Bilge Burps

[Ken Shubert]

If I put the port rail to the water, my bilge pump burps water. It's impossible to get the hose looped as high as the rail. Several other H23.5s seem to have this problem too. Since there's no ' V' hull to collect the bilge water, it gets ditributed all around and takes a long time to dry out. Has anyone tried installing a check valve of some type? Any other ideas? Are we sailing it too hard?

 

[Ed Knebel]

put in loop

I had the same problem with my 23.5, you need to attach the bilge pump output hose to the bottom of the sink, or similar location. The goal is to make a part of the hose higher than the waterline(and waves) on starboard tack, and/or not trap water for release on port tack. You may have to get a longer hose.

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

A loop won't always work...

When a thru-hull is below waterline underway, water can be forced up the hose--and up and over any loop in the line. I've seen sink drains turned in fountains by "ram water." The best solution is a one-way valve in the bilge pump discharge line at the top of the loop that's already there...which has the added advantage of preventing the water--which can be a pint or even a quart--between the pump and the top of the loop from running back down into the bilge when the pump turns off...leaving you with a dry bilge. In fact, it's what I had to install on the forward bilge pump on my own boat.

 

[Dave Condon]

Hunter 23.5

Speaking from extreme experience with the Hunter 23.5, you should not be getting any water in your boat. If it is, I suspect that you may be getting water coming in at the rubrail where the base is screwed in. Remove the insert and you will see the screws.If you are putting your rubrail into the water, you will fighting the boat thus loosing performance. If your wife or girlfriend has not choked you yet as a result of scarring her, this might be another reason not to heel it over that much. I do not recommend heeling over 15 degrees in any of the Hunter water ballasted boats. If I had a knot meter on your boat, I would prove this to you. Most of the time, you will have too much sail which needs to be reduced for the wind conditions.

 

[Ken Shubert]

Cork It!

It may not be a permanent fix, but one suggestion is to "put a cork in it" and it does work. Dry as a bone! It's too easy to forget back at the slip, however. The wave action seems to cause the problem more than the angle of heel. I also was told to buy a 'decent' bilge pump and it wouldn't backflow but the specs don't seem to mention this. Thanks for the ideas.Ken