Swallow Yachts Forum > Technical

One bilge pump solution for the BR20

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RogerLennard:
I tend to empty the water ballast at the end of a sail and have an electric bilge pump with a long hose. I connect the pump to a battery in the side locker and drop the pump into the ballast tank. I have also fitted a three-way tap to the hand pump that Swallow Yachts fit as standard to the engine thwart. The extra inlet has a long hose that will fit into the ballast tank. This seemed prudent, given the possibility that a battery can fail.

Graham W:
I also drop a 12V electric pump into the inspection hatch of the ballast tank with a long hose over the side.

Nicky R:
We also just dropped our pump in through the inspection hatch when needed on the BRE. On our 23 it was attached by Swallow when they built the boat, but I don’t know how they fixed it.

Sea Simon:
The loss of stability due to "slack" tanks is a well recognised and very real danger to all craft/ships and is known as the "free surface effect".
Loads of maths, and some good videos readily available if you Google, and have time to kill...
This effect was cause of the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry capsize in 1987, 193 dead. Also contibuted to spectacular capsize of Hoegh Osaka car carrier in Southampton 2015.
FSEis scary!
Beware, the heeling moment when turning is proportional to the square of the speed...

I fitted a second Whale Gusher TITAN hand pump (JUST fits on the BRe transom board, by the outboard clamps. £100ish). My factory fit was the smaller Whale Urchin model.
Two pumps (cross the suctions, so the high pump sucks from low side) allows efficient access to one on each tack, as well as backup. Long suction hose allowed cabin pumpout, which fortunately was never used!

Roger A:
Thanks everyone for your comments.

I also use currently use a drop in electric pump for emptying the ballast. What I am trying to do here is fit a permanent automatic pump in the sump that will keep the boat dry when on its swinging mooring. I leave it moored ballast in which means the BRe will not self bail and although the cockpit cover is good it can still allow some rain water in during summer storms. The secondary benefits will be to keep the cockpit dry when singlehanded sailing and act as a permanent ballast pump.

My main reason for posting was to try and find out how people have fitted pumps (or anything else!) to the floor of the sump. I've always been nervous about drilling holes in the bottom of boats!

The Rule Lopro pump has two 4mm mounting holes. I'm trying to decide whether to simply screw it onto the sump floor, bolt it through the floor or use threaded inserts which is my preference as it would facilitate easy removal.

I don't know what the thickness of the floor is, although I suspect 10mm, and whether it is solid GRP or perhaps has a wood core.

Any comments advice on these questions will be much appreciated. Thanks.

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