Bilge Pump placement in an O'Day 22

[keary N]

I'll be mooring my 1981, O'Day 22 for the first time this season and I am planning on putting in an automatic bilge pump. Where have others placed the pump, how did you fix it to the hull, and where did you drain. All ideas are welcome. I think that I have a plan, but I would appreciate the experience of others.

 

[Jackdaw]

Here's a different perspective. Personally, I would not worry about it. I kept a 23 footer on a mooring for years...

It's is very rare for a boat of that size to 'spring a leak' and to sink on her mooring.

Now if you had a pump, and assuming it could keep up with the leak, it would do so for 12 hours, the battery would go flat, and THEN she would sink. What you end up betting on is that you happen to come to the boat in the few hours the pump has power.

I'd spend the money on preventive means to keep the water out.

 

[Hydro Therapy]

Keary, I have the same model, 1980 which is the same as your 81. I don't have a bilge pump in mine. The water collects under the keel cover. There isn't enough area to put a bilge pump under the floor access. I use a manual pump to suck it out of that area. I rarely have to use it. If you seal all the potential leak spots around the deck, no or little water should get in.

 

[kpgraci]

On my 73 i do get water in the bilge after a heavy rain - hull to deck seal probably, but a manual pump is all I use. Jut for convenience I bought a small, cheap manual bilge pump but never installed it because it would require enlarging the access hole to the bilge, no big deal just never did it. With no thru hulls there is no way for sea water to enter the boat, and like Jackdaw said, a hole will sink her pump or no.

Ive had mine in the water for several years now, at first it did make me nervous but really it is unfounded.

 

[keary N]

Keary, I have the same model, 1980 which is the same as your 81. I don't have a bilge pump in mine. The water collects under the keel cover. There isn't enough area to put a bilge pump under the floor access. I use a manual pump to suck it out of that area. I rarely have to use it. If you seal all the potential leak spots around the deck, no or little water should get in.

thanks for the input, I too get water into the well area surrounding the center board while sailing. I've stopped most of the rain water leaks and will compleat butyl taping all deck hardware and lights prior to putting her in.
I guess that I am nervous about the water that comes into the centerboard area while at sail continuing while moored. The hull is sound, the only below water access is the centerboard sleeve .

 

[adanob]

Install the bilge pump system correctly

I just had to remove my boat from the water. The marine patrol stopped by my house to tell me that the boat was sinking. I searched for leaks by filling the boat with water while on the trailer and nothing leaked out.

It turns out that my bilge thru-hull was too close to the waterline. The bilge pump was automatic but it could not keep up with the intake.

I have removed the thru-hull and rerouted the bilge pump hoses to a stern out-take way above the water line. I was going to remove the pump altogether but having a bilge pump in the boat is a good idea for obvious reasons.

http://www.yachtsurvey.com/sinking.htm is a great resource for this subject.

 

[pfschmid]

Re: Install the bilge pump system correctly

You could also install a backflow preventer, but having the thru hull higher is a good thing.

 

[adanob]

I will probably do both things.