Help!! My bilge is full, How do I empty it?

[Hymodyne]

Hi all,

I'm new to this discussion board, and a new cape dory owner (CD22, Hull #31, the Funky Dory).

I've just begun the process of cleaning a boat that has sat dormant on land for 20+ years. after scrubbing and cleaning the cabin with my girlfirend and firstmate, I hosed it down, only to see the bilge below me fill almost to the brim. I reached down through a narrow rectangular opening right below where the cabin ladder attaches and sets, as far as my arm could reach, and only found an even lower cavity, but no valve or means by which to release the icky, icky water.

Is there an owners manual on line or on CD Rom that I could buy or download? and in the short run, how do I get this water out of my
bilge?

hymodyne

[Oswego John]

Hymodyne,

That excess of water isn't doing any good to your hull or it's supports. I say, get it out of there ASAP.

Beg, borrow or steal a pump, even rent one for the time being. If push comes to shove, get a garden hose and syphon the water out. One way or another, get rid of the water for starters.. After that, then make plans for the future.

Good luck,

O J

[Neil Gordon]

The owner's manuals can be found at http://www.capedory.org/cdinfo.html

Since your boat is on the land, you can see the holes in the bottom from the outside. That will give you an idea of where the seacocks are on the inside. If the seacocks were opened and the hoses disconnected, the water would drain out to the level of the seacocks.

If you can't get to the seacocks, manual pumping will get the water out. You'll want a pump on board anyway, so make the small investment.

Lastly, since the water is higher than the land, if you can stick a garden hose into the boat and get a siphon going, the water will drain itself through the hose.

Good luck with the boat... you'll have great sailing once the water gets on the outside where it belongs.

[Marianna Max]

Hey, in the interest of lemons to lemonade, at least you know your boat will float once you get it on the water (since the water isn't leaking out <g>).

[Oswego John]

Neil,

Syphon, siphon, schmyfon. Ether way, my speling stands coreckted.

Best regrades,

O J

[Neil Gordon]

Syphon, siphon, schmyfon.

Siphon is when water gets sucked from the inside to the outside. Syphon might be vice versa. It's worth getting this one right!!!

[Neil Gordon]

Oh, and by the way, I checked. The spelling is either way.

[Oswego John]

Neil,

Are you putting me on?

Schmyfon is a real word? Well I'll be dipped.

After all these years, my uncle Lionel was right.

Overwhelmed in Camelot By The Lake
O J

[Neil Gordon]

Are you putting me on?

I put a lot of people off, too.

[winthrop fisher]

Hi...
you need to go to the nearest marine or boat store and ask for an attwood 500 portable bilge pump and it will have the 3 d batterys go in the bottom of it and just drop it in the bilge and go back in an hour or two and it is done. the pump will cost around $35 and 3d batterys thats it.
winthrop

Hi all,

I'm new to this discussion board, and a new cape dory owner (CD22, Hull #31, the Funky Dory).

I've just begun the process of cleaning a boat that has sat dormant on land for 20+ years. after scrubbing and cleaning the cabin with my girlfirend and firstmate, I hosed it down, only to see the bilge below me fill almost to the brim. I reached down through a narrow rectangular opening right below where the cabin ladder attaches and sets, as far as my arm could reach, and only found an even lower cavity, but no valve or means by which to release the icky, icky water.

Is there an owners manual on line or on CD Rom that I could buy or download? and in the short run, how do I get this water out of my
bilge?

hymodyne

[Dick Fredricks]

Dear All:

I had thought that this was, more or less, a serious site until I read the dribble posted here.

If the original poster doesn't know how to get the water out of his bilge when his boat is on dry land, he shouldn't ever be on the water. Worse, are those who responded to this stupidity.

Get real or get off this site.

[Neil Gordon]

Get real or get off this site.

If that's as supportive as you can be, you'll do us all a favor by taking your own advice.

[Oswego John]

Mr Fredricks,
The person who originated the thread asked for help. Some people know everything and you can't tell them anything. He stated that he was a new owner. I see nothing wrong with that. Maybe I'm too old fashioned, but when there is something that I don't know and would like to find the answer, I ask those who know or try my best to look up the answer.

I fully realize that you are new to this board. This board is comprised of all types of people of all professions, of all ages, of all parts of the country (make that the world), and of all abilities and knowledge of sailing, which, after all, is the common denominator of this board.

We are here, newbies and wizened old pros alike to help others. If it weren't for, as you infer, dumb questions, we wouldn't have a fraction of the great board that it is.

We are, essentially, a group of sailors trying to help sailors. The feeling here is that there is no "dumb question". When it comes to sailing, we try to spread our knowledge to those who ask. There is certainly no one who is elite on this board.

As for the people who responded to this "stupid question", I have the highest respect for a sailor trying to help his brother sailor. Perhaps, some day you will see things our way.

Respectfully
John Dunn
"Oswego John"

[Neil Gordon]

There is certainly no one who is elite on this board.

(Just to add to the drivel)... What about me???!!!

[Oswego John]

Neil,

I don't know how to report without it sounding like more stupid dribble.

As to being elite, okay , maybe I overstated the response. Maybe there are one or two out there. (Or would you prefer that there was only one).

Dribble, dribble and more dribble. Carter, Didereaux, how do you say dribble in Italian?

Jes dribbling along
Happy as the butcher's dog.
Life is a cher of bowlies.
O J

Dribble, dribble.