Bilge Pump Advice - Pumping where no pump can be..

[charles_reed]

I\'d doubt much

comes down the inside of the mast - that only happens with heavy rain and wind - unfortunately it will also lead to inevitable corrosion of the heel, unless it can drain away.

A solution I considered but rejected, was to tap the mast-step with a spigot leading into a reservoir.

Far easier to just run the shower tray pump.

In the Irish Sea, despite the "soft" weather, the incidence of water down the inside was low. In the Med with more extreme downpours it can be more of a problem.

 

[charles_reed]

have 4 pumps

if you must use the solution of cure rather than prevention

 

[charles_reed]

They\'re

about £12 each - but you could use scrap washer motors from a car breakers at about £1 each.

 

[castaway]

I use a Pela engine sump oil pump//one of the vacuum type.

I modified it to have a little tap on the suction line (actually off a beer making kit, now unused) so that when the suck pipe is dry you can turn of the suck and pop it into the next little pool.

Works very well except fo the first time when it picks up all the tink bits of crap lying in the corners.

I also used to have problems with water coming down the mast and it of course ame down the halyard slots, I experimented with various things and eventually filled the mast with fixafoam below the halyard exits but above the deck..got to be a bit careful though to get it correct, then drilled a small bleed hole..worked very well.


Nick

 

[Sea_dreamer]

Re: I\'d doubt much

Here in Scotland we get plenty rain... We have spent alot of time sealing the exterior with a collar, so it looks like its coming down inside. Task for this winter is to try and identify all sources of water...

 

[tome]

Re: I\'d doubt much

We also have a keel stepped mast and I've given up trying to seal it. The exterior seal is fine, the water is definitely getting down through the inside of the mast and emerges through cable apertures and heel etc. Not much, but enough to cause a nuisance

Fortunately, it drains back to the bilges through the limber holes but there's always a puddle below the heel

 

[Divemaster1]

Build yourself a manifold with multiple inlets & single outlet and connect this to your pump.
run appropriate hoses to you locations and control the whole thing by opening / closing valves. We have a similar system onboard and it works very well for our 45ft cruiser. Can be actuated valves, or manually operated ... Sample picture ...