Bilge mystery black box

[176172]

...
Joined
12 Sep 2019
Messages
177
Visit site
I am currently refurbishing a Freedom 35, and just recently got around to emptying the bilges which has accumulated a quantity of fresh water, the source of which I understand is via the hollow masts which feed into the bilges.
At first levels were kept down by running the bilge pump which has decided to no longer cooperate. It’s location unknown. I took up the inspection hatches but could only see dirty diesel/oil fouled water. Took up the saloon sole plates, fortunately held down with brass screws so not to difficult to remove. Lots more of the same and years of accumulated gunk, no sign of a pump beneath the now nearly full bilge. To remove the excess I used a drill driven pump and filled some dozen buckets full before the top of the pump became visible coated in brown gung. Removal straight forward and a replacement a 1500, a third larger in g/hour, fitted. The new pump quickly remove the rest, along with a hose pipe flushing the bilges, leaving a small amount of clean water only, the new pump is manual and auto.
To get to the reason for this post, I had hoped to forestall questions by the above.
Prior to flushing the bilges with ample use of fairy liquid, it was impossible to see, just forward of the pump site, and under the engine, sits a rectangular black box, screwed to the bottom of the bilge, approx 4” x 3” x 2” deep. From this fixed box is a 2” ID. hose, as used for sanitary pumping out, which I can now see runs to one of the exits in the transom, I am presuming so as it heads in that direction and would appear to be its sole purpose.
Anyone know what it is? Is it a pump of some description and if so how is or was it operated.
 
Sounds like it may be a strum box for a manual bilge pump mounted elsewhere.
I have googled strum box, Marine store site shows identical to what I have, which is side entry, a strainer in effect, but where is the sucktion applied from, is it possible engine driven i my case a BP 3 cylinder 2003
 
Quite possibly, something has to provide suction, will explore the cockpit tomorrow. This boats layout etc are very new to me.
 
Typically the hand pump will be mounted behind the side/back or front wall of the cockpit well with just a socket seen where a handle is fitted to give an up and down action to the pump. The kind of thing required by ocean racing safety rules. ol'will
 
Typically the hand pump will be mounted behind the side/back or front wall of the cockpit well with just a socket seen where a handle is fitted to give an up and down action to the pump. The kind of thing required by ocean racing safety rules. ol'will
Hi Ol’ Will, some time since the pleasure of replying to you, if I recall it was concerning a fibre glass project which to me was one of the dark arts, which you so successfully, for me anyway, shone a bright light into every corner.
I will follow your advice and look for what you have described somewhere in the cockpit.
Best wishes. Mike
 
It sounds as if you've found what I'd call the main bilge pump - manual and should shift a lot of water quickly in an emergency. Well worth checking it over anyway, and get a spares kit for it since you don't know the age of the diaphragm or valves.

This doesn't help find your electric pump though... Some are self-contained and you'll find it under the floor somewhere with wires and a pipe leading to it; others can be remote and so you're looking for another pipe to follow, probably smaller.

One further thought though. A lot of boats have an electric shower pump out - any chance that this is what you've been running (but had now died)?
 
It sounds as if you've found what I'd call the main bilge pump - manual and should shift a lot of water quickly in an emergency. Well worth checking it over anyway, and get a spares kit for it since you don't know the age of the diaphragm or valves.

This doesn't help find your electric pump though... Some are self-contained and you'll find it under the floor somewhere with wires and a pipe leading to it; others can be remote and so you're looking for another pipe to follow, probably smaller.

One further thought though. A lot of boats have an electric shower pump out - any chance that this is what you've been running (but had now died)?
I have found the electric pump following my pumping out using a drill operated rotary one.
It became obvious as the levels in the bilge dropped, as dead as a dodo, a 1000gph.
I replaced it with a 1500gph. Which quickly removed the rest of the water, and I flushed out using a hose pipe until the little left now clean water.
It was then I spotted the black box, I know know as a strum box, fixed to the floor of the bilge, just in front of the engine, with a 2” pipe running aft towards the transom, as you correctly point out to the main manual pump not yet found in the cockpit but not as yet looked seriously for it until the bilges cleared and clean.
The new pump working perfectly.
 
I have found the electric pump following my pumping out using a drill operated rotary one.
It became obvious as the levels in the bilge dropped, as dead as a dodo, a 1000gph.
I replaced it with a 1500gph. Which quickly removed the rest of the water, and I flushed out using a hose pipe until the little left now clean water.
It was then I spotted the black box, I know know as a strum box, fixed to the floor of the bilge, just in front of the engine, with a 2” pipe running aft towards the transom, as you correctly point out to the main manual pump not yet found in the cockpit but not as yet looked seriously for it until the bilges cleared and clean.
The new pump working perfectly.
And it's me that gets peed off with people for not reading threads before replying.... Thanks for being gentle!
 
Top