Wet dreams of a liveaboard

[kingsebi]

Dry bilge

 

[KevinV]

Dry bilge

Is that a euphemism for a technical exposé by the club bore leaning heavily on the bar?

 

[capnsensible]

Rum n ting

 

[kingsebi]

Is that a euphemism for a technical exposé by the club bore leaning heavily on the bar?

Haha. No leaks for the first time in four years of ownership. I have to get used to it. I keep checking the bilge. Dry is a euphemism though

Rum n ting

Lidl ice machine

 

[Wansworth]

Traditionally a little water inthe bilge kept the boat sweet

 

[kingsebi]

Sweet like motor oil

 

[GHA]

Traditionally a little water inthe bilge kept the boat sweet

One of the pluses of a metal boat, vacuum cleaner instead of a bilge pump

A near empty anchorage with great holding, secure for all wind directions, no swell & with water & some shack bars ashore but no tourists or sports bars or americans trying to organize everyone would be another liveaboard dream. Think that might describe Brazil

 

[kingsebi]

Sounds like paradise

 

[GHA]

Then you wake up one morning and your visa is about to run out...

 

[Hadenough]

The abolition of the term liveaboard.

 

[kingsebi]

The abolition of the term nation

 

[srm]

The only leaks I had during my 15 years with a Voyager 35 were from failures in the fresh water system pipes and once from the shaft seal after I had fitted a new one and not tightened the seal to the shaft correctly. Plus a little rain at times that found its way in around the cockpit locker hatches. Anchor chain locker had a deck hatch and watertight bulkhead so no leaks from forward.

 

[kingsebi]

I see. My anchor locker has no deckhatch and drains to the bilge

 

[srm]

I see. My anchor locker has no deckhatch and drains to the bilge

That's the usual arrangement, as is the bilge going the full depth of the keel.

 

[kingsebi]

Exactly. On yours there was no deep bilge?

 

[srm]

Small black water holding tank at aft end of keel. Double bulkheads then fresh water tank using the rest of the keel space. Put in by first owner when fitting out the mouldings to his spec. Its still a long way down into the end of the bilge. The electric bilge pump is below the prop shaft and would need the shaft removing to change it.

 

[kingsebi]

Interesting. Good idea to use the deep bilge for tanks. But I think I would have to take the motor out to get access. On my boat the previous owner put a new bilge pump on the end of a long inox tube that also serves as the water conduit. The old broken bilge pump is of course still down there too

 

[srm]

The engine is mostly over the ballast (I assume) but working in the keel space would be a lot easier with the engine out. Even so it will be difficult to access under the cabin sole unless you can drop a flexible tank in there. We also have built in tanks under the cabin sole and outboard of the engine space. In effect under the lockers that are under the bunks.

 

[kingsebi]

I see. So the forward part of the keel is filled with metal and the deep bilge only occupies the rear end? Interesting. I didn’t know that.
Nice setup. You keep all the weight down.

 

[srm]

Yes, around 2300kg of ballast in the keel. Essential for monohulls to stop them blowing over when sailing.