Bilge and shower plumbing 11.0a

[sailcruiser]

I am hoping other 11.0a owners can comment on the Inge and shower plumbing. I am curious if what I have is how it was designed or if it was changed at some point. I don't like how it is done and am exploring other options.

I have a through hull under the galley sink (port side of keel almost directly under the boat) that has 3 purposes. It is the outlet for the bilge pumps which are located under the cabin sole with long pick up hoses. There is also a valve that has to be switched for the shower sump to pump water out.

It looks like this if you need a visual:

Seacock: hose to three way valve- galley drain is always open-valve for either bilge or shower pump

I don't like this because I close all seacocks when away from the boat but obviously can't do this because of bilge pumps. I'd also like the shower sump to work independently if needed in a high water situation.

The manual bilge pump uses the cockpit scupper which I'm also not keen on.

How is your 11.0 set up? Where are the through hulls located if different than above?
SC

 

[BobM]

9.2A

I don't know about other 11.0s but the 9.2A has the bilge pump hoses tied into the cockpit scupper drains using tees. The galley sink through hull on the 9.2 is above the water line so it is probably just as low risk to use it as the cockpit drains, which are also above the water line.

There is a trade off in using a safe, higher output point, which is that head height reduces pump performance. Most bilge pumps are rated with a head, making their ratings nearly useless for a sailboat with a deep bilge like a 9.2 or 11.0. Just wanted to make sure you were aware of that in case you decide to move your output point. You could also alleviate some of your concern with a check valve, but that too may reduce flow, although some flapper valves are pretty good in that regard.

Good luck with your decision,

Bob

 

[Mark Maulden]

Hey SC, my bilge pump (one of those belt driven jabsco) is on the hull under the dry locker in the galley. Inlet hose goes into the deep bilge and output of pump goes up to the toe rail and back down to just below the waterline by the dry locker. The galley sink goes straight down to it's own thru hull. When I bought the boat, the shower pump was next to the knotmeter propeller under the sole access hatch by the shower. There was a "y" valve in the bilge by the galley. Shower water was pumped down to the galley, through the valve and either 1) into the bilge or 2) back up under the shower and out it's own thru hull under the head sink. I got rid of all that and replaced the pump in the same location and goes directly out the thru hull. The manual bilge pump is behind the quarter berth and accessed in the cockpit and also discharges out the cockpit drain which is also the deck scupper. There are four thru hulls under the head sink. 1) head inlet, 2) shower out, 3) sink out, 4) head discharge. I don't think the electric bilge pump or shower configuration was factory. When I had another 11.0a thirty yrs ago, there was a submersible pump in the shallow bilge with the outlet under the nav station and up and out. I think the electric pumps were part of the local commissioning. And, I can't fathom a factory install of putting shower water in the bilge. My prior boat was setup the way I changed this one wrt the shower design.

 

[sailcruiser]

Hey SC, my bilge pump (one of those belt driven jabsco) is on the hull under the dry locker in the galley. Inlet hose goes into the deep bilge and output of pump goes up to the toe rail and back down to just below the waterline by the dry locker. The galley sink goes straight down to it's own thru hull. When I bought the boat, the shower pump was next to the knotmeter propeller under the sole access hatch by the shower. There was a "y" valve in the bilge by the galley. Shower water was pumped down to the galley, through the valve and either 1) into the bilge or 2) back up under the shower and out it's own thru hull under the head sink. I got rid of all that and replaced the pump in the same location and goes directly out the thru hull. The manual bilge pump is behind the quarter berth and accessed in the cockpit and also discharges out the cockpit drain which is also the deck scupper. There are four thru hulls under the head sink. 1) head inlet, 2) shower out, 3) sink out, 4) head discharge. I don't think the electric bilge pump or shower configuration was factory. When I had another 11.0a thirty yrs ago, there was a submersible pump in the shallow bilge with the outlet under the nav station and up and out. I think the electric pumps were part of the local commissioning. And, I can't fathom a factory install of putting shower water in the bilge. My prior boat was setup the way I changed this one wrt the shower design.

Thanks Mark that was kind of what I was guessing but needed the sanity check. (I'm still nuts but at least a little less so on this point.). I have 2 through hulls under the head sink one for water in for the flushing and one to drain the head sink. Then the one very busy one under the galley sink, a raw water cooling through hull and the currently dead transducer for the knot meter. I have a new one that came with the boat but its much smaller than the existing hole.

It just seems like a bad idea to drain bilge water under the boat but maybe I'm over thinking this.
SC

 

[Mark Maulden]

Hmmmm.... If it's the way i'm envisioning, the possibilitly exists that all your bilge pump line is below the waterline? Especially when healing...Check valves make me nervous. You can tell if they're stuck shut but you can't tell if they're stuck open.....I think I'd take your bilge out to a separate thru hull and take the line up to the toe rail and back down....