My wife and I purchased a Cape Dory 28 last summer, after having been out of sailing for 30 years. So we don't mind the most basic advice.
We enjoyed our first season, doing a bit of open water sailing between Long Island and Cape Cod, which the boat took to nicely. However, its clear our boat, as well as her new crew, need some work if we are to be more sea worthy.
I have some questions about the placement of the automatic bilge pump hose. First let me try to describe our current setup: The pump is in lowest part of the bilge, just forward of the main hatch steps. From the pump, the hose (plastic with reinforcing ribs outside, smooth inside) runs 18â€
Placement of Bilge Pump Hose
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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BarbofCapeCod
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Jul 15th, '08, 21:16
- Location: CD-28 Cape Cod
Placement of Bilge Pump Hose
BarbOfCapeCod
Bilge pump
I had the same questions and although I have a CD25, it seems the same issues you have, I had.
With the info from this board, I followed what appears to be asked in Q2.
That is I went with a high rise as soon as possible and then slowly descended to the outlet over the length of the cockpit.
I didn't want to get involved with the existing hoses that had been installed for the manual bilge pump so ran an entirely separate hose to end at a new, matching thru-hull on the transom, opposite the existing one.
I got the largest Rule pump I could find that would fit in the bilge compartment, also.
To test this installation out, I placed a garden hose in the bilge and turned it on full. When the automatic float lever kicked the pump on, I was surprised to see that it not only quickly emptied out the bilge but actually pumped faster than the hose, at full velocity, could discharge water in to the bilge area.
I, too, was apprehensive of tying in any new hoses to the existing system for fear of siphoning some water back into the bilge through the existing system. I felt, and I believe at the time, the board agreed that a separate system (at least in my case) would be more advantageous.
I've been in some rough conditions and following seas and have never had a problem with the installation.
IMHO, I believe a similar installation would be a viable option.
Hope this helps a little.....
mexsailor
sv "Gladys Erzella"
1977 CD25
San Diego Bay
With the info from this board, I followed what appears to be asked in Q2.
That is I went with a high rise as soon as possible and then slowly descended to the outlet over the length of the cockpit.
I didn't want to get involved with the existing hoses that had been installed for the manual bilge pump so ran an entirely separate hose to end at a new, matching thru-hull on the transom, opposite the existing one.
I got the largest Rule pump I could find that would fit in the bilge compartment, also.
To test this installation out, I placed a garden hose in the bilge and turned it on full. When the automatic float lever kicked the pump on, I was surprised to see that it not only quickly emptied out the bilge but actually pumped faster than the hose, at full velocity, could discharge water in to the bilge area.
I, too, was apprehensive of tying in any new hoses to the existing system for fear of siphoning some water back into the bilge through the existing system. I felt, and I believe at the time, the board agreed that a separate system (at least in my case) would be more advantageous.
I've been in some rough conditions and following seas and have never had a problem with the installation.
IMHO, I believe a similar installation would be a viable option.
Hope this helps a little.....
mexsailor
sv "Gladys Erzella"
1977 CD25
San Diego Bay
Bilge pump
I had the same questions and although I have a CD25, it seems the same issues you have, I had.
With the info from this board, I followed what appears to be asked in Q2.
That is I went with a high rise as soon as possible and then slowly descended to the outlet over the length of the cockpit.
I didn't want to get involved with the existing hoses that had been installed for the manual bilge pump so ran an entirely separate hose to end at a new, matching thru-hull on the transom, opposite the existing one.
I got the largest Rule pump I could find that would fit in the bilge compartment, also.
To test this installation out, I placed a garden hose in the bilge and turned it on full. When the automatic float lever kicked the pump on, I was surprised to see that it not only quickly emptied out the bilge but actually pumped faster than the hose, at full velocity, could discharge water in to the bilge area.
I, too, was apprehensive of tying in any new hoses to the existing system for fear of siphoning some water back into the bilge through the existing system. I felt, and I believe at the time, the board agreed that a separate system (at least in my case) would be more advantageous.
I've been in some rough conditions and following seas and have never had a problem with the installation.
IMHO, I believe a similar installation would be a viable option.
Hope this helps a little.....
mexsailor
sv "Gladys Erzella"
1977 CD25
San Diego Bay
With the info from this board, I followed what appears to be asked in Q2.
That is I went with a high rise as soon as possible and then slowly descended to the outlet over the length of the cockpit.
I didn't want to get involved with the existing hoses that had been installed for the manual bilge pump so ran an entirely separate hose to end at a new, matching thru-hull on the transom, opposite the existing one.
I got the largest Rule pump I could find that would fit in the bilge compartment, also.
To test this installation out, I placed a garden hose in the bilge and turned it on full. When the automatic float lever kicked the pump on, I was surprised to see that it not only quickly emptied out the bilge but actually pumped faster than the hose, at full velocity, could discharge water in to the bilge area.
I, too, was apprehensive of tying in any new hoses to the existing system for fear of siphoning some water back into the bilge through the existing system. I felt, and I believe at the time, the board agreed that a separate system (at least in my case) would be more advantageous.
I've been in some rough conditions and following seas and have never had a problem with the installation.
IMHO, I believe a similar installation would be a viable option.
Hope this helps a little.....
mexsailor
sv "Gladys Erzella"
1977 CD25
San Diego Bay
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BarbofCapeCod
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Jul 15th, '08, 21:16
- Location: CD-28 Cape Cod
Multiple Outlets; Hose Loop without anti-siphon vent
Thank you mexsailor for your response. I will do some homework and find the discussion related to Question 2.
I have another question:
Why not use a Y connector and run the bilge hose to both sides of the boat? This would pretty much assure that the siphon pressure would be released on either tack, without any possible clogging or moving parts, as well as reduce possible back pressure against the pump from a single thru-hull fitting. And, it might also greatly reduce the chance of siphoning when motoring, because the normal roll and pitch of the boat would likely cause one of the fittings to be out of the water from time to time, even if the boat is in a deep squat.
Or would the siphon pressure be maintained by the presence of water in the higher line until it drained up to the Y connector?
Also, what would be the effect of having a rising loop in the hose (with no anti-siphon valve) whose top is near and above the fitting, angled at about 45 degrees toward the center line of the boat? Wouldn't that cause an air gap in the hose just forward of the fitting, negating any back-flow pressure from water in the rest of the line back to the pump?
I just sense there must be a non-mechanical, passive solution to the siphoning problem. Where are all the sailing hydro-physicists out there? Or have they all gone to bottom ignoring old salts in favor of some promising theory?
I have another question:
Why not use a Y connector and run the bilge hose to both sides of the boat? This would pretty much assure that the siphon pressure would be released on either tack, without any possible clogging or moving parts, as well as reduce possible back pressure against the pump from a single thru-hull fitting. And, it might also greatly reduce the chance of siphoning when motoring, because the normal roll and pitch of the boat would likely cause one of the fittings to be out of the water from time to time, even if the boat is in a deep squat.
Or would the siphon pressure be maintained by the presence of water in the higher line until it drained up to the Y connector?
Also, what would be the effect of having a rising loop in the hose (with no anti-siphon valve) whose top is near and above the fitting, angled at about 45 degrees toward the center line of the boat? Wouldn't that cause an air gap in the hose just forward of the fitting, negating any back-flow pressure from water in the rest of the line back to the pump?
I just sense there must be a non-mechanical, passive solution to the siphoning problem. Where are all the sailing hydro-physicists out there? Or have they all gone to bottom ignoring old salts in favor of some promising theory?
BarbOfCapeCod