getting the bilge water out

[gpws]

In the bile of my sailboat, there is always a bit of water comming from the stuffing box i beleive. The pump is started from a lever switch that strats it when there is 2.5 inches of water. I do not like this because the pices of wodd that are ther to give some stifness to the hull are frequently in contact whit the water. I have not yet foud a way to manage the switch to start earlier and event then the pumps never drys the bilge i a way that is satisfying. I tought i could use the principle of Arhimed to solve this problem and get the bottom of the bilge higher, except where the pump is sitting, by melting 2 or 3 gallons of parafine or some other wax in the bottom of the bilge, from the front of the boat to the back, this would wrise the bottom of the boat where the wax would be and do a sort of trap at the lower level where there would be no wax but only the pump. I beleive the switch would stard off more frequently with less water in the bilge and this would make a dryer boat. I was wondering what other boaters think of this idea.

Patrick

 

[summerwind]

You could get the switch to make earlier by sticking a small piece of polystyrene the the underside of the arm. This will lower the level of the water in the bilge, but won't eradicate you problem.

You might also see if you can construct some kind of sump underneath the stuffing box and move your pump inlet and switch to the sump. This would prevent you getting water throughout the bilge, if you can build the sump walls high enough to prevent spillage as the boat moves around.

 

[Richard_Blake]

A couple of thoughts: I have seen on one boat, where there was space, a seperate water-collecting pan under the stuffing box with its own baby bilge pump.

In terms of raising the biges to bring the water back to one place and prevent little puddles: this used to be common, I gather, and people used tar, cement and other strange mixtures. You might get more expert advice about this on the Classic Boat forum.
Good luck.

LowTech

 

[dickh]

Don't forget that when the pump stops you inevitably get the water that's left in the outlet pipe drain back into the bilge,

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[seaesta]

I do not like water in the bilge either. My solution is

1. Fit a grease line and grease nipple to the "stuffing box" and put in 6 good squirts of wtare resistant grease from a grease gun before leaving boat - this prevents the drips. The nipple is in a locker and easy to get at

2. Lay a 8 or 10mm copper pipe in the bottom of the bilge - from an accessible point near the engine right into the very deepest part of the bilge. If you need to put any bends in the pipe use 90 degree compression fittings so that you can dismantle the line to get out any debris that may cause a blockage

3. Make up a bloody great "syringe" to suck out the last bit of bilge water via the copper pipe (may need a short rubber hose to connect syringe to pipe). I used an old plastimo hand held bilge pump tomake the syringe

4. Use old plastic pop bottles to collect bilge water.

This has worked well on my boat for a few years.

Martin of Seaesta of Whitby

 

[Guest]

My response to this problem would be to try and stop the water getting in in the first place. Does the stuffing gland need re-packing? Is the shaft necked in the packing? Is engine alignment satisfactory? Is the shafting fitted with a suitably flexible flexible coupling. The old school of thought is that when running an occasional deip from the stern tube is indicative that the packing is correctly tightened, i.e. not overtightened. When at rest that slight seapage can be stopped by turning down the gland greaser a turn or so. Large capacity remote greaser units are readily available to eliminate the need for acrobatics or grease guns. If these points are attended to then there should be no problem with sterngland leakage in a well found installation.

 

[tome]

PSS Shaft Seal?

I've had the same problem on my boat and hate to see water in the bilges. Have you looked at the PSS dripless shaft seal? http://www.shaftseal.com/

I'm having on fitted next week as I've heard very good reports from several boat owners. I'm hoping that this will cure my problem permanently

 

[gpws]

Thanks every one who has taked interrest in the question. You have given me many goods recepies to work on, and will try some of them.

Patrick

 

[Robin2]

Re: PSS Shaft Seal?

I have two of these and they don't leak.