auto bilge pump for Catalina 30 (1980)?

[arlenesdream@hotmail.com]

Third year with used Catalina 30. Manual bilge pump is not enough when away for more than five days...can I install an auto bilge pump? I didn't think sailboats needed them...do I have a water problem of another kind? Marina is to check it out soon...what do you think? Arlene

 

[John]

your bilge should be dry

sounds like a leek I would think its your prop shaft packing.Your bilge should be dry and stay dry.your shaft seal shouldent let in water if the moter is not runing.Im replaceing a chunk of roted wood in my bilge this weekend that my PO had drilled to mount a bilge pump and never filled the holes in the bottom of the bilge area this is going to be a nasty job.I would mount a rule pump with a non lever type switch.You can hot wire it to the house battery with a fuse and I would get a bilge counter so you can see if the pump is running two much.Johnpo

 

[Jack Swords]

You should have a bilge pump

We have had our Cat 30 over 15 years. It is a 1983 version and came with a bilge pump and float switch. We have the regular shaft packing and always have a bit of water in the bilge, but not enough to cause the pump to run. I tighten the packing when leaving the boat for several months and we return to a dry bilge, however when actively using the boat the packing is loose enough to provide lubrication to the turning shaft, but infrequently drips when the shaft is not turning. We live aboard and observe this continuously. The bilge pump is wired directly to one battery so it is always powered, never switched off. I rarely see a boat without some water in the bilge as sources can be rainwater, refrigerator, spillage, and the usual drip from the shaft packing. You can taste the water to see if it is seawater. There are other alternatives to shaft packing that leave a dry bilge if you so desire. But, I would put in a bilge pump for automatic dewatering of the bilge if I didn't have one.

 

[John]

Yes.Yes

I bought a Cat 30 last year from Grand river Ohio. It came with a RULE 500gph auto bilge pump. It is wired as Johns is directly to one of the batterys. Check the net on Rule.com. You will find that the pump cycles every 2.5 min. If the pump shaft feels resistance due to water being in bilge it pumps and then shuts down. If no water, it shuts down in a few seconds. It works great and keeps water from minor window and other leaks. You should get one.