small temporary bilge pump advice

dylanwinter

dylanwinter

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www.keepturningleft.co.uk
I want to buy a small automatic bilge pump to make sure my Centaur does not sink while I am away

Centaurs have small spaces in the keels where water accumulates and that eventually spills over into a rather shallow bilge under the cabin sole

at the moment it has a small douty bung type access in the middle of the saloon floor

The plan is to just plug the bilge pump into the cigarette lighter and run the outlet from the pump to the sink

so I need something small and reliable that will spend most of its life in a box in a side locker and only be deployed when I leave the boat for a week or more

any suggestions based on first hand experience?
 
Try a Whale Super Sub Smart bilge pump. It has a solid state sensor hence only a pair of wires rather than a switch and very low drain when still.

Great little pump.

Good luck

Tony.
 
Two things to consider with unattended automatic bilge pumps is the battery power supply for the pump could run out and prevent the pump from operating unless on permanent shore power .

You also IMHO need a way to measure how many times the pump runs or the length of time the pump runs to help indicate if any leek is getting worst over time.
 
Do you have shore power? Solar? How much pumping are you expecting to need?

If your boat is on a mooring you could consider a non electric option e.g. the 'Drainman' or other such wave operated pumps. They don't shift a great deal of water, but no worries about flat batteries.
 
Dylan, I'm in the same boat..........
well, metaphorically. I have just fitted a Whale super sub smart 650 for the same reasons as you. I have read the warnings about cycling ie back flow from the out pipe draining the battery and that if the problem were to get worse you would have no way of knowing unless you fit some kind of clever counter. But for your purposes and mine I think the pump is a good temporary solution.
My experience of fitting it as a TEMPORARY fitting......... a little pump with a thick heavy pipe unsecured waving it about, tail wagging the dog,..... the pump needs anchoring which I acheived with tight bungee between limber holes on my Konsort..... if your Centaur access is the same as my Centaur you will need a different way to hold the pump against the floor(hull). Then I secured the pipe with string to whatever was nearby (table) and mine exits to the cockpit. Pure? sea water fine down the galley sink but my Centaur bilge water was grim.
The main point I wanted to get accross is that with a shallow bilge ( similar to a Centaur) quite a lot of water needs to come in before the pump kicks in. I suspect with my Konsort maybe at least 25litres needs to enter the bilge and the water level get deep enough before the pump switches on. And it will still leave half an inch of water once the pump has done the business. So it is not a perfect solution. But it really clears water out fast so I don't think it will drain the battery because it should only come on very rarely and briefly. And if you are on marina electricity you have no worries (I'm on a swinger). But I chose my pump because it leaves the least water in the bilge. And I feel a hell of a lot better about leaving the boat for a couple of weeks. Costwise the pump was about £50 and the plastic hose and electric connectors added up.... "Rule" also do pumps but the Whale left the least water in my bilge.
 
Kelpie said:
Do you have shore power? Solar? How much pumping are you expecting to need?

If your boat is on a mooring you could consider a non electric option e.g. the 'Drainman' or other such wave operated pumps. They don't shift a great deal of water, but no worries about flat batteries.
Click to expand...

I considered this approach but they leave a minimum depth that exceeded what is acceptable for my bilges.
 
