Bilge Pumps

[SiggiJo]

I need to decide on how I install my bilge pumps.<br />I have two - thought about installing a 360 gph one in the stern bilge and an 1100 gph one in the rear of the boat floor. My 14' boat has no foam flotation but the floor is all glassed in and looks completely watertight from the bilge, so I guess if I got the hull flooded, she would still float. Therefore, good to have two seperate pumps. <br />I am new to this - do you see any problems with this installation or would you do it differently?? Thanks.

 

[reka12]

Re: Bilge Pumps

She would float as long as the hull did not get breached. I am not sure what the difference is in the stern. Is there a well for the bilge? Wouldn't the rear of the boat floor drain to the well?

 

[84CJ7]

Re: Bilge Pumps

I cant picture how that floor is designed, but if its an open air gap under the floor thats completely sealed id just get the lightweight closed cell pour in foam and fill it up.<br /><br />Have any pics?

 

[SiggiJo]

Re: Bilge Pumps

Yes 84CJ7 - that is one idea. But I have heard different stories about foam - that it ends up actually absorbing water - even though it´s not supposed to. The floor is completely sealed - so I was thinking even though the hull was breached like reka12 mentioned, she would still float - although I´m sure much lower in the water. That´s why I was thinking about two seperate bilge pumps, as they are two seperate "compartments". <br />Do most boats not have a sealed floor or do they drain the water inside the boat down into the bilge? This is my first boat. Is this perhaps not a good thing? Should I put drain holes in the floor?

 

[84CJ7]

Re: Bilge Pumps

Look at some of the pics of floors getting torn up both here and on that shareaproject site to see how they normally are. Normally unless its a boat with a complete upper fiberglass half that fits on the lower half, its just glassed in supports with gaps between them filled with foam. Then some carpeted plywood thrown on top.<br /><br />I think I remember seeing a hull with a totally glassed in floor now that I think about it, was almost like a fiberglass deck under the actual wood one. It still had wood and foam under that though. Kinda sucked cuz it got a hole in the top and the owner didnt notice so every time it rained it filled with water and rotten the underside stuff and the foam.<br /><br />There has been lots of talk of foam in this forum, I think many companies have been using open celled foam which eventually turns into a sponge. Closed cell really is never supposed to do that even if its cut into or sanded to shape. There was a company mentioned here before in another thread that was supposed to have really good long term water proofing. Apparently it only starts to break down and takes on water after years of constantly being in water, which wouldnt happen in a boat unless you have a hole you never fix or something.<br /><br />I'm still not quite getting the idea here, if the floor is sealed where is the second bilge pump going?

 

[bigboy]

Re: Bilge Pumps

Just foam your bottom up. You boat will lay a bit higher in the wather...less drag.... more speed! ANd when it sinks it will float and not lay on the bottom of the lake.

 

[SiggiJo]

Re: Bilge Pumps

The floor was very firm when I bought the boat and no soft spots. I took a deep breath and cut out a couple of holes that fit 5" watertight deckplates - mostly to see what was underneeth. All good news down there - all nice and dry and I managed to drill a couple of test holes into the stringers with a portable angle drill - no rot as far as I can see.<br />I was going to use one of those deckplate holes to get access to the lower bilge pump - and then seal the bilge hose and wires off completely where it comes out of the floor, so I would still have the floor watertight. If I make drainholes into the floor so cockpit water can drain into the bilge, I lose that extra layer of protection that the boat floor is providing now.<br /><br />Or - I could just fill the void under the floor with foam - put both bilge pumps on the floor in the back of the boat and be done with it.<br />Is this foam something that you pump or spray and does it flow well before it hardens - to fill voids and crevices under the floor? I don´t want to have to make many more holes in the floor and I really don´t want to remove the floor, as it´s perfectly good - as far as I can see.<br /><br />Bigboy - are you foaming your Fletcher and if so, where are you getting your foam from in Belgium?<br />Thanks all..<br />I´ll see if I can get some pics over the hoidays.

 

[KilroyJC]

Re: Bilge Pumps

Here's the supplier for the foam that I used:<br /><br /> http://www.shopmaninc.com/foam.html <br /><br />I used the 4lb/sq.ft density foam, and it works quite well. If I were to do it over I'd used the 8lb. foam, just because I'm into overkill, but the cashflow was a little tight at the time.<br /><br />Good Luck!