Bilge pump position

[Keiron]

I have recently bought a Hunter Duette which has no bilge pump fitted. I am pretty keen to fit a manual pump and was wondering where to position it. I guess ideally the pump handle should be reachable from the helm? Where do people usually fit manual bilge pumps? Do most people put the pump handle in the cockpit or mount them in the cabin and presume they won't be sailing alone? Fitting the complete pump unit below is certainly a lot easier.

Thanks for any advice
Keiron

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Ideally one of each!

We have one that can be reached from the helm, and one below, plus an electric one on a float switch.....

 

[FullCircle]

Reachable from the helm for the manual pump, a through deck Whale or similar and a fair sized electric one on a float switch down below as Magna Carter suggests. Try and fit a strum box filter on the manual one at least.
Buy a spare handle and fix it on a lanyard also.
Carry also a strong bucket on a lanyard, a dinghy style bailer and a couple of big sponges.
Have softwood bungs for all the holes in the boat (the seacocks) and a mallet to bang them in with.

That should see you alright.


Jim

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

One other point.....

I have lost count of the number of boats I have sailed on where there is a decent manual whale type pump, and the handle is chucked loose in the bottom of a locker somewhere..... for the sake of a few pence buying a couple of plastic hose clips, fit it somewhere that can be reached quickly.... a good place for a cockpit pump is fixed to the inside of a cockpit locker lid....

 

[Guest]

The plastic hose clips are good idea - but after a while they stretch and handle falls out ... that's what happens to both my handles in clips in the cockpit lockers. I have one manual fitted to starboard locker - pumps out main under engine / cabin bilges, other is in aft transom locker that pumps out shaft bilge.
Both cockpit pumps are operable by helm .... just open lid, insert handle and pump !

I also have an auto job fitted midships under cabin sole that exits via a Y piece in the sink outlet. It is only open to discharge when boat is left at marina home berth .... when boat in use is closed of.