Installing a manual bilge pump

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Glen Simonds

This will be our first season with our newly aquired 1990 Legend 35.5 and it seems that the boat came from the factory without a manual bilge pump. We of course have an electric bilge pump wired in and a second portable 12v pump. But I feel there should be a manual pump installed (too much reliance on 12V when things might be going very wrong). Has anyone out there installed a manual bilge pump on a 35.5? If so, I would love to know what model you chose, where you mounted the pump and how you routed the pick up hose to the bilge. I was thinking of mounting the pump in the aft port cockpit locker (beside the helm seat)which should be good for the discharge plumbing but routing the pick-up hose looks like a challenege. I would appreciate any advice. Thank you, Glen
 
Dec 2, 2003
4,245
- - Seabeck WA
Glen, as a 34 owner, I can't help with hose

routing, but,,,,,many years ago, I considered such an installation. Routing the hose on a beam & spider hull (Hunters) is a bitch. Couldn't figure out a way to do it. So I installed a tee and a pickup hose from the engines raw water pickup. The tee was actually a selector valve. It worked well, when tested. But,,,it was never needed. That's good. And in retrospect, I didn't re-plumb it after we rebuilt the boat. A secondary pump is manually activated. That means it won't do any good if you aren't aboard, so why bother? If you are aboard and single handing, are you going to work the pump at the helm or chase down the leak? If you have a crew you'll chase it down even faster. Then you can use the 'scared sailor with a bucket' pump. That's the best. :) But it's your call, like a PFD.
 
Mar 1, 2004
351
Catalina 387 Cedar Mills-Lake Texhoma
Hole?

There should be a hole on the side of your aft port cockpit locker where the handle sticks out. I can't believe that somebody didn't miss that. If you want, I could take a picture when I go to the boat this weekend.
 
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Roger Magill

No hole

Our 1990 35.5 has no hole in the port aft locker (I assume you are talking about the "most" aft, at the transom). That must be a retrofit. Our boat used to have a manual pump installed in the starboard helm seat locker, but this is an akward area to try and pump from. If I was installing one, I would probably put it in the starboard lazarret locker, in the stern facing bulkhead, with the handle removed and a covered opening facing aft. This would allow one person to stay at the helm and operate the pump, if needed, within reach of all engine controls.
 
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Glen Simonds

Thanks for the input.

Roger - I was thinking of the pump in the port locker beside the helm seat with the removable pump handle coming through the forward face since putting it in the starboard aft locker would impead the "wonderful" battery access. But the startboard lazarret might be even better - as you said for actually operating the pump. I'll keep you posted when I get it installed and routed. Cheers,
 
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