FairweatherDave said:
Dylan, I'm in the same boat..........
well, metaphorically. I have just fitted a Whale super sub smart 650 for the same reasons as you. I have read the warnings about cycling ie back flow from the out pipe draining the battery and that if the problem were to get worse you would have no way of knowing unless you fit some kind of clever counter. But for your purposes and mine I think the pump is a good temporary solution.
My experience of fitting it as a TEMPORARY fitting......... a little pump with a thick heavy pipe unsecured waving it about, tail wagging the dog,..... the pump needs anchoring which I acheived with tight bungee between limber holes on my Konsort..... if your Centaur access is the same as my Centaur you will need a different way to hold the pump against the floor(hull). Then I secured the pipe with string to whatever was nearby (table) and mine exits to the cockpit. Pure? sea water fine down the galley sink but my Centaur bilge water was grim.
The main point I wanted to get accross is that with a shallow bilge ( similar to a Centaur) quite a lot of water needs to come in before the pump kicks in. I suspect with my Konsort maybe at least 25litres needs to enter the bilge and the water level get deep enough before the pump switches on. And it will still leave half an inch of water once the pump has done the business. So it is not a perfect solution. But it really clears water out fast so I don't think it will drain the battery because it should only come on very rarely and briefly. And if you are on marina electricity you have no worries (I'm on a swinger). But I chose my pump because it leaves the least water in the bilge. And I feel a hell of a lot better about leaving the boat for a couple of weeks. Costwise the pump was about £50 and the plastic hose and electric connectors added up.... "Rule" also do pumps but the Whale left the least water in my bilge.
Click to expand...

thanks Dave

I shall turn my attention to setting something up next time I go to the boat

it is a bit of a worry

D
 
dylanwinter said:
thanks Dave

I shall turn my attention to setting something up next time I go to the boat

it is a bit of a worry

D
Click to expand...

Not sure why you should be worried (although seems you might be a natural worrier!). How long have you had Centaurs? How many times have you found any significant water in your bilges. What do you think would cause enough water to get in to sink your boat? and do you think a puny little pump will make any difference?
 
Tranona said:
Not sure why you should be worried (although seems you might be a natural worrier!). How long have you had Centaurs? How many times have you found any significant water in your bilges. What do you think would cause enough water to get in to sink your boat? and do you think a puny little pump will make any difference?
Click to expand...

I have some centaur experience now

they are always in a steady state of slowly sinking

D
 
The peace of mind is well worth it if you are a distance from the boat.. The pump is really powerful. Yes they can get blocked but they can shift water.
 
I have a Rule 500 automatic pump in my boat, but it's no use for unattended operation because it short-cycles: when it triggers it fills its outlet, pumps out half a teaspoon, cuts off, allows the water in the pipe to run back and then does the whole thing again three minutes later. Ten seconds of running every three minutes is quite a significant battery drain.
 
dylanwinter said:
I have some centaur experience now

they are always in a steady state of slowly sinking

D
Click to expand...

I have to say that this is complete Bollox.

I sold my centaur in 2001 and for the last 10 yrs plus it has sat on a mooring completely abandoned.

The sails have rotted and fallen off, you can't see the decks for green mould, there is 20ft plus of kelp hanging from the transom but is it still floating not one inch below its waterline.
 
I have fitted a number of Super subs of both sizes and and can highly recommend them for their size and reliability, in your circumstances would offer the following advice: Mount the pump with the strainer slightly down so the sensor is a little higher than the strainer. Make sure you fit the supplied non return valve. Both those will contribute to reducing return cycling and reduce consumption to a minimum.
 
David2452 said:
I have fitted a number of Super subs of both sizes and and can highly recommend them for their size and reliability, in your circumstances would offer the following advice: Mount the pump with the strainer slightly down so the sensor is a little higher than the strainer. Make sure you fit the supplied non return valve. Both those will contribute to reducing return cycling and reduce consumption to a minimum.
Click to expand...

brilliant D

advice from an expert

perfecto

I shall do exactly as you say
 
Tranona said:
Then fix the leaks - if there are any!
Click to expand...

centaur keels

they often leak a little -

just a tiny amount when in still waters

often quite a bit when being crashed around a bit

not worth the expense of dropping and re-bedding which is a big, big job that will either eat up money or perfectly good sailing time

far better to live with it than to fix it

there is also a rain leak through the hatch somewhere - on rainy days guessing where the water is coming from is all part of the fun

45 year old boat - 7 owners - some were hard on the boat - some were nice to it

sail now - fix later

D

PS - the minstrel bilges are cleaned with a dustpan and brush
 
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