TOPIC: No Bilge Pump or Battery Switch

My boat is fairly original and does not have a battery switch or a bilge pump.

I'm going to install the switch because of ease and low cost of doing so. However, the bilge pump is a different story. The bilge is completely sealed in and there is no reason right now to get into it other than to install a bilge pump.

Is is it recommended to install one?

Thanks,
Mark

If the bilge is truly sealed, breaking that seal just to install a pump seems ridiculous. Once the seal is broken for the pump installation, you'll definately need one. Now, it seems, you don't. Then again, I've seen a lot of "sealed" bilges with waterlogged floatation.

Nautilus wrote:

If the bilge is truly sealed, breaking that seal just to install a pump seems ridiculous. Once the seal is broken for the pump installation, you'll definately need one. Now, it seems, you don't. Then again, I've seen a lot of "sealed" bilges with waterlogged floatation.

"Sealed" might be too strong a word, haha! There was a small bit a water that came out of the tiny bilge drain plug and have no idea how it got in, but it was there. So I guess I should go over it with a fine tooth comb and figure it out.

Thanks,

Mark

Hydro Mark wrote:

Nautilus wrote:

If the bilge is truly sealed, breaking that seal just to install a pump seems ridiculous. Once the seal is broken for the pump installation, you'll definately need one. Now, it seems, you don't. Then again, I've seen a lot of "sealed" bilges with waterlogged floatation.

"Sealed" might be too strong a word, haha! There was a small bit a water that came out of the tiny bilge drain plug and have no idea how it got in, but it was there. So I guess I should go over it with a fine tooth comb and figure it out.

Thanks,

Mark

There's an adage to keep in mind when outfitting your boat: "Expect the unexpected".
Perhaps I don't understand your description. It sounds as though there is an area in the bottom of your boat that is a sealed off flotation chamber. If water came out it isn't sealed.
Where does rain water go & how do you get it out? That may be where you need a "bilge pump". It seems to me the purpose of a bilge pump is to keep the boat floating should the hull be accidentally punctured.
RE the switch. How many batteries do you have? Most boats have at least two. That's what I have, with a selector switch which allows me to choose battery #1, #2 or both. Under way I select both, to keep them charged. When stopped for the night I select the one I think is weakest, keeping the strong battery in reserve to make sure I can start the motor in the morning.

Thanks John. The bilge isn't exactly sealed. I should've said there's no access to it. All there is, is a tiny drain plug at the transom near the keel. For rainwater, there's a std size drain plug for the deck.

The boat right now only has one battery, but I was going to get a 2-bank switch to allow for future.

Thanks again,
Mark