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14-09-2014, 05:23
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 7
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Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
Morning all, let's begin with an apology up front, for fear is at times a very silly thing.
Now on to legitimacy. In all my research & minor experience in sailing there is one tiny itty bitty thing that keeps me up at night. The horror story's I have heard about neglected boats with bilge pump malfunctions as well as current operational boats with bilge problems.
This scares me to no end, in doing research on my future boat I plan on purchasing and equipping 1) bilge pump 2) back up bilge pump 3) back up back up bilge pump 4) manual bilge pump
Clearly this is borderline insanity. What can be learned to remedy this fear? Knowledge must be the answer!
Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum
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14-09-2014, 08:59
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 8
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
What are you scared of - sinking?
If so, you could get a multihull. Most of them won't sink.
Pretty much all boats get water in the bilge to one degree or another. Most of the time, it's not that big a deal. I've sailed on old woodies where one guy's job for an entire race was to (manually) pump the boat out on downwind legs. SOP according to the owner, and he said the boat didn't leak in its slip - just when the hull was 'working'.
In the unlikely event that all bilge systems fail, that old saying still stands: The best bilge pump is a scared man with a bucket. I can personally confirm this.
Past that, have a good liferaft or dinghy ready to go.
FWIW, boating/sailing is the #1 pastime most prone to overthinking.
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14-09-2014, 09:18
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#3
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CLOD
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: being planted in Jacksonville Fl
Boat: none
Posts: 20,415
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
Quote:
Originally Posted by Karma_Killz
This scares me to no end, in doing research on my future boat I plan on purchasing and equipping 1) bilge pump 2) back up bilge pump 3) back up back up bilge pump 4) manual bilge pump
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that's going to be a pretty big boat to have a bilge big enough for all that
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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14-09-2014, 09:19
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#4
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cat herder, extreme blacksheep
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: furycame alley , tropics, mexico for now
Boat: 1976 FORMOSA yankee clipper 41
Posts: 18,967
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
sounds like less a fear of bilges as a deep fear of water. mebbe a travel trailer and a vw van might be in order..... then the water ingress would only be from above. and the sides.. and..... just sayin...
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14-09-2014, 09:21
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#5
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running down a dream
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Florida
Boat: cape dory 30 MKII
Posts: 3,115
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
after you own a boat for a while and it has not sunk yet .. you will get over your Bilgeaphobia and find new things to worry about
__________________
some of the best times of my life were spent on a boat. it just took a long time to realize it.
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14-09-2014, 09:45
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Location: daytona beach florida
Boat: csy 37
Posts: 2,976
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
Quote:
Originally Posted by zeehag
sounds like less a fear of bilges as a deep fear of water. mebbe a travel trailer and a vw van might be in order..... then the water ingress would only be from above. and the sides.. and..... just sayin...
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I usually have to run your posts through my English-to-English translation computer, but this one is easily understood, straight to the point, and funny as hell. Thanks for that one, Zeehag!
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14-09-2014, 09:49
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Boat: 48 Wauquiez Pilot Saloon
Posts: 5,975
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
Quote:
Originally Posted by gonesail
after you own a boat for a while and it has not sunk yet .. you will get over your Bilgeaphobia and find new things to worry about
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+1
Accident's do happen.... But I can guarantee you that your boat will never sink in the slip if you take care of your due diligence...
It's the neglected boats you hear of sinking that are mostly negligent ownership karma taking it's turn...
__________________
In the harsh marine environment, something is always in need of repair...
Mai Tai's fix everything...
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14-09-2014, 10:07
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#8
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Writing Full-Time Since 2014
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Deale, MD
Boat: PDQ Altair, 32/34
Posts: 9,601
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
[QUOTE=Monkeyfist;1627837]... In the unlikely event that all bilge systems fail, that old saying still stands: The best bilge pump is a scared man with a bucket. I can personally confirm this.
...QUOTE]
Please explain how you carry the buckets up the companion way ladder and out through the washboards (closed, assuming it is rough). I understand how this works in small boats, but as a purely practical matter, getting those buckets out of a larger boat may be slow going until the water is well up the ladder.
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14-09-2014, 10:09
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#9
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CLOD
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: being planted in Jacksonville Fl
Boat: none
Posts: 20,415
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
[QUOTE=thinwater;1627883]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monkeyfist
... In the unlikely event that all bilge systems fail, that old saying still stands: The best bilge pump is a scared man with a bucket. I can personally confirm this.
...QUOTE]
Please explain how you carry the buckets up the companion way ladder and out through the washboards (closed, assuming it is rough). I understand how this works in small boats, but as a purely practical matter, getting those buckets out of a larger boat may be slow going until the water is well up the ladder.
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You pour them in the sink. If the sink is already below the waterline, it is too late.
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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14-09-2014, 10:11
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#10
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
Solution, bilge alarm.
Rig a switch a few inches higher than the main bilge pump and attach to whatever kind of alarm suites. Could be flashing lights, buzzers, bells, even go to an autodial phone to call you at home.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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14-09-2014, 10:20
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#11
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: gettin naughty on the beach in cornwall
Boat: 63 custom alloy sloop,macwester26,prout snowgoose 37 elite catamaran!
Posts: 10,594
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
besides the dirty stinkey water what about the rats ,spiders and cockroaches that love to hang out under the floorboards.................
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14-09-2014, 10:32
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#12
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Carlsbad, CA
Boat: 1976 Sabre 28-2
Posts: 7,505
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
Quote:
Originally Posted by atoll
besides the dirty stinkey water what about the rats ,spiders and cockroaches that love to hang out under the floorboards.................
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Oh, you mean my pets.
__________________
Peter O.
'Ae'a, Pearson 35
'Ms American Pie', Sabre 28 Mark II
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14-09-2014, 11:18
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Fort Myers FL
Boat: Irwin 40
Posts: 878
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
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14-09-2014, 11:22
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 7
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
Quote:
Originally Posted by gonesail
after you own a boat for a while and it has not sunk yet .. you will get over your Bilgeaphobia and find new things to worry about
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Ha +1
Quote:
Originally Posted by skipmac
Solution, bilge alarm.
Rig a switch a few inches higher than the main bilge pump and attach to whatever kind of alarm suites. Could be flashing lights, buzzers, bells, even go to an autodial phone to call you at home.
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Now this is solid advice. I currently work at RadioShack *please don't throw tomatoes* & wiring up such an alarm can be done for less than $10
Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum
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14-09-2014, 11:33
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 7
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Re: Bilgeaphobia: Fear of Bilges
Quote:
Originally Posted by sailvayu
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Is that 30 minutes of bilge pumps?
Maybe the most boring yet necessary 30 minutes of my life incoming this afternoon haha
A solid find
Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum
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