Bilge pumps and a lot of info on them

[jimski2]

http://www.marinetteboat.com/forum/yaf_ ... Pumps.aspx

[W.W.IV.]

Thats a good read Jimski, The first time I got I trouble I was north of the Salmon river in a 16ft. alum. boat and had to run south to the little Salmon river, the hull cracked from rivet to rivet where the seat bracket was riveted to the hull and no pump. I started taking on water fast enough to sink if I didn't do something in a hurry and I was alone. I had to stop the boat and pull the plug and get the boat back on plane to self bail, it was scary but it saved my butt. The next time I was in my 28ft, BaHa coming through the channel into Sodus Bay and hit something and sheared the copeling at the tranny letting the shaft slide back to the stuffing box. No real danger, the pumps worked fine and I made it to the dock on one engine. I went down in the engine comp.and the water was poring in, i was able to get hold of the end of the shaft with vice grips and pull it back out of the box and stop the flow.I held the shaft in with the vice grips, I was able to go home and fix it the next day . Next time I was sitting at the dock and the pump started working, when it didn't shout off I started looking for the trouble, the wash down hose came off ahead of the shout off switch, had to pull the switch plate and attach the hose. That would have sunk it if I wasn't aboard at the time the two pumps would have killed the batteries, no shore power. . thanks for posting it.