Do you winterize your bilge if you can't get the water out?

[psjanker]

I installed a drain on my Cape Dory which keeps things dry over the winter by allowing rain water that leaks in to drain out. If boat is stored on the hard each winter in freezing temps, I would recommend this approach.

For removal of bilge water while at a mooring I used a section of broom handle with my oil evacuation tube taped to the end. I find that it gets every last drop of water out in even the most inaccessible regions of the bilge, best is that it’s something I already have to change oil on the engine.

Pete

[wikakaru]

I installed a drain on my Cape Dory which keeps things dry over the winter by allowing rain water that leaks in to drain out. If boat is stored on the hard each winter in freezing temps, I would recommend this approach.

Unfortunately, on the CD22, the bilge sump is about 2-3 feet abaft the bilge access hatch in the cabin sole (which is the whole problem to begin with--you can't get to the bilge sump from the bilge access hatch) so it wouldn't be possible to install a drain plug because the sump can't be reached.

For this year we pumped out the bilge the best we could with a long tube-shaped hand bilge pump and then poured "pink stuff" in. We will see next spring how things fared.

Has anyone on the board cut a new bilge access hatch in the sole of their CD22 to address this problem? If you have, I'd appreciate some photos!

[wikakaru]

I installed a drain on my Cape Dory which keeps things dry over the winter by allowing rain water that leaks in to drain out. If boat is stored on the hard each winter in freezing temps, I would recommend this approach.

Unfortunately, on the CD22, the bilge sump is about 2-3 feet abaft the bilge access hatch in the cabin sole (which is the whole problem to begin with--you can't get to the bilge sump from the bilge access hatch) so it wouldn't be possible to install a drain plug because the sump can't be reached.

For this year we pumped out the bilge the best we could with a long tube-shaped hand bilge pump and then poured "pink stuff" in. We will see next spring how things fared.

Has anyone on the board cut a new bilge access hatch in the sole of their CD22 to address this problem? If you have, I'd appreciate some photos!

Sorry, just re-reading Pete's post more thoroughly. Are there no internal components on a bilge drain? You just work from the outside, drill a hole and screw the thing on? The thought of doing that scares the bejeebers out of me!

--Jim

[Paul D.]

In my opinion there is no reason to drill a drain hole through a CD hull. I've stored boats on the hard here in Minnesota for years and if you pump out the bilge and then pour in a $3.50 gallon of -50F antifreeze, you should have no freezing issues. And this is Minnesota. I do assume here though, that the boat is covered fairly well so tons of rain will not get below. A cover in winter is a really good idea! I cringe thinking of all the freeze/thaw cycles going on under every piece of toerail, every fastening and every hatch seal all winter long, pushing everything apart in an uncovered boat.