Photos of bilges?

[tronic72]

Hi Everyone,

I'm currently refitting my 31 foot flybridge cabin cruiser and am trying to bring the bilge, engines etc into the present day. I'm installing new toilet system, replacing the through hills with composite etc. I don't know any other people with this type of boat and the neighbours in the yard all have yachts.

I'd love to see some photos of bilges in any motor boats to see how things are done. Mine is a 1984 boat so anything newer will be an education.

Here's a photo of the project.

Thanks in advance.

[Sailmonkey]

When you say a photo of a bilge, to me that means the lowest point in the hull that accumulates water and sludge.

I could post a photo of a clean, dry, white painted sump but something tells me that's not what you're after.

[tronic72]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

When you say a photo of a bilge, to me that means the lowest point in the hull that accumulates water and sludge.

I could post a photo of a clean, dry, white painted sump but something tells me that's not what you're after.

The area below the floor where the engines and pumps and tanks etc are located. I thought it was the bilge .

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by tronic72

The area below the floor where the engines and pumps and tanks etc are located. I thought it was the bilge .

Bilge compartment in a steel hulled ship (looking down).
The bilge (IPA: /bɪldʒ/) is the lowest compartment on a ship or seaplane, below the waterline, where the two sides meet at the keel. The first known use of the word is from 1513.[1]





I think what you're after is specific photos of installations of versions pieces of mechanical equipment installed in your machinery spaces.

[Pete7]

What ever you end up with they should be dry and clean so smells don't develop, sadly something not very common in yachts.

[tronic72]

Hi Pete,

This is why I made the post. The area below the floor on my boat was a mixture of sludge, rust and oil.

These are a few pictures after a heap of hard work.

[Sailmonkey]

Ok, you actually wanted bilge pictures.

Gotta say, it looks great! I've just never known anyone to want bilge pictures before, always just some piece of equipment to see how it's supposed to look.

[tronic72]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Ok, you actually wanted bilge pictures.

Gotta say, it looks great! I've just never known anyone to want bilge pictures before, always just some piece of equipment to see how it's supposed to look.

Hey Monkey,

Maybe I'm using the wrong terminology. I guess what I'm wanting to see is the workings of the boats in the bilge. The engines, cabling, filters, shafts, stuffing boxes ect. All of the components that make a cruiser "go". Maybe "engine room" would have been better suited although o don't just want to see engines.

My boat is from 1984 and I've discovered things have changed in a big way with the advent of new technology so I'm keen to see how things can be done differently and make improvement where possible.

Thanks for the reply.

[Diesel Bill]

Originally Posted by tronic72

Hi Pete,

This is why I made the post. The area below the floor on my boat was a mixture of sludge, rust and oil.

These are a few pictures after a heap of hard work. Attachment 146378Attachment 146379

Attachment 146377

WOW! That is cleeeean. I see I have a lot of work to do. Every time I think I'm getting close to clean another dirty oily job comes along. That's why I was so happy to take a break from the E/R and start refinishing the salon sole.
I even threw my dirty oily bilge shoes in the trash.

[tronic72]

Originally Posted by Diesel Bill

WOW! That is cleeeean. I see I have a lot of work to do. Every time I think I'm getting close to clean another dirty oily job comes along. That's why I was so happy to take a break from the E/R and start refinishing the salon sole.

I even threw my dirty oily bilge shoes in the trash.

Hey thanks for thumbs up. Has been a lot of hard work. I purchased the boat on the hard stand with one dead motor and decided while it was there I would do it right. Big learning curve.

[Three Sisters]

You can eat off the floor, ooops, bilge, as the saying goes.

Any plans for drip pans under the machinery ?

[tronic72]

Originally Posted by Three Sisters

You can eat off the floor, ooops, bilge, as the saying goes.

Any plans for drip pans under the machinery ?

Hey thanks for the thumbs up Three Sisters. No I didn't know about drip pans and the fact you told me about them validates the post. Thanks for great idea! I'll look into them. Do you have them on your own boat? If so what brand/type?

[Three Sisters]

Originally Posted by tronic72

Hey thanks for the thumbs up Three Sisters. No I didn't know about drip pans and the fact you told me about them validates the post. Thanks for great idea! I'll look into them. Do you have them on your own boat? If so what brand/type?

You're welcome.

Yes. Only (drip pan) used at engine/tranny oil change time because the engine oil filter is top mounted with the bottom up. A full sheet baking pan, something like 24x18 inches. At just over an inch in depth it is not for a continuous stream of fluid. Re-purposed and cheap. Ez to store or make permanent.