Bilge pump coming on every 20 seconds

[Simi 60]

We had the big girl out for some maintenance recently.
Was working on our usual 2 weeks but "extra" plus rain with big wind behind it kept us out for 6 weeks.
Wasn't happy about it, was expecting some plank shrinkage but..,..

Whenever we go back in after two weeks out we usually have minimal water ingress, a slight trickle running through the bilge running aft and after a day or two it's stopped.
Bilge pump goes back to a normal once a week

This time when we were lowered in, water was visibly gushing in
There was a river running through the bilge and a waterfall running down the hull planking.
3500 gph (13250 litre) pump on every 20 seconds* pumping out about 25 gallons/100 litres at a time
(*20 seconds between activations)

Quite disconcerting reversing out of the slings feeling like we were slowly sinking.
And seeing the counter rolling into triple figures
Glad we have another 3 pumps in reserve and an alarm for if 1 fails and levels get up.

Anyways
3 weeks later we are still leaking but rapidly slowing
After 3 days there was celebration when it was coming on once every 10 minutes.
3 days ago it had slowed to once every 2 hours
Yesterday it was once every 8 hours
Today it's at once every 16.5 hours

Feeling much happier

 

[78puget-trawler]

Been there done that, have the T shirt!

First time I hauled out the '48 Monk I had for some years, same thing. Out for quite a while doing various things.
Dunked it back in, water everywhere! She was planked with Port Orford cedar, with caulked seams. They didnt look too open but Holy Smackeral did it ever