Massive bilge pump idea

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

There are upsides and downsides to everything, you use your gen set fairly regularly, so you know it will work, electric motors can be unused for years and still be counted on, properly grounded and insulated as I am sure any motor meant to be submerged is, and any electrocution hazard is extremely unlikely.
CG would drop a gas pump, cause what else is self contained?

Exactly


But I also TEST my pump every year. I sling it off the end of the boom with a block and tackle, and play fireman.


I agree with some of the comments above to the effect that emergency equipment which is never tested, never tried out, never played with, never studied in detail, may not end up working or being really usable in a real emergency.

I try to stay familiar with and play with all my emergency equipment, to the extent it's possible. I repack my grab bag every year and test everything in it to the extent that's possible. I always attend the servicing of my life rafts, for example, sit in them, handle all the gear (better would be to actually use one in the water).

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I added a transfer switch which disconnects the AC electrical system and transfers the connection to the waterproof socket. It is specifically for a flooding emergency.

I did this because I was worried that the system could short out somewhere in a flooding emergency and flip the breakers, although the generator is high above the waterline.

This one:

Attachment 138154

It's IP68 rated, which is probably not all that relevant since the generator will have been flooded and shorted out long before the water reaches the switch. The switch and socket is just under the level of the cockpit sole, so by the time the water gets to this level, the decks will be awash and we will already be in the liferafts.

OK, makes sense, thanks. And to the extent it doesn't make perfect logical sense it falls into the "why not" category. When it comes to redundancy and extra safeguards in offshore boats it's similar to horsepower in autos and mx's -- overkill is just about right. My genset is below the waterline but lies above a fairly deep bilge so it is definitely a safeguard worth considering.

[peter57]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

4 gallons of water weighs 32 pounds. Really think you could lift that, and fling it overboard, 20 times a minute? Or even more, keep that up for an hour?

The thing about the scared man and the bucket is humor - not intended to be taken seriously.

Sent from my D6633 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

This is not humour, it works well, but is tiring all the same, and in a seaway your going to get knocked about. Been there twice on a 1927 carvel timber (sail) 40ft'. sprung a plank, the skipper owner did not even turn the electric pump on as the first thing he did was turn off the battery isolation switches after donning head lamps, put us in the dark to save the batteries as they were near under with the water level being one foot over the sole. I was a greenskin then to Ocean sailing 30 years ago,when seeing the damage my thoughts were to life jackets and pumping up the rubber duck.
I done most of the bucket bailing into the cockpit by myself as the skipper went searching for the leak.

2 hours later after baling and fixing the leak, putting 20 screws to the inside of the plank and tie wire to the opposite stringer with Spanish windlasses to tighten them and tea towel pumped in with a blunt paint scraper for corking we were fully bloodied and bruised motoring to land as we were 50 miles off shore and still leaking but easily handled by the pump every fifteen min's.

Good idea to always carry Oakum, thats if you can find the leak.