Re: bilge question for a beginner
Firstly water will get in the Bilge. It can come from holes/leaks in the boat, or just from people climbing in and out of the boat if they are wet.
There should always be a bilge pump to pump the water out, modern boats usually have an automatic pump (just a float switch that turns the pump on when the float starts to rise because of water in the bilge) but there will also be a manual switch that you can periodically turn on to remove any water that has got in the boat. The bilge pump is usually located near the back of the boat and at the lowest section in the bilge.
Wether you should worry about the water really depends on how much water was in the boat and what you had been doing. Good boats should not leak, so if no-one got into your boat wet and no spray splashed over the boat whilst you used it then the bilge should be dry. If you drained a coffee cup or two of water then I wouldn't worry about it. If you drained more than that, then I wouldn't get too worried but I would start looking for where the water is coming in. The drain should be removed as soon as the boat is taken out of the water to drain the bilge dry. It's also recomended that you store your boat with the bow higher than the stern and with the drain removed so any water can escape rather than being trapped inside the boat.
Hope that helps.
Gary
