Shoving a bilge hose down the hole!

J

John Denney

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Oct 30, 2019
114
I have fitted a new bilge pump and I have shoved a new piece of pipe down into the bilge but I am unsure if it has reached the bottom or has just "turned up" on itself... Is there any way to check if the bottom of the hose is indeed at the lowest part of the bilge?

The hose that came out was filthy - goodness knows what is down there!!!

John
 
J

johnadenney

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Oct 30, 2011
221
Well, the bilge pump would not pump! I stripped the new pump to see if any debris had found it's way into it but all was clear.. I pulled the hose up a bit, no change, pushed the hose down a bit, no change, put the end of the hose in a bucket of water and it sucked like the proverbial... hmmm... strange. I thought the pump was not powerful enough to suck from down below so I put the bucket on the ground and it sucked fine! Had a smoke and looked at the old hose.. the only difference was that the old one had been cut at 60 degrees at the end so I did the new hose the same.. popped in down the hole and it sucked like a "gudun"! How strange... so I guess the I have learn't a lesson every other nautical type in the world knows - "cut the end of bilge hose at 60 degrees or she will not suck"!
I assume there is a load of gunge down there and the hose was pushed up against it - but still weird that it would not suck when I pulled it up a bit?

Anyway, I pumped it out until it just gurgled then unscrewed the drain plug. I would guess that nearly a gallon come out! I assume there is nothing I can do about that? Does everyone just trundle around with a bit of water in the bilge all the time?

Hoping to get afloat this week.. or am I dreaming!
 
V

Vega1447

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Oct 19, 2019
921
Albin Vega 27 Limerick
Hi John.
If the diesel tank is not in the bilge then it is easy to keep the bilge dry.
My tank is in the port cockpit locker.

However a previous owner had moved the tank (good) but had not fitted a vent/breather to the new tank (bad).
Instead he (I don't believe he did this deliberately) made a bad joint in the fuel return pipe which allowed the tank to breath in hot weather through this bad joint and weep small amounts of diesel onto the floor of the engine space (very bad).

Without the bad joint the tank would have had to breath through tank fittings or else the engine would have starved of fuel.

As a result the boat stank of diesel after years of this regime.
And the bilge was contaminated with diesel.

I eventually figured out what the problem was, fitted a vent pipe and fixed the bad joint.

Later I spent a long day scrubbing out the bilge with isopropyl alcohol and then with detergent and hot water to eliminate the last of the diesel contamination.

The bilge is now clean & dry.

The joys of owning a yacht with an inboard engine.

John V1447 Breakaway

PS check the input pipe for bilge pump has not become brittle.
Mine had and a crack had formed which stopped it sucking water properly.

John Kinsella
Mathematics and Statistics Dept
University of Limerick

Phone 0035361202148
Web jkcray.maths.ul.ie
 
J

johnadenney

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Oct 30, 2011
221
I think I may move the tank one day, maybe next year! I am tired and
fed up with working on the boat now..... :(
The end is in sight though... ish! Just off to navigate the upper
reaches of the River Mersey in a rubber boat to see where all the
sandbanks are! I hope I don't run aground when I try to take the Vega
out and please God let the engine keep going! I would prefer to test
out the engine "et al" in a safer place than the Mersey - the tides
can be horrendous - I saw a tidal boar (is that how you spell it?) the
other month... so much water moving so fast - I hope a 35 year old
10hp engine will cope!

...note to self.... buy VHF and work out how how to call for help!...

Cabin boy John...

:)
 
V

Vega1447

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Oct 19, 2019
921
Albin Vega 27 Limerick
Maybe run the engine hard in forward & reverse gear with boat secured alongside before heading off?

My old MD6A can do 6kts flat out and 5 kts comfortably.

Will you really get tides over say 3-4 kts?
Of course even 3kts makes coming alongside tricky...

Good luck!

John V1447 Breakaway

John Kinsella
Mathematics and Statistics Dept
University of Limerick

Phone 0035361202148
Web jkcray.maths.ul.ie
 
J

johnadenney

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Oct 30, 2011
221
Hi John, the tidal range is over 10 meters and up to 7Knts I am afraid (literally!). I will certainly run the engine for a good "test run"... I am told the trick is to set off just before the tide turns and go like hell, with the tide, to get past Hale Bank (shallow area) then there should be enough water to see you through to the estuary or anchor if no headway can be made and wait for the next tide. I may enlist the support of the outboard as well. Two engines - posh eh!

I have booked the crane to dump it in the canal for Tuesday which gives me a few days to check it floats and that the cooker works... it's all getting far to exciting - although it will probably be wet and windy and I shall chicken out!
 
T

tomfentonvega2977beowulf

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Aug 29, 2011
103
There is an article in the current Yachting Monthly about going aground in the Mersey. The passage was from Fiddler's Ferry to New Brighton. The tide runs at 7 or 8 knots outside Fiddlers Ferry yacht haven and 6 kn further down river. Good luck, John. Tom

Tom Fenton
49 Manor Road
Wivenhoe
Essex CO7 9LN

+44 7740 928369
 
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