Motivated by these write-ups and the fact that the last two winters have left my bilge filled with a solid block of ice I set about installing an automatic bilge pump this past weekend. Rule 500 25s automatic which I have used before on skiffs and a check valve from West Marine, plus 10 feet of 3/4 vinyl braided tubing, stainless clamps, and the dishwasher fitting used by Rhapsody from Home Depot.
10 feet was not enough tubing. I had some trouble fitting it through the aft port scupper but succeeded. Only problem is I can fit either the new tubing or the whale gusher hose in the bypass under the floorboard but not both. I wondered whether I could cut another grove opposite the one for the whale gusher without impacting the keel structure.
I'd prefer to use the forward port scupper but could not seem to fish it under the water tank, plus this scupper was plugged up more than the aft one.
My late model hull (481) has an 90 degree elbow with a screw fitting for the drain just under the main cabin sink. So the dishwasher fitting did not fit. On top of that I could not release the flexible hose from the elbow and was afraid I might sink the boat if I cut it, there being no valve on this through hull. Head sink is metal and also has an elbow just below the drain. I'm thinking I could somehow still use the dishwasher fitting under the main sink beyond the elbow. Or I maybe I have to consider the anchor locker option, though I would need to vent it and splice in a T since I don't want a stream of water flowing past my anchor. Any other ideas?
