[C320-list] Bilge pump problem

[Bill Culbertson]

A good way to get rid of nearly all of the factory debris in a controlled situation is this.

When you have time/energy, take a garden hose and fill the bilge all the way up to the floorboards.  Put a screen of some sort over the bilge pump intakes (auto&manual) before pumping out if you don't already have one in place.  Then pump it out.  Keep an eye on it.  Lots of crud will come down into the bilge from all the areas the water reached.  Do this a few times until crud stops coming in.

Now you know that if something unfortunate happens that puts more water into the bilge than normal, the problem won't be compounded by all the crud which is found by this water reaching places which water has never seen before.

We had an uncomfortable situation crossing Lake Michigan from Muskegon MI to the 2002 Chicago Regatta in that the muffler developed a leak (probably from pounding in the thunderstorm we were in). We were unaware of the leak and motoring - trying to keep her nose into the 45+K winds - all the while pumping exhaust water into the bilge.  When one of us noticed the floorboards floating, it was scary until we figured out the source of the "leak".  A big clue was that the bilge water was warm but when your boat is taking on water in a thunderstorm 50 miles from shore in 200 feet of depth, sometimes the big clues take a bit to register through the adrenaline!

The automatic bilge pump valves had become stuck open with construction debris that the muffler water flooding the bilge had dislodged.  

 -bill
 Harmony #859

----- Original Message ----
From: K L <sfca33 at hotmail.com>
To: c320-list at catalina320.org
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2006 12:03:36 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Bilge pump problem


I once had a debris blockage that I managed to clear by running the bilge 
pump while running a water hose into the intake. The water pressure cleared 
the blockage without my having to disassemble or replace the pump.

As a side issue I should say that I am very disappointed in Catalina in that 
they left a great deal of debris in my boat most of it in the form of saw 
dust. Eventually this saw dust makes its way to the bilge. After my pump 
blockage I cleared out as much as I could but it still accumulates in the 
bilge. I think that Catalina should have spent the time vacuming up that saw 
dust.

Ken Danko
Grace, #802
San Francisco



>
>Most likely you sucked some debris into the bilge pump.  There are 2 small 
>rubber flaps in the pump, if debris gets stuck it will not pump.  Not easy 
>to take apart but cheaper than buying new.
>Sincerely,
>Herb Creech
>Cloud Chaser #606
>
>-------------- Original message --------------
>From: Marty Mattler <mmattler at optonline.net>
>
> > My bilge pump will not pump water out of the bilge if the pump out take 
>hose has
> > water in it. I discovered this after empting the water heater into a dry 
>bilge.
> > After removing water from the out take hose the bilge pump worked but 
>the same
> > issue happened after I retested the pump. For those of you that have 
>replaced
> > your bilge pump and have the deeper bilge model (I have #754, 2000 
>model), did
> > you use a similar Jabsco replacement pump or change to a submersible 
>model?
> >
> > Marty Mattler
> > Sailscall #754
> >
> >
> >

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