[Rhodes22-list] Bilge Water

[Saroj Gilbert]

such subtleties... other than wanting to be sure my bilge pump is working... 
it is electric altho I have a manual backup... I pay little attention to the 
water in the boat unless it is accumulating.... I know I need to correct the 
port lights and CB tube... have decided to leave the stern scuppers alone 
for now...  Frankly I've never been in a boat that is bone dry... mine or 
any other so I don't have that expectation... must be missing something...

Saroj

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Effros" <bill at effros.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2005 11:44 AM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Bilge Water


> Phyllis,
>
> All the boats are different.  Many people with one system don't realize 
> other boats don't have the same characteristics.
>
> The way a bilge is supposed to work, it is the deepest accessible point on 
> the boat--like a sump pump pit in your basement.  If you empty the bilge, 
> you empty the water from everywhere else, also.  My boat does work that 
> way.  Water entering the laz (or anywhere else) exits from the bilge.
>
> I use a plastic hand bilge pump available from WM for $20 which is stored 
> under the Port Cabin Seat to empty the bilge.  It moves a huge amount of 
> water (for our boats) in a very short time.  I drain through the cabin 
> sink.  (It is rain water stored in a plastic container.)
>
> Water in your boat changes the balance of the boat.  I always leave an 
> inch or two in the bilge, because it levels the forward to rear balance.
>
> On my boat, the least amount of rainwater stays aboard when the bow is 
> high.  During the winter I store the boat extremely bow high.  Whatever 
> water does seep in, winds up in the laz, where I can see it.
>
> I don't pump out the laz water before launching, because I want the boat 
> to launch stern heavy.  I then pump out the bilge to within 1 or 2 inches 
> of the bottom.  And then I adjust things so the boat at rest is bow heavy 
> (because Stan says the boat sails best this way, and because sitting in 
> the cockpit counter-balances the heavy bow.)  But I want to make sure the 
> weight in the bow is not water, and this technique ensures that (I think.)
>
> I always sail with a couple of inches of water in the bilge, and I find 
> that the water level generally does not rise over the course of the 
> sailing season.  If I pump out the bilge, 1-2 inches of water will be back 
> in it by the time I return to the boat.
>
> I check the bilge every time I sail to ensure the water level has not 
> risen.
>
> Apart from the bilge, my boat stays dry all season.
>
> Bill Effros
>
> P&M Beals wrote:
>
>>Rummy,
>>
>>I didn't realize that
>>water that might be due to rainfall into the laz would not travel down 
>>into
>>the bilge... .I thought there is a continuous open pathway from cabin to
>>stern & vice versa. I can see what I think is foam flotation material when 
>>I
>>look into the lazarette and try to look forward...but I haven't understood
>>too well what is under there, or which areas are blocked or separated from
>>others...
>>
>>If only one could get the up close view that Lou or Alan have, I would
>>probably understand the vessel a lot better!
>>
>>One more thing to do in my not so spare time...check for leaks, but easily
>>done may be checking those drain holes...I did have a bunch of leaves get
>>into the cockpit last fall...
>>
>>Hopefully a good sailing day tomorrow with three teen-agers aboard.
>>I took my first dip off the boat last weekend...in only 4 feet of water.
>>You have to love that ladder. I managed to scrub the sides a bit. despite 
>>a
>>thorough bottom paint job I still have picked up 4-5 barnacles...at the 
>>bow
>>almost near the waterline which I thought was odd.  who knows what is
>>underneath which can't even be seen.
>>
>>Oh you lucky lake sailors...any zebra mussels get into your lake?   (I 
>>know
>>about the Great Lakes zebra mussels).
>>
>>There is an R-22 owner on Raritan Bay, anchored next to me.  He sails 
>>single
>>handedly many days in the season with a traditional mainsail, and seems to
>>have quite a great time...I would like to compare the traditional mainsail
>>sailing with the IMF...maybe I will get to go out on his boat.  He rows 
>>his
>>dinghy out to his boat while we catch a launch, that's why it's been hard 
>>to
>>get acquainted.
>>
>>Anyway-
>>
>>Thanks again, Phyllis
>>
>>
>>>From: R22RumRunner at aol.com
>>>Reply-To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>>>Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2005 20:26:50 EDT
>>>To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
>>>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] How bad is some water in the laz?
>>>
>>>Phyllis,
>>>The only way water can get into the laz is over the rim of the cover. 
>>>This
>>>can happen due to the rear drains getting clogged, or have hardened and
>>>cracked,  or in our case, because of more rain that the drains can 
>>>handle.
>>>Water in the bilge means that water is entering the cabin. This can come 
>>>from  several
>>>areas. The most suspect ones are the ports, the companionway hatch and 
>>>the
>>>centerboard pennant tubing. These are problems that can be diagnosed and
>>>fixed easily, it just takes time and perseverance. Place someone inside 
>>>the  cabin
>>>and have someone on the outside take a hose a spray everything down. I 
>>>would
>>>recommend having an outline drawing made up ahead of time to note the 
>>>areas
>>>of leakage.
>>>
>>>Rummy
>>>__________________________________________________
>>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>
>>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>
>>
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