Swallow Yachts Forum > Technical

One bilge pump solution for the BR20

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globetrot:
Due to the poor performance of the 2 Anderson bailers in the sump and a lower than necessary fuel line hole into my port locker - both of which lead to unsafe conditions and a lack of confidence in the boat - I decided to make some modifications.

The first problem to tackle was getting water out of the cockpit faster without resorting to a hand bailer or the hand pump.

I can appreciate the desire to keep things simple and electric-free. However, my decision to upgrade was based on a few things:

-This is a 6m boat, not a dinghy. I prefer to reserve bailer buckets for the latter.
-There are three sails to monitor and countless other things to be aware of, and in rough conditions, I do not want to add bailing water either by hand or pump to the responsibilities.
-The hand pump is only easily accessible on a starboard tack.
-Even the hand pump takes forever to drain the ballast tank.
-Did I mention that the Anderson Bailers are awful? (I know they work adequately in other boats)

My goal was to add a bilge pump and battery that could keep the cockpit dry, pump out most (if not all) of the ballast, situate the battery in a place that did not reduce space for "dry storage" in the lockers, and run the electric in a way that did not leave cables exposed or in the way.

I used used a Rule LoPro 900gph pump for the sump. It is compact and drains water downt to 3cm. The electric I ran through the starboard drain hole that leads to the starboard side-deck. After confirming with Swallow that this tank is not used by the ACB system and that this drain is only a method for draining a tank that has no real way to fill with water, it seemed like the perfect way to run the electric wire without having to drill a hole or run cable though the cockpit so that it is exposed.

I used two magnets to run the cable through the side deck all the way to the forward water proof hatch. A 90 degree waterproof cable entry gland allows the cable to exit the side-deck and continue forward to the battery.

I housed a 50Ah AGM battery in a battery box as far forward on the cockpit floor as I can.

The final steps to my project include:
-Securing the battery box with through-hull fittings (into the ballast tank)
-Adding a drain cover to the sump to hide the bilge pump
-Add a thin, but rigid base (maybe HDPE plastic) to the bilge pump to help keep it flat on the sump floor


THE RESULT:
This past weekend I sailed in Force 5 winds on all points of sail. I had a mix of 3-4 crew, depending on the day. 1 reef seemed to be sufficient for relatively upright sailing and I had my ballast 3/4 full. Wave height ranged between .5-2m. We occassionally took on quite a bit of water over the bow and am delighted at how the bilge system performed. The cockpit floor never had more than a little bit of water at a time. Considering the bilge pump is in the middle of teh sump, one concern I had was that it would not be able to pump out water that accumilates either on the port or starboard side if on a hard tack. My concern, however, was not warranted. I could always back-off the tack a few degrees to flatten out the deck and the pump would make quick work of the water.

Nicky R:
I’m glad your pump solution worked well.

Can I just clarify what you mean by ballast 3/4 full? The boat is only stable if the tank is full or empty. If it is somewhere in between the water can slop around, which could make the boat very unstable.

globetrot:

--- Quote from: Nicky R on 06 Sep 2022, 18:13 ---I’m glad your pump solution worked well.

Can I just clarify what you mean by ballast 3/4 full? The boat is only stable if the tank is full or empty. If it is somewhere in between the water can slop around, which could make the boat very unstable.

--- End quote ---

Hey Nicky,

Thank you for contributing! This is my first season sailing with the boat so I am experimenting with configurations. This past weekend, there were three reasons I sailed with the ballast half full.

-I started the day with a full ballast and realized that it wasn't necessary in combination with 4 crew and a reef in the main.
-While underway, I tried to empty the ballast but found that only about 1/2 (previously I said 3/4 but in retrospect it was probably closer to 1/2) drained into the sump. The rest remained in the ballast and I had to pump out with a hand pump once back at the dock
-For most of the day I was sailing on the same tack and point of sail. Stability was not a problem. But I understand what you're saying and you make a good point.

Nicky R:
We found that we could only pump out under way with an electric pump, but ours went directly into the ballast tank and did get all the water out. Before we had our electric pump we just put up with being too heavy if we’d put in ballast and then found we didn’t need it. At the raid this year, Matt suggested that you could heave too to keep the boat flat whilst getting the ballast out.

The decision about when to add ballast first and when to reef first is worth considering too. When we were in a chop, we used to put ballast in first to help us punch through the waves. In flat water we'd put the reef in first. We were nervous about going deep downwind with full sail and ballast in in a lot of wind (force 5 plus) as it puts a lot of strain on the rig - everything feels very loaded up if you do that.

Roger A:
Hello Globetrot and anyone else who has fitted an electric pump in the sump of a BR20 or BRe.

I am planning to install a Rule Lopro pump in the sump of my BRe so please can I ask some follow up questions on your very helpful posts..

1. How did you fix the pump to the floor of the pump? Did you use screws, thru hull bolts, threaded inserts or some other solution?

2. You mention possibly fitting a rigid base under the pump, did you do this and if so what did you use?

3. Have you fitted a cover over the sump area, if yes please could you provide details/pics?

Also any comments on other things I should consider.

Many thanks
Roger

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