Dewatering Pump

[Dockhead]

In case anyone is interested, here's what I've settled on for a dewatering pump:

WilTec


It will shift over 40 cubic meters of water per hour with a head of up to 2.5 meters or so, which is more than 10,000 gallons per hour.

That will keep up with any broken sea cock on my boat -- a 2" through hull 18" below the surface will flow about 6,000 gallons per hour.

The key things here are that the pump is:

1. mobile; and
2. it will eat up trash and debris.

Anyone who has ever used a bilge pump in anger knows that they quickly clog up, because flooding washes all kinds of carp out of even the cleanest bilge. That has sunk many boats, I have no doubt.

Its mobility means that it can be used to save someone else's boat, besides my own, or can be moved to another location if needed. Also means that it can be pulled up out of the bilge to unclog it if necessary, although being capable of dealing with 2" particles, it shouldn't clog at all hopefully. Although the beast weighs 33kg, so not easy in a seaway and/or single handed.

It will live in my main bilge with the roll-up 3" firehose type discharge hose attached.

It draws 2.2 kW and will be powered by my inverter or by my generator. In order to be sure that I can use it even if the water is knee-deep, I will install a changeover box on my generator which will allow me to disconnect the ship's power system and plug directly into the generator, which lives well above the waterline and should be dry right to the end in a flooding situation.


I have five other bilge pumps including a large manual one, two Whale "supersubs" for maintenance of main bilge and engine bilge, and a pair of Rule 4000 gallon per hour jumbo pumps.

The Rule pumps might be able to keep up with a broken through hull but only if they don't clog. The clogging issue, and the desire to have a means to fight flooding with overwhelming force, is what has driven me to the trash pump.


The trash pump can also be used as an excellent fire pump. I will buy a nozzle for the hose for this purpose.