Draining the Bilge

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Aug 15, 2009
2
Oday 20'Daysailer Back yard.
Hello. I'm new on this site and I have a dillema. I own a 1977 20' O'Day. How can I completely drain the water from the bilge ? I have a plastic through hole fitting with a hex head. The fitting sticks up about 1 1/2", making it impossible to drain fully. I tried to unscrew it, but having put a fair amount of force into it with no result, I didn't want to break it off. Any advice ?
 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
Hello. I'm new on this site and I have a dillema. I own a 1977 20' O'Day. How can I completely drain the water from the bilge ? I have a plastic through hole fitting with a hex head. The fitting sticks up about 1 1/2", making it impossible to drain fully. I tried to unscrew it, but having put a fair amount of force into it with no result, I didn't want to break it off. Any advice ?
You could always install a manual bilge pump and locate the intake at the lowest point in the bilge where the water collects. I installed one years ago that can be operated with a detachable handle in the cockpit. I've never had to use it. Mine was made in Rhode Island and I think it's a Gusher. Why are you getting water in your bilge? Is it coming from your ice chest, or do you have water leaking in from somewhere?
Joe
 
Sep 20, 2006
367
Oday 20 Seneca Lake
i have an oday 20 and i don't have a bilge drain as described. i have a round hole in the floor right under the cabin door entrance over the keel area but it has no fitting. are you really talking about the cockpit drain rather than the bilge?

my cockpit drain is in the center by the cabin entrance. the fitting only sticks up about 1/4 inch at most. if that is what your problem, maybe someone redneck engineered something that's not working. you can get correct drain fitting from d&r marine.

http://www.drmarine.com/default.asp
 
Aug 15, 2009
2
Oday 20'Daysailer Back yard.
I greatly appreciate the feedback fellas. It seems a manual pump will probably be my best option. As for why I have so much water in the cabin, my own stupidity. I didn't cover the boat properly last fall. Debris clogged the cockpit drain, cockpit owerflowed into the cabin. Nice mess. I probably won't let that happen again. Thanks for the solution though. Smooth sailing to all.
 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
I greatly appreciate the feedback fellas. It seems a manual pump will probably be my best option. As for why I have so much water in the cabin, my own stupidity. I didn't cover the boat properly last fall. Debris clogged the cockpit drain, cockpit owerflowed into the cabin. Nice mess. I probably won't let that happen again. Thanks for the solution though. Smooth sailing to all.
As I pointed out to you, I have a manual bilge pump and there are a couple of types that you can buy on the market. Mine is the type that needs to be installed with hoses and a thru hull outlet. I haven't used it in years so I'm really not sure if the rubber diaphram or the gaskets are still in working order. Oh I suppose that I could test it with a bucket of water, but I just haven't gotten around to it, but where you have some debri in your bilge, if it were me I'd buy one of those cheap plastic hand opperated bilge pumps because they always work. I think that they will pump water with a certain amount of debri in it without clogging. You could have the outlet hose drain into the cockpit and let the selfbailing hose in the cockpit discharge the water. For the amount of use that you're going to get out of a bilge pump, a simple plastic bilge pump that you can buy at "Worst Marine" will work great for you. I always carry two buckets on board my boat. If the pump don't work, the bucket will.
Joe
 
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