Divemaster1
Well-Known Member
Do check them when out regurlarly!!!!
Basically, when we moved the boat to the new marina in Inverness, we are at a river mouth ( Ness)... this is majority fresh water, so boat sits deeper when laden, than what she used to in salt water.
This leaves the main capacity bilge pump (Rule 5000) outlet at stern effectively below the water line. During cleanup after the engine work a couple of weeks ago, the pump kicked in (as one would expect). Not thinking more about it, we left the boat all being well......
Upon arrival on Sunday, I happened to notice something un-expected ....our domestic batteries were flat..., so charger on and started to sort out bedding etc., but heard an electric motor switching on ..... from the stern.... looking down in the bilges ... &*£$% ... more than a foot of water down there !!!
Pump going and I tasted the water.. which was fresh ... so immediately I dismissed what we were floating in... as habbit said Fresh water = watertank, or rainwater... (un-likely with the weather we've had).
Long search for that illusive watertank pipe leak... which could not be found... but the wet stuff could not be found forwards
... So went to stern again .. where more water had appeared .... Doooh .. we're on a river !! Rudders, Shafts everything was checked, but noting found... lifted the Rule 5000 pump and water came out....
Basically, have a lift from lower bilge to water level of approx 1M, but over the valve the 1" hose goes up to a 2ft swan-neck up & down to non-return valve and out through ball valve and hull fitting. Non-return valve contaminated by debris made for the larger drop to bilge, overcome the 2ft swan neck as outlet now is completely under water, and no air is sucked up ... in effect a nice gravity fed syphon filling the boat up nicely!!!!
So rapid fix, bung in hull fitting from outside, dismantle the valves and swapping the non-return unit out. Then fitting a new non return valve onto pump end as well as a failsafe.
That is only a temporary fix I believe, as I think I need to install a anti-syphon kit and lead the air pipe up (can lead it up about 1.5M above deck level). Any thoughts from the learned readers in here?
Basically, when we moved the boat to the new marina in Inverness, we are at a river mouth ( Ness)... this is majority fresh water, so boat sits deeper when laden, than what she used to in salt water.
This leaves the main capacity bilge pump (Rule 5000) outlet at stern effectively below the water line. During cleanup after the engine work a couple of weeks ago, the pump kicked in (as one would expect). Not thinking more about it, we left the boat all being well......
Upon arrival on Sunday, I happened to notice something un-expected ....our domestic batteries were flat..., so charger on and started to sort out bedding etc., but heard an electric motor switching on ..... from the stern.... looking down in the bilges ... &*£$% ... more than a foot of water down there !!!
Pump going and I tasted the water.. which was fresh ... so immediately I dismissed what we were floating in... as habbit said Fresh water = watertank, or rainwater... (un-likely with the weather we've had).
Long search for that illusive watertank pipe leak... which could not be found... but the wet stuff could not be found forwards
... So went to stern again .. where more water had appeared .... Doooh .. we're on a river !! Rudders, Shafts everything was checked, but noting found... lifted the Rule 5000 pump and water came out.... Basically, have a lift from lower bilge to water level of approx 1M, but over the valve the 1" hose goes up to a 2ft swan-neck up & down to non-return valve and out through ball valve and hull fitting. Non-return valve contaminated by debris made for the larger drop to bilge, overcome the 2ft swan neck as outlet now is completely under water, and no air is sucked up ... in effect a nice gravity fed syphon filling the boat up nicely!!!!
So rapid fix, bung in hull fitting from outside, dismantle the valves and swapping the non-return unit out. Then fitting a new non return valve onto pump end as well as a failsafe.
That is only a temporary fix I believe, as I think I need to install a anti-syphon kit and lead the air pipe up (can lead it up about 1.5M above deck level). Any thoughts from the learned readers in here?
