good safety point re the sunken yacht

[tcm]

point being, they had a bit of a hole above the WL- but then sank with the water shipped over thenext few miles. A few years ago, i nearly did the same in a rental boat, when with engine on it decided to exhaust into the bilges and cd've easily taken us over sideways.

Possibly (depending on the rig - needs a t-connection with the inlet manfold) one can use the inlet from the engine primary as a diesel-powered bilge pump. I don't think average charter boat bilge pumps would have the capacity to empty a fullish boat -and the specially-supplied sawdust often clogs any filter but an engine might be able to do it.

separately, do most sailing boats have alarms that go off when the bilge triggers? Ours didn't - small son came up and said er look the boats got a lot of water and honest dad, i didn't do anything! - actually quite a good warning system i spose...

worth thinking about for a ocean cruiser but there again, mebbe thay all do this?

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[Robin]

Most yachts do not have bilge alarms. PBO in true Blue Peter fashion had an article once describing how to make one from a simple smoke alarm, using two wires run from the alarm and fixed in the bilge, any water completed the connection across the wires to start the alarm. Mine has been in the garage since then (several years) waiting to be be fitted! Now exactly where DID I put it....

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I have connected my bilge auto switches to across the test switch of a smoke alarm, if it goes off I either have fire or flood, either way it is prudent that I pop below for a looksee.

A friend in work who used to be a surveyor brought in some details of a shaft pump that was almost frictionless when running dry but would pump something like 100 gal per minute during a flood. I don't remember the name, it was not expensive as it was such a simple design.

I have considered putting a t on my engines water inlets, but I am not sure the throughput of a little 9hp yanmar would make that much of a dent. But then something is better than nowt I suppose.

I do remember arriving at the boat a few weeks after first launching a few years back and finding 18" of water in the port hull. Turned on the bilge pump, and waited and waited and waited. Ended up using whale pump and buckets it was taking so long. That had come from 5 days of dripping through the stern tube.

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

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[Evadne]

I'm gradually overhauling various bits of my boat and a shaft pump sounds like a great idea, so if you find the name before I do please drop a line. I intend to fit an electric pump but that would only last as long as the battery. A 1.2kW pump wouldn't last an hour whereas I usually carry 24 hours worth of diesel, and a direct drive ought to be more efficient.
My yanmar is only 6.5hp, but that is still 6hp more than a fit man could muster at the main pump, and about 6.4hp more than I could! Your 9hp would be the equivalent of a 6kW pump if it was all harnessed, which is not an insignificant effort. (1hp ~750W if I remember correctly)

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[Koeketiene]

they had a bit of a hole above the WL- but then sank with the water shipped over thenext few miles

Like it! - the best ETAP advert ever!

I must admit to feeling a teeny bit smug.

<hr width=100% size=1>Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.

 

[DJE]

Same goes for Sadlers.

<hr width=100% size=1>Better to keep one's mouth shut and be considered a fool than open it and remove all possible doubt.

 

[tcm]

Re: etap...

from the pix i have seen, don't etaps transform into a liferaft, really? I mean, they "float" semisubmerged. Nicer place to be (just) that a liferaft, and easier to retrieve the boat than from the seabed i suppose. Mind you, the pix i saw were demo boats, so with more weight (full water and diesel) praps they wdn't be quite so floaty. Holiday still wrecked, boat still wrecked.

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[bedouin]

All the shaft/engine driven pumps I've seen have been comparatively low pumping capacity.

When I looked at this I reckoned that the best approach was to fit a high capacity electric pump which would run indefinitely with the engine on and for an hour or two from the batteries even if the engine would not start.

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[Peppermint]

Re: Not many alarms about

on sailing boats though more do have auto bilge pumps.

I sailed with a guy who slept with his hand dangling out of the bunk cos he'd owned an E.Coast OD that made a bit of water. JDS must have known him too as he tells a tall of a similar character.

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[cameronke]

Hi Yanita

Didn't Harland and Wolf say the same about the Titanic ?

Regards
Cameron

<hr width=100% size=1>Work to live, live to sail

 

[MainlySteam]

We have a float switch in the sump that the bilge pumps suck from that is dedicated to a bilge alarm. Goes off with 1 - 2 litres of water in there - never gone off in anger yet though (says I tempting fate).

John

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[Koeketiene]

Re: etap...

They manage to sail quite well when flooded. Article in one of the mags (seem to remember it was Sailing Today) a couple of years back.

Yacht in Calais - opened all the seacocks- flooded - sailed all the way to Dover and back - average speed 4.7kts. So, not exactly a liferaft.

I agree - your holiday pretty much ruined, but you'll get home. This is also reflected nicely in my insurance premium.

<hr width=100% size=1>Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.

 

[Koeketiene]

Didn't Harland and Wolf say the same about the Titanic ?

Yes, they did; but they never tested it -> see my reply to tcm

<hr width=100% size=1>Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.