[Rhodes22-list] Reply to Bud on bilge water

[David Walker]

I've been watching the traffic on bilge pumps with great interest.  I'd like
to make a few comments and observations:

1.   Whether a boat is "supposed" to have water in the bilge or not, the
prudent mariner has more than one way to remove water from the inside of his
boat if the unforseen or infrequently forseen happens.  Thru hulls crack,
rocks are hit, waves poop.  In my case this year while my boat was on its
mooring, the centerboard cap started to leak enough to cycle the bilge pump
about once every two days.  Since I was travelling and away from the boat
for a week or so, I would have come home to it awash.  I know it is the CB
cap since it was salt water and I removed the floor and tightened all the
cap bolts which reduced the leak to an inch or two every week.  My 500 ghp
West  pump empties the bilge in about 2 minutes.

2.  If one mounts the pump just forward of the CB under the access plate in
the sole, plumbing it to drain is a problem.  due to the fore and aft
stringers on each side of the bilge.  I have not seen a good solution.  Next
spring I plan to drill a hole though the stringer to the space under the
sink, and then run the hose up to the sink drain.

3.  Bilge pump discharges will syphon seawater back into the boat if two
conditions are met; 1) the discharge thruhull is under water when the pump
as been pumping water and shuts off, and 2) the hose is airtight from the
thruhull to a point under water in the bilge.  This can happen on a boat
when it is heeled (Port tack on a R22) and the pump has an auto switch which
leaves an inch or two in the bilge.  The second condition usually  is
addressed by a vented loop in the discharge line.  The top of the loop is
place above water line at all angles of heel and a poppet valve is placed a
the top that allows air in but not water out.  This breaks the syphon
suction if condition 1 is met.

4.  I've never heeled enough to have sea water come in the sink drain.
Tying the bilge pump in to the sink drain creates an automatic syphon break
because the sink drain is open.  Seawater can not syphon back into the bilge
unless you have a tightly fitting plug in your sink.


David Walker
David Walker Photography
davidwalkerphotography.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Lowe" <rlowe at vt.edu>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 9:58 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Reply to Bud on bilge water


> Ed's right, from past discussions, one area where water gets in is the
> cockpit/cabin interface.  Look under the seats in this area and you'll see
> the cabin is open at this point.  Either drilled holes in the seats or the
> ceneterboard line hose are possible culprits.  Make sure the centerboard
> line runs through a (mine is a garden hose) hose to the centerboard cap
and
> is well sealed.  My leak turned out to be along the rub rail which hides
the
> seam between the two halves of the boat.  I think it was Roger who
suggested
> removing the rub rail, caulking, and replacing the rail.  I just ran a
bead
> of caulk on top and bottom of the rail and my leak went away. - Rob
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "ed kroposki" <ekroposki at charter.net>
> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 7:15 PM
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Reply to Bud on bilge water
>
>
> Bud,
> Rhodes 22's are not supposed to have water in the bilge.  This has
> been a recurring topic for over six years on this list.  Have you
researched
> the archives to see possible causes?  The water seepage can cause more
> serious problems.
> I had the same recurring problem after heavy rains.  I could not
> determine the cause until I was sitting in the cabin during a heavy
> downpour.  After the thunder and noise of heavy rain, I heard a plunk,
> plunk, of dripping water.  Low and behold water was dripping in from the
> cockpit.  It was running along the bottom of the seats and over the
bulkhead
> and dripping into the back of the cabin on the inside of the bulkhead.
Why
> was that happening?  Well a previous owner did not like water accumulating
> in the seat trenches and drilled two drainage holes so that water would
drop
> onto the cockpit floor.  One fix for a problem caused an unanticipated
> problem.
> Rather than just plug the drain holes, I attached tubing to drain
> the water directly to the cockpit floor.  Now only occasionally after a
rain
> which wets the hatch do I get water in the bilge.
> What I am saying, the best approach is to solve the cause.  Make
> like Sherlock.  But first look into the archives and find the numerous
> previous discussions of the problem.
>
> Ed K
> Greenville, SC, USA
>
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