bilge pump in center of my 2955 avanti

[avanti enthusiast]

hi i was wondering , why bayliner molded a wall in front of my gas tank ,in the cabin and put a bilge pump there .i would think that , all the water would go too the rear of boat too be pumped out by the transom bilge but it doesnt .this spring it will, i drilled a hole in the wall really low, i put the boat in last spring and couldnt be happier with it , i emailed in last winter with the question about why would someone put alot of weight in the bow, which isnt there any more, i took it out, and the boats rides great. what a feeling too run two motors,

 

[JoLin]

Re: bilge pump in center of my 2955 avanti

all the water would go too the rear of boat too be pumped out by the transom bilge but it doesnt .this spring it will, i drilled a hole in the wall really low,

There are things forward that can leak (like the seacock for the head and A/C f you have it). Don't know about your boat, but mine sits a bit 'bow down' at rest, particularly when I'm carrying a full load of fresh water in the tank. The bilge system is designed to pump water from whatever section of the boat it appears in, regardless of the attitude of the boat itself. Your modification may cause water to flow from the stern bilge to the forward areas of the boat, instead of the other way around... and I'll bet your forward pump doesn't have as much pumping capacity as the one at the stern.

Modifying a manufacturer's design can have unanticipated consequences, so you should tread carefully.

My .02

 

[tazrig]

Re: bilge pump in center of my 2955 avanti

There are things forward that can leak (like the seacock for the head and A/C f you have it). Don't know about your boat, but mine sits a bit 'bow down' at rest, particularly when I'm carrying a full load of fresh water in the tank. The bilge system is designed to pump water from whatever section of the boat it appears in, regardless of the attitude of the boat itself. Your modification may cause water to flow from the stern bilge to the forward areas of the boat, instead of the other way around... and I'll bet your forward pump doesn't have as much pumping capacity as the one at the stern.

Modifying a manufacturer's design can have unanticipated consequences, so you should tread carefully.

My .02

+1^^^ unless you notice that there is water being trapped someplace you rally don't want to go boring holes. It usually leads to no good.

more .02 cents

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: bilge pump in center of my 2955 avanti

ALSO the engine room bilge area is subject to the potential of oil spills/leaks and now your cabin bilge is too.

If you ever get oil into the forward bilge, cleaning it and removing the smell could prove to be quite a task

Further you have a bilge blower system designed to purge any gas fumes from the aft bilge but now any fuel leak/spill COULD penetrate into the cabin but the bilge blower will not purge it.... there is a reason the two areas are separated

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: bilge pump in center of my 2955 avanti

^ x 2 !!!

 

[avanti enthusiast]

Re: bilge pump in center of my 2955 avanti

You know, i am glad i emailed in i always thought the boats sit in the water with the nose up, but they were small boats, if i have people in it and the engine compartment water rolls into the front that would stink, in more ways than one ,thanks i am blocking that spot up again and separating the two waters , other than that i love this boat, not too big and not too small ,and i never knew until my brother showed me , with the steering wheel straight you can turn the boat with switching the outdrives forward and reverse,docking it. thanks again guys, dave

 

[JoLin]

Re: bilge pump in center of my 2955 avanti

Glad you're enjoying the boat. Yeah, twin engines can do some interesting things. I seldom touch the wheel when docking or coming broadside to a raftup.

The best way I've seen it described, is to picture a pair of parentheses with your shift controls between them. As you go from forward to reverse, each control swings the stern along the same curve as the parenthese it's next to.

( Port shifter ____ Stbd shifter )

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: bilge pump in center of my 2955 avanti

on a smaller boat I think you'd want the bilge to be one connected unit, so I agree with your initial thinking, but the counter points are good ones.

Also, if what you bored the hole through is wood covered with fiberglass, you've opened it up to internal rot.

Since you already have the hole, though, I wouldn't seal it back up. Instead, drill it the size of a rubber plug, insert the bronze sleeve you use for them, and put a rubber plug in it. That way you can just pull the plug and empty the forward bilge as needed; plug it back up to prevent the "backwash" others described.

Another option is a scupper flap, although it's not a perfect seal, or ping-pong ball plug--I wouldn't trust the latter though the hull but internally it would be fine.

this also gives you a safety feature; if you have a hull puncture you may want to seal, or open, the bilges.

 

[tazrig]

Re: bilge pump in center of my 2955 avanti

Good suggestions Home!