[C320-list] Shallow Bilge '94 C320

[WINDER & KIRONDE]

Hi Elizabeth and all that responded,
I did finally find the instructions from Catalina.  Here is the
problem: There are already some holes into the hollow beams. Some are
near the bottom that have been used by Brewer Yacht Yard to more
easily run wiring for previous owner equipment adds, so I have to
rerun the wires somehow or just caulk them in.  Also there are the
bilge pump exit piping and fridge drain piping that penetrate the beam
near the galley sole.  Water going into the bilge from the engine
compartment through the Catalina installed tubes backs up through the
difficult to seal pipe penetrations.
Catalina also installed fiberglass tubes connecting most of the bilge
compartments, not just from the engine bilge as shown in the Catalina
directive. (these do not take water from inside the beams.)  The
problem here is that as all compartments are connected and the bilge
pump does not come on until the water level is up to about 1 1/2
inches, all of the compartments flood before the pump comes on.  So if
there is a little water at the bilge pump area there is a little water
in every compartment, and it stays there indefinitely unless you pull
up the sole boards and dry out each bilge compartment. The only
solution to this problem is to somehow block the tubes forward of the
bilge pump and periodically inspecting the forward compartments.

Bill Winder
INDIGO #97
Winthrop MA