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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

swing keel-bilge pump

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RoofRoof
Navigator

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USA
186 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/28/2003 : 09:50:59

My 1979 swing keel has an electric bilge pump on the port side of the keel trunk, but I must use the manual bilge pump to remove water from the starboard side. The prior owner seemed pretty handy, and installed pvc tubing down both sides with valves to disable the port side. These pvc pipes run only to the manual bilge pump.

Has anyone found a way to install an electric pump on the starboard side, or get the water from starboard to port....so that my port side electric pump will do the job?

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2003 : 10:24:34

IMHO stuff follows.

Where's the water coming from ?

On a fiberglass boat with no packing glands (inboard), the bilge should be dry. You should only need to use the bilge pump in an 'emergency'. You want to keep the water on the 'right side' (outside) of the hull.

Best thing is to fix the windows and re-bed any leaky deck fittings

Try stuffing some chunks of sponge down the keel hose to keep water from splashing up there. Other folks have used expanding foam and there are other creative approaches to do the same thing.

Currently maintaining two holes in the water...'77 Venture 23 and new to the family,
'78 Catalina 25

Edited by - on

Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2003 : 12:09:00

A question in the same vein:

Where does the manual bilge pump (located in the port cockpit locker) draw from? Thanks to the tremendous rains we've been having this summer, "Even Chance" had about 15 gallons of water in the bilge. The bilge pump emptied some, but not much of it. Where is that intake?

Brooke

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RoofRoof
Navigator

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USA
186 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2003 : 14:52:18

So many leaks, so little time. When I first purchased the boat 1 year ago, we rebedded all the hardware on deck, and resealed the windows.

Still getting some leaking from the windows a little, but not enough to warrant the surprise I had last week. After very, very hard rains for the past couple weeks, and us being out of town, I found the boat sitting low in the water. Couldn't even see the painted waterline. I found about 8-10 inches of water in the boat, and all the wires to the batteries were fried, etc. All fixed. I am having new lexan/acrylic windows installed next week to both seal the windows, and for an updated look.

Either way, I never expect to seal all the leaks on this or any boat...so I need a way to empty the starboard bilge...preferably not by hand.

The manual bilge has an 7/8-1 inch pvc pipe each running down the port and starboard sides of the keel trunk. I can see the pipe on the port side thru the 2 access holes, and there is also an electric bilge pump on that side too.

There is a 'T' where the port and starboard pipes connect, with valves so one can have the manual bilge pump from either side, or both. My port side is turned off, as the electric pump takes care of that side.

The starboard side is the one where I'd love to install an electric pump, but I believe that there is not enough room for one, plus the wires would have to dangle in the water continually. But, I'm really tired of hand pumping that side.

So, how is your's set up?

Edited by - on

timpky
1st Mate

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USA
41 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2003 : 16:59:20

Brooke,
In my 78 swing keel the manual bilge pump draws from the port side of the hull. The pickup is about 6" to port of center and about two feet forward of the steps.

Tim Peoples
Sarasota, FL
78 Catalina 25 SK Hull #875

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2003 : 18:09:42

RoofRoof,

I installed three bilge pumps in my 1979 C-25.

The cockpit manual diaphram pump strum box pickup is located near the stbd swing keel pivot bearing.

The smaller of the electric pumps is located on the stbd side of the keel trunk a foot or two forward of the companionway steps. It's a 500GPH Rule automatic -- the type that comes on when its internal float rises, and continues running until it sucks air (even if the float has since fallen back down).

The third pump is a 3,700GPH damage control pump with external float switch located between the galley sink and the keel trunk just to port of the winch cable thru-hull. Its float is a few inches higher than the stbd electric pump, so it will only come on if the smaller pump isn't keeping up with the incoming water. The power leads for this pump are switched by a sealed relay.

Each of the electric bilge pumps gets its power from a separate circuit breaker and battery, bypassing all other switches and circuit breakers. All electrical connections in or near the bilge were made by crimping, soldering, and then applying heat shrink tubing filled with silicon sealant.

-- Leon Sisson

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Brooke Willson
Admiral

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USA
983 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2003 : 22:29:57

Tim, that would explain why mine didn't draw much, since most of the water was in the area behind the ladder. I'll look for the intake this weekend (if it eveer stops raining!).

Brooke

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tzk53s
1st Mate

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USA
33 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2003 : 09:03:30

OK, Like you I had some leaks when it rained...even a little. I did however seem to "fix" and find all of them as even in a downpour it is dry as my sense of humor. Polysulfide is great stuff. Anyway, my 78 swinger had a pick up under the companion way for a 1000gph pump. Additionally I had the same issue as you on the starboard side. What I did was to drill a hole through the inner liner of the boat at the lowest point on the floor in the head (right at the one inch "step"). This area communicates with both sides of the keel trunk and seems to be where all water migrates to when sitting at rest at the dock. The discharge for this pump is over the port side just below the head window. BTW I used a common hole saw bit similar to what is used to hog out a door to install a lock assembly. The liner on these models is actually a shell between the interior and the exterior hull/fiberglass body. There was a space between the liner and the hull of about two to two and a half inches. I fashioned a pick-up for the 2500 GPH Rule pump out of radiator hose that fits snugly in the hole I made. I make contact with the hull but cut out slots all around the perimiter of the hose end to allow water to be sucked up completely. This works well. I tested it by pouring in a few pails of water and allowing it to run. Jim

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 08/29/2003 : 12:58:44

Some places to look for leaks that may go un noticed.
1) Drain tube from chain locker in the bow.
2) Cockpit drains either aft through the stern or forward through the cocpit corners
3) Life line stantions
4) Base of the companion way when rain beats onto it
5) Keel Trunk on a swinger
6) Keel bolts on a wing or fin
7) All through hull fittings

If you have any doubt try my old trick of using sidewalk chalk to draw a line around the suspected component and hose the boat down. If there is a good leak it will wash away the chalk.
Some of the above leaks may go un noticed because they are between the hull and liner. To check the sturn cockpit drains you must get access under the aft area inside the hull. Watch for water running down close to the centerline in the sturn each side of the cockpit floor suport. Same for the chain locker tube in the bow . These two leaks can contribute a large amount of water to the bilge and go un resolved.

Doug&Ruth
Triska (Alberg 29)
Tacoma Wa.

Edited by - Douglas on 08/29/2003 13:00:28

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