailor -so you can bring the boat home and empty the holding tank on the back lawn. Lol!

"Leave only Wake"

Yeah Boat! Whats up with all those commie treehuggers and green enviro nuts. I would much rather be free of such gibberish, I mean what's a few brown sponge and some toilet paper floating by while sipping some wine at rest in Catalina watching the sun set and kids snorkeling..................NOT...

[Russ]

Hey Luna, I'm going to put waste water tanks in 'boat' - I plan to put plastic tanks made special by my motorhome parts vendor - the tanks will go under the aft berth between the tank splines. I'm changing out the entire system and putting in an Atwood shower sump system. Everything will be pumped to the holding tanks:

Everything?

Even tree huggers would agree that grey water is okay to dump in the ocean. That's a lot of waste water storage and weight.

[Wind Chime]

I'm more of a whale-hugger than a tree-hugger, but our general rule is: Grey is Good - Brown is Bad ... "Keep the Poop on the Sloop"

Hey Luna, I'm going to put waste water tanks in 'boat' - I plan to put plastic tanks made special by my motorhome parts vendor - the tanks will go under the aft berth between the tank splines. I'm changing out the entire system and putting in an Atwood shower sump system. Everything will be pumped to the holding tanks:

Everything?

Even tree huggers would agree that grey water is okay to dump in the ocean. That's a lot of waste water storage and weight.

[Russ]

And..

"In these isles of sun and fun, we never flush for number one."

[raycarlson]

Had girlfriend ask how come no portable toilets at Lake Havasu when there's over a thousand people milling about socializing at the local sandbar party place consuming hundreds of gallons of beer per hour in waist deep water. I told her don't eat yellow snow........

[BOAT]

Hose clamps look good. They are stainless from the factory. I will be changing it out though with a bigger hole and and brass ball valve (again, I know this will make you guys mad but I am putting a big brass ELECTRIC ball valve in there just like I did on the bow vent so i can slam it shut in an emergency) and the only thing connected to it will be the holding tank pump out and the transom well.

I am NOT using that thru hull for the bilge pump(S) (that's PLURAL - there will be TWO of them). The bilge pumps are getting thier own thru hull probably a lot higher up from the waterline. I'm still figuring that part out and still reading Navy manuals and other crap.

'boat' will be totally outfitted for 'enviro' - MENTAL operation with everything (except the bilge) pumping into holding tanks. I will be able to cruise Catalina, the Channel Islands, Anacapa, Canada, Washington, Oregon, and bunches of other places without fear of "the MAN" ('boat': it's not just for Mexico anymore). 'boat' will be a tree huggers delight, (tree huggers: their not just for breakfast anymore). Ever eat a pine cone?

You can't really do much for San Diego, and L.A. - after every rainstorm the entire Bay is polluted. Newport and everything north is pretty much the same. Things don't really start to clean up until you get past the Bay Area, or 15 miles offshore. That's why the holding tanks are kind of a waste for most So Cal coastal sailing. The runoff from the cities which is in the MILLIONS of gallons far out weights anything our puny little galley sinks will ever do. Even the enviro - MENTAL folks here admit that and why there are few restrictions on the coast down south. Oregon is actually MUCH more strict than California. We go to Oregon a lot.

[K9Kampers]

...the only thing connected to it will be the holding tank pump out and the transom well.

These boats transom (motor) wells are plumbed to self drain outside the hull. Why the desire to redirect that rainwater / seawater back into a holding tank?

Also, what are the Navy manuals you reference to guide you to outfit your boat?

[BOAT]

It's all a bunch of crap my dad had and other stuff in these books called SDM Manuals Also technical manuals from World War 2 with photographs. (How to operat depth charges and stuff). in all these SSC specs like SSC-331 that one is about how to do welds and stuff for the ribs. There are technical manuals too on individual ships that tell you how the bilge pumps are configured on a particular naval ship ( it's like an operating manual, and it will have pictures and drawings). I have one one for a LST and a few others. They are helpful (sometimes). Mostly specs for contractors in the stuff. And the online NAVSEA instructions library with PDFs and stuff that direct you to other publications like the NAVSEA publications and I look at the pictures . Some of the stuff he had is on the internet too.

You mention the transom well, I will not put the well water in the holding tank - I forgot about that one needing it's own drain because it can back up or overflow all it wants. That drain is just a constant closed loop if you think about it - if the back of the boat is underwater that drain does no good at all - at that point it's just a closed loop.



I think this on is the engine for a Mark 37 Torpedo:



How to build structure like ladders and bridges:



It's kind of old school, but it seems to work.

[Russ]

Also, what are the Navy manuals you reference to guide you to outfit your boat?

I was thinking that too. Building a navy ship is not the same as a 26' fiberglass boat.

I would look to the experts in this field, like this one.
http://www.proboat.com/attention-to-det ... -2010.html

[BOAT]

Also, what are the Navy manuals you reference to guide you to outfit your boat?

I was thinking that too. Building a navy ship is not the same as a 26' fiberglass boat.

I would look to the experts in this field, like this one.
http://www.proboat.com/attention-to-det ... -2010.html

Wow, that's a great web site Russ, thanks! That helps a lot! Mostly I look at the pictures.

It says the SHOWER stuff is section 37-16 but I can't find it - (sometimes I like the books better). How do you get to the different sections cited in the index?