How nervous should I be?

[Dr. D]

My boat is on the hard and the batteries are disconnected. Next week the boat will be put back in the slip. The weekend after that Is the first time I can get to the boat and get the electricals back in order and get the bilge pump powered.

So how nervous should I be about the boat in the water with no bilge pump for a few days? I will be at the boat this weekend to do final maintenance and check all the seacocks are closed.

There has never been water entering the hull from rain, although the weather will be mostly dry next week.

[Suijin]

Sounds like you'll not be there when the boat is splashed, but I can only assume that the yard will check the boat as they put her in and make sure nothing is leaking.

As to how nervous you should be, that's like asking what the probability is that you'll have a car accident tomorrow. We can't answer that. Chances are exceedingly good that if there are no leaks when the boat is splashed that none will develop over the course of the following few days, but we don't know the boat and can't give you advice.

For peace of mind you could ask the yard to check on the boat once a day while you're not there, or ask them to hook up the batteries so the bilge pump operates. What you do is a matter of your appetite for is probably very minimal risk, but risk is risk.

[James S]

If you have done your due diligence i would not be overly worried.. as I write this my bilge pump switch is not working.. have a new one but have not yet installed it.. I know my boat inside and out.. i know the condition of my through hull fittings and hoses.. i know its neighbours.. the dock.. and the other know, known risks..
If you have to ask the question then i would ask the yard to keep an eye on her..

[Dr. D]

Yeah, I should relax. The boat looked fine and all seacocks are closed. Thanks for the replies!

[sailstoo]

One would assume that the yard is going to start the engine to get the boat to its slip. To do that they would have to hook up the batteries. Just ask them to flip the on switch for the bilge pump.

[JPA Cate]

sailstoo,

FYI, you've made an incorrect assumption. One of the marinas we stay at some of the time uses their work boat to move people's boats, so no start up of the vessel need be involved. The custom where you leave your boat may be different.

We don't know, either, if Dr. D left his engine water intake seacock open, or not, or other details about how the boat was left, except that the batteries are disconnected. No idea of how much charge they have, how long the boat has been out. There are way too many variables for an outsider to figure out how much risk is involved. He, presumably, does know all that, and therefore is in a better position to decide whether or not to take the risk than we are.

Ann

[Enrique100]

Don't forget any sea cocks, drain plugs if you have, etc

[Dr. D]

All the seacocks are closed: Today I double checked them.

The marina uses a workboat to move boats from/to slips. The crew doesn't go into the boat.

[Idylles15.5]

I know at our marina, we will not start up the boat. It gets moved to the slip with the work boat. The owner may have winterized his own boat or whatever, so we will not perform spring launching engine service until they sign a contract to that effect. We do however check all the thru hulls and let the boat sits in the slings at the water line for a few minutes just to check all is good. The boat does get plugged in though and if you ask for battery hook up we will do that too as should most marinas.

[AKA-None]

My marina checks stuff as they don't want a sunken boat

[moseriw]

I reecommend a solar panel to keep the batteries charged all times. My boat is on the hard and all emergency systems aka. bilge pumps are online.

So if you are not sure - connect the batteries and make sure th pumps are working

[Hoodsail]

Just confirming what others have noted, here in Connecticut, yards move our boats w/o ever using the engine. Been at 3 different yards over the yrs and all routinely check stopcocks to insure they aren't frozen prior to splashing. I had a catalina 27 for about 5 yrs, which never had a bilge pump with a slowly leaking (more than it should) stuffing box, which required me to "visit the boat" 1-2x/week to hand pump out the bilge. Never an issue albeit my current boat has an electric pump w/ sensor and connected to shore power.

[Cheechako]

If you know your boat well and the seacocks are closed prior to launching I wouldn't worry.

[Don C L]

Will the yard be able to get inside the boat? I would not worry about seacocks but I might give some thought to the condition/age of the stuffing box on the prop shaft.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Dr. D

My boat is on the hard and the batteries are disconnected. Next week the boat will be put back in the slip. The weekend after that Is the first time I can get to the boat and get the electricals back in order and get the bilge pump powered.

So how nervous should I be about the boat in the water with no bilge pump for a few days? I will be at the boat this weekend to do final maintenance and check all the seacocks are closed.

There has never been water entering the hull from rain, although the weather will be mostly dry next week.

Call the marina and express your concern. They don't want a reputation of boats sinking at their dock. Unless you left her with open seacocks and disconnected I can't see a problem.