New 26X owner, going to need a lot of help!

[Jimmyt]

I can just imagine some guy at the Mac factory putting the ABYC code through the shredder in a back room.

Cringeworthy!

You are correct that very little (if anything) on the Mac's was done to standards. Roger marched to the beat of a different drummer.

I still have the factory M thru-hull to correct on mine. My thinking is, I'll ease through it, correcting stuff as I go.

No one recommends using the corrugated hose for bilge pump discharge. I used it to make a tight radius high loop without using a fitting. The smooth bore heavy stuff would have required a fitting and added two connections. I've flow tested mine several times as installed, and it does what I want. As is typical with non-checked centrifugal, the discharge line floods back into the boat from the high loop when the pump shuts off. Mine is not for nuisance water, though. My bilge is bone dry. My bilge pump is strictly to buy time for self-rescue.

My boat - my rules.

[Jimmyt]

This was interesting in the Sahara pump info. I haven't run it to ground yet, but if true, we should all have bilge pumps, because we all have sleeping quarters...

[Be Free]

That's not the factory bus bar. They used a shorter bolt .

[Starscream]

I also had to laugh when I saw my 900 GPH pump flow curves.

I chose to use the 3/4" hose connection to have the least-visible thru-hull. The thru-hull is about 2' above the pump. So my 900GPH pump is really about a 535 GPH pump.




Plus I used corrugated hose so let's say maybe 500 GPH. But I have two pumps. And a bucket. And my bilges are filled with plastic gallon-bottles. Now Ima stop worrying and go have some Macfun. Well not today, it's -7C.

[Jimmyt]

But I have two pumps. And a bucket. And my bilges are filled with plastic gallon-bottles. Now Ima stop worrying and go have some Macfun. Well not today, it's -7C.

I think that's a great plan! Sorry it's so cold.

It's beautiful here, but we kept the grandkids last weekend. The little Petri dishes gave me and the Admiral a case of the epozeudous. Not COVID, but definitely has us off our game. Love keeping them, but sometimes the aftermath is a bit rough.

[Jimmyt]

That's not the factory bus bar. They used a shorter bolt .

[OverEasy]

Hi All

Currently putting in the "seacocks" to the side bilge discharges while everything is exposed....(which was a great suggestion!)

I was wondering, while we're at it, if there were any opinions as to adding small vent deflectors ahead of the discharge thru-hulls or would flaps be a better choice?

Vent? :




Flap? :

[pitchpolehobie]

Jimmy, you are doing the right thing. Share your knowledge, and allow for your-boat-your-rules. The perfect combo.

Here are the instructions for plumbing a bilge pump, if you want to do it right. Copied from Rule/Xylem website:

The thru-hull discharge fitting should be mounted at least 8” (20.3 cm) above the heeled water line to prevent water
siphoning in from outside the vessel or the discharge may be located below the maximum heeled waterline if the
discharge line is provided with both of the following:
• A seacock installed in accordance with the requirements of ABYC H-27, Seacocks, Thru-Hull Connections, and
Drain Plugs, and
• A vented loop or other means to prevent siphoning into the boat. A check valve shall not be used for this purpose.

As you said, to do it properly you have to establish the heeled waterline, which, at least once on my X, has been the windows. One could probably argue with an insurance inspector that a thru-hull above the chine isn't below the heeled waterline because they wouldn't know any better. But my method of a gradual line up to the thru hull, with the "duckbill" backflow preventer, obviously isn't up to code. But I've made peace with that, mainly because I don't dip the chine in the water much any more, and when I do I'm aware that water could come in. None has yet, so I'm OK with the situation.

The best place to put the pump discharge is high on the stern where Jimmy has his, in which case neither a seacock nor a loop is required.

Oh, speaking of code: I was installing a USB outlet in the admiral's berth last night and snapped a photo of the factory negative bus-bar. WTF. Wrapped in black electrical tape: that MUST be ABYC compliant then! Well, I just shoved the whole ball back in there, out of sight, out of mind.


I can just imagine some guy at the Mac factory putting the ABYC code through the shredder in a back room.

So I believe my port side sink drain suctioned water in. I have been docked for about 3 weeks with no water in the port side bilge. I ran my boat pretty hard Sunday morning with a 15-20 degree list in some bigger winds. I tapped my swing centerboard on my 26x on the low lakebed in OH. On inspection the centerboard area was fine but the port bilge had about 2 gal of water in it. The PO installed a bilge pump there and there is a T split a few inches in from the glass. What kind of stopcock do you recommend? Anything I could do on the water would be ideal. I can post pics later.

[pitchpolehobie]

Pictures as promised.

Did the water come thru the bilge? I don't believe it went up the sink as it was all hidden.

[OverEasy]

Hi Pitchpolephobie

The plumbing out to the factory thru/hull looks a little confused.

The problem originates with the original intent of the factory thru-hull is as a SINK drain not as a BILGE discharge. It is low and close to the waterline and it would appear that the bilge discharge line is nearly parallel to the bottom hull at the thru-hull elevation.

While I’m not t great fan of the location of the factory thru-hull as a bilge discharge (I made new ones above the chine 18+ inches above the waterline with seacocks immediately in-line with the thru-hulls) a couple things I might recommend are to:
1) change the orientation of the “T” such that the bilge discharge line has a straight shot out the thru-hull. (Unless I’m mistaken; The way it is set now means the bilge discharge flow is trying to go up the sink drain first and then ‘back’ to the ‘T’ make a 90 degree turn and creep out the thru-hull.) This change will substantially improve the bilge discharge flow.
2) If you don’t want to add a new higher dedicated bilge discharge thru-hull I would suggest adding a “high loop” or what some call an “anti-siphoning “ loop at least 18 inches above waterline, or depending upon your sailing preferences above your “max heeled” waterline, then back to the straight shot portion of the repositioned ‘T’.
3) A functional ‘sea-cock’ could be added immediately between the thru-hull and the ‘T’ using a valve with hose barbs and hose clamps.

These are only suggestions.
We hope that they are helpful.

Regards, Over Easy

[OverEasy]

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=28224#p349185

Hi again,

There are several postings and threads on the forum regarding bilge pumps. We thought we might refer you to our own experience and what we chose to do with the addition bilge pumps to our dry vessel in Pre-Emptively Adding Bilge Pumps to a MAC26X.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=28224#p349185

Please Note: Bilge pumps are not a solution to a leaking vessel. Existing and known water intrusions need to be identified and appropriately eliminated. Bilge pumps are a potential mitigation in the event damage occurs resulting in water intrusion to potentially buy time for the vessel operators to address the source of the intrusion, to navigate the vessel and/or seek assistance. They can help to allow potential time for personnel to maintain safe vessel operation and securement of the vessel and other personnel safety.

Bilge pumps are a crisis mitigation tool.
Bilge pumps are more efficient and effective than manual bailing or pumping as long as there is sufficient battery power available given they can be located in the bilges and can work automatically freeing personnel resources.

Hope this is helpful to you and your vessel.

[Starscream]

100% agree with Over-easy.

From what I can see, the problem is that your bilge pump drains out of the sink drain. When you are heeled over sailing, the pump and the drain are below the waterline and this will force water into your bilge. It's a terrible design for sailing.

The cheapest/fastest solution, not perfect, but functional:
1) Re-plumb the drain so that only the sink is connected to that drain hole.
2) Add a through hull up high under the galley (above the chine in the hull) with a check-valve. Most bilge pumps come with cheap "duck-bill" valves in the package.

A plastic Perko thru-hull costs about $20, and if you can't find a stand-alone check-valve for sale on Amazon, just buy a new bilge pump for $50 and it will come with the check-valve. You could probably re-use the existing tubing but if not, new tubing isn't expensive at all.

For less than $100 and an hour's work, the problem will be gone. A better solution is, of course, a proper seacock with a loop up above the waterline, but I've been running with the above solution for years with and not a drop in the bilge (from that source, anyway).

[pitchpolehobie]

100% agree with Over-easy.

From what I can see, the problem is that your bilge pump drains out of the sink drain. When you are heeled over sailing, the pump and the drain are below the waterline and this will force water into your bilge. It's a terrible design for sailing.

The cheapest/fastest solution, not perfect, but functional:
1) Re-plumb the drain so that only the sink is connected to that drain hole.
2) Add a through hull up high under the galley (above the chine in the hull) with a check-valve. Most bilge pumps come with cheap "duck-bill" valves in the package.

A plastic Perko thru-hull costs about $20, and if you can't find a stand-alone check-valve for sale on Amazon, just buy a new bilge pump for $50 and it will come with the check-valve. You could probably re-use the existing tubing but if not, new tubing isn't expensive at all.

For less than $100 and an hour's work, the problem will be gone. A better solution is, of course, a proper seacock with a loop up above the waterline, but I've been running with the above solution for years with and not a drop in the bilge (from that source, anyway).

Makes plenty of sense. A bilge that pumps out 2inches above the waterline seems...dumb. I think it was installed for nuisance rainwater when he should've just sealed the deck (which was easy and resulted in a dry bilge) instead the PO fixed a problem with another potentially more serious one. What do you mean check valve in this context can you post a link?

[Starscream]

They look like this:

http://www.seafarerstore.com/assets/ima ... _M1086.jpg

I don't know if they sell them stand-alone, or if they only come with the pumps. Every bilge pump I ever bought (that's 3, now) had one in the package.

They're not for serious use, but meet my own personal cost/risk assessment.

[OverEasy]

Hi SlowSL

How are things going for you now that the weather has warmed and the ice has melted?

You had quite a bit of a project on your hands and just wanted to check in and encourage you along if possible.

With several project to work through it can be daunting but realize there are people pulling for you to succeed.

Hope all is well for you and yours and that you have been able to get a few of the bigger issues worked on.

Best Regards,
Over Easy