So what do you store in your bilge?

[Colorado Dreamer]

I have a very nice, clean dry bilge...but I have never stored anything down there because as a kid growing up, my father always taught me that that was a never do.

More and more though I hear about people storing all kinds of things in their bilge. I was wondering what you might store, if anything, or is my dad right?

I was thinking of storing can food without the labels, misc. extra parts, etc.

[rexposeidon]

I store nothing permanently, and only sturdy items that wont be broken rattling around down there. How deep is your bilge?

[Colorado Dreamer]

Originally Posted by rexposeidon

How deep is your bilge?

12" in the area I am thinking of using for storage.

[rexposeidon]

as long as it doesn't block the pump, I would think it would be a convenient place for the occasional storage.. It will reduce the overall capacity of the bilge making your pump work harder and more often.

[David M]

Seawater...occasionally. A few oil sorbs, just in case I have an accident. But not near the bilge pumps. (three compartment boat)

[senormechanico]

Just the watermaker and the cat's litter tray (litter box is accessable thru a hatch)

Steve B.

[scallywag]

I store dust in my bilge unless a sea comes over the deck. If that happens water goes down the anchor rode pipe into the bilge. I have not thought about storing anything there because the bilge does not have compartments. The stuff would move all over the bottom of the bilge and I would never find it again.
John

[cooper]

Do you mean the "bilge proper" or just under the cabin sole ? In the bilge itself I would not store anything unless the bilge is very large. If it is large you should be able to put compartments away from the bilge pump with through pipes fore and aft. Spare water in solid plastic containers or NON emergency maintenance spares in solid screw lid plastic containers. Some cruisers store wine there. You need to remember the upside down rule.What would happen if my boat tipped over ? If I have a huge amount of weight below the sole will it bust through and give me grief ?
Fill your bilge with buckets of water and see what happens with the bilge pump cycle. How long does it take to empty ? How much water is there in there before the pump starts ? Do you have a manual pump that picks up from there too? How long does it take you to empty the bilge. Although these questions may seem irrelevant to your question, they are actually about deciding how big you bilge should be, and therefore how much space you may be able to use for other purposes.

[Strygaldwir]

While cruising my wife has these plastic containers that she puts various can goods and stores those in the bridge. I do the same with extra plumbing fittings.

When we are not cruising, we don't have a need for many stores, and the bilges generally go un used.

[Joli]

Only chain when passaging.

[ssullivan]

We used to keep our canned foods (and some dry as well) in the bilge in our 45' monohull. Now, we have a few old spares, a dustpan and um... well... that's about it. Haven't come close to filling up the regular storage shelving in the galley yet on this new boat.

[Morgan Paul]

So what do you store in your bilge?

I store leaking rain water in my bilge .
My bilge is about 2 inches deep .

[Evan]

I used to store about 5 dozen bottles of wine in Rubbermaid tubs. Stiffened the boat up quite noticeably...

[Factor]

Whats a bilge?

[Unicorn Dreams]

Evan
Stiffened the boat or the Skipper?

I keep 3 group 8d batteries in my bilge, very secured and good place to keep 500 lbs. of batteries. Down low...