South Florida: Rain every day, and I don't have a cover?

[Tommy in FLL]

Is the bilge pump enough?

-I like to take my 16 foot Larson around my subdivision and into the canal north of my house every day. I run the engine for 15-20 minutes as a result.

I work for Fedex in Memphis [flight crew], and as a result, I am home 1/2 the days of each month

My battery stays charged....and my bilge pump has no problem keeping up with the rain. But is it possible that the rain could overwhelm the pump and sink my boat? The pump [floatless] says that it is capable of 550 gph


Thoughts?

N!

 

[capt sam]

Re: South Florida: Rain every day, and I don't have a cover?

is it a self bailing hull or does it drain in the bilge? realize a lot of boats sit out in Fla every year and don't sink, if your battery is kept charged you should be fine.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: South Florida: Rain every day, and I don't have a cover?

If you loose sleep over it..buy a cover as well!

 

[cwilt]

Re: South Florida: Rain every day, and I don't have a cover?

love the rain down here.... it's been raining every day here on the east coast. if you keep the battery charged and nothing clogs the bilge pump or sensor/float you should be fine. also depends on how much rain and how long the battery lasts. i don't have an automatic bilge pump. one day i went out and just after i put the boat in the water a storm blew over, so i figured i'd wait it out..did not want to be caught in the lightning. i waited in the truck. 20 min later my boat was almost under water. i was scared to go in it, it was almost full of water...

 

[capt sam]

Re: South Florida: Rain every day, and I don't have a cover?

I tend to leave the drain plugs for the deck out if I'm docking the boat for anytime, otherwise it becomes a bathtub quick. New people down here don't realize how much water one summer shower can produce.

 

[nlain]

Re: South Florida: Rain every day, and I don't have a cover?

Since it stays in the water all the time I think I would install a second pump maybe just a little higher than the current one just in case the current pump fails. Then when the water reached that level the backup would kick in and the boat would continue to float. Just my thought.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: South Florida: Rain every day, and I don't have a cover?

if in water 2 pumps w/ float switches. 2 batteries, 2 outlets, totally independent of each other. also get a cover, and protect your investment.