Bilge pump under the engine

[Philip_Oceanis 361]

In the Beneteau 361 if the compartment (or whatever is called) under the engine fills with water for any reason, it will overflow and the compartment containg the batteries will then get filled with water. It will not cover the batteries but I guess could cause problems.
I believe a bilge pump should have been installed under the engine. What do you think? Has anybody installed one?

 

[heritage]

Have you checked to see if there are passage ways for bilge water cut into the engine room bulkheads. They should be fore and aft and at the lowest part of the bulkheads. They can easily become clogged.

 

[Gunni]

In the Beneteau 361 if the compartment (or whatever is called) under the engine fills with water for any reason, it will overflow and the compartment containg the batteries will then get filled with water. It will not cover the batteries but I guess could cause problems.
I believe a bilge pump should have been installed under the engine. What do you think? Has anybody installed one?

And discharge oil waste in violation of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act? The engine bilge is separate for a reason. If if floods, the water will drain to the bilge pump via limber holes provided.

 

[Benjamin Disralei]

Hi Philip

I gather the water is coming from a leaking stern gland...? I would prefer to fix that problem and would not consider installing a bilge under your motor as per Gunni's reply, do you have on-board a manual or auto bilge...?

 

[AndyS]

I have a B281 and I think the arrangement is somewhat similar. I always thought that there should be a bilge pump near the engine that was automatic. I installed an automatic bilge pump with a separate discharge overboard just under the coupling of the prop shaft to the engine. It is not sitting under the engine, but if the shaft seal fails or a seacock breaks I at least have an automatic pump ready to handle that problem. On my boat there was just a manual bilge pump (no good if you are not there) and an electric pump (also not automatic) that drained the area just over the keel. I can sleep better knowing that I have an auto bilge pump ready to handle a shaft seal leak or something else in that part of the boat. I believe that everyone should have an auto bilge pump somewhere near the bilge and suspect that they are now more standard than they were when my boat was built in the late '90s.

 

[Gunni]

I have a B281 and I think the arrangement is somewhat similar. I always thought that there should be a bilge pump near the engine that was automatic. I installed an automatic bilge pump with a separate discharge overboard just under the coupling of the prop shaft to the engine. It is not sitting under the engine, but if the shaft seal fails or a seacock breaks I at least have an automatic pump ready to handle that problem. On my boat there was just a manual bilge pump (no good if you are not there) and an electric pump (also not automatic) that drained the area just over the keel. I can sleep better knowing that I have an auto bilge pump ready to handle a shaft seal leak or something else in that part of the boat. I believe that everyone should have an auto bilge pump somewhere near the bilge and suspect that they are now more standard than they were when my boat was built in the late '90s.

The bilge pump in the keel sump is the place to put an automatic pump -EVERYTHING drains to there, even the shaft packing through-hull. You can convert the existing electric pump to automatic with a separate fused battery direct circuit and water detector switch. If it concerns you, consider wiring a pump cycle counter w/pump-on alarm/lamp.