Bilge Water

[JERRY WHITE]

Ed/Steve..Thanks for the info. I used regular automotive antifreeze. is that O.K.?

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

No...except in an engine use ONLY non-toxic

marine/RV antifreeze. There are very strict guidelines for disposing of automotive antifreeze...it's highly toxic to the environment and cannot legally be pumped overboard. Getting it out of your bilge and then cleaning up after it without using your bilge pump is a major pain.

 

[Rob R.]

Fluid Extraction

Jerry, Now that you have some rather toxic material in your bilge, I would recommend getting an Oil Boy, or similar fluid extraction unit, to remove the material in the spring. I recommend the Oil Boy merely because I use one myself, but you can get decent (if not similar) results from a drill pump.Best of Luck,Rob

 

[Ed Schenck]

Not a chemist but. . . .

would not like an alcohol based anti-freeze lying in my bilge. I like the Oil Boy extractor also and I would use it now. West Marine has non-toxic for under $2. a gallon.

 

[Garry @ S/V TASHTEGO]

Dry Bilges

The ideal tool for drying out the bilges is a wet/dry vacuum. I bought a fairly small one from Home Depot and take it to TASHTEGO whenever I need to get the bilges completely dry. It works better if you remove the filter bag and filter.