Bilge Pumps

[Buckwheat]

All this talk of bilge pumps................
I have a 2005 R21. I tried to find a bilge pump to replace the Rule 500. The newer ones seem to be slightly wider so I can't set in down in the bilge where the old one was. I placed a 2nd pump next to the sea water hose as a spare but wonder if there are any pumps that actually fit in the slender bilge space????

Then I was wondering about using the cooling pump on the sea water side as an aux pump in case of flooding.....

Then I was wondering about putting a second pump powered by the engine, with a magnetic clutch, that could be employed to pump out the boat in the case of emergency...... anyone thought of this???

 

[SlackwaterJack]

After giving it a lot of thought and doing some measuring (then, thinking some more) I have come to the conclusion that the standard little pump can handle anything that will flow into the bilge in the usual way (it IS a tiny boat with a tiny bilge). For emergency flooding due to being pooped by huge waves from the stern/side or a humungous hole in the bottom I'm really not sure that a pump of any realistic size could clear the interior of water quickly enough to stay afloat ... especially if it requires more that 30 seconds to get it on line.
Firstly, cockpit water needs to drain (by gravity) through the 4 deck drains into the bilge and that alone would make me want an emergency pump for pumping the cockpit rather than the bilge. Secondly I really wouldn't want to have to wrestle with the engine cover in seas rough enough to wash into the cockpit while I hook up hoses etc. Thirdly, I'm not sure the coolant suction line would move enough water and if it sucked up any air the impeller may be damaged and I don't need that on top of a flood to contend with. Finally, a boat this size won't stay upright very long with 8-10,000 lbs (800- 1000 gals.) of water sloshing around in it waiting to drain to the bilge...In rough conditions - mere seconds I'd think.
I've decided that I'll get a portable 12 volt submersable 3000GPH pump and use it in the cockpit and continue to stay in protected waters that don't exceed my abilities or the boat's design/size. I'll also remember to check the little bilge pump and keep the bilge free of crud (and keep a little replacement pump just in case)
I'm sure I've probably missed something, but I don't want to get too carried away with concerns of handleing huge quantities of water getting into what is a basically open 21 foot boat. with a 150 gallon bilge and 18" of freeboard. My best advice is if the weather catches you by surprise (wet happens!) and you're afraid the stern will be pooped keep the bow to the weather and these little boats will take almost anything... you may not get were you thought you were goin' but your feet will stay dry.

 

[Levitation]

I would not discourage anyone from putting a Y valve in the raw water intake line to help pump put the bilge in case of flooding... Be aware that the very efficient engines used by Ranger do not move much water at all... Still 'some' is better than 'zero'...
ymmv
bni
sar

 

[Buckwheat]

I wish I could see the last couple of posts so I could refer to them accurately but here goes:

Interesting thoughts: I would agree that wrestling with the engine cover in rough seas would not be the thing to do. That the existing bilge pump and even a spare in parallel would not handle a large poop. That having a large capacity 12v portable pump available that you could set up quickly and throw a hose over the side might be the ticket providing that the batteries don't get wet. Perhaps moving the batteries up to the pilot house might be a way to get around that.....
But no matter what they say, young or old, no matter how scared you are, bailing by heaving buckets of water overboard in rough seas is limited physically by your body condition and will eventually come to a halt though sheer exhaustion: perhaps not in time to save the ship or yourself. Figure it out: 6 full 5 gallon buckets per minute times 1 hr = 1800 gallons. The actual results would most likely be less because you woud not be getting a full 5 gallons.

But the other issue is future replacement for the existing bilge pump: where to find one that will fit......

 

[bbrh842]

Our 2007 R-25 came with one bilge pump, no bilge alarm.
I installed a second bilge pump and high water alarm.
The Rule 85 decible alarm that others are cursing, because they can't hear it, is installed next to the back door.
I am deaf as a post, but I can hear it just fine, even when under way, even from the helm.
The second bilge pump is switched and I keep the switch in the off position while under way.
I want the alarm to come on BEFORE I switch on the second bilge pump.
If I allow both bilge pumps to operate on automatic, I won't know there is a leak until it is so big both bilge pumps cannot keep up with it.
When the boat is unattended at the dock, I set both bilge pumps to automatic.
Long as the boat is plugged in and the battery charger is on, depleting the batteries should not be a issue.
Even it the boat is not plugged in, I would rather have dead batteries than a belly up boat.
At least it will buy you some time until the batteries go dead.

As several previous folks mentioned, bilge pumps are not going to save you if the boat gets holed.
Even a hose popping off the sea stainer will flood the boat quicker than two bilge pumps can pump it out.
You gotta find the leak and stuff something in it to slow it down. Even a rag is better than nothing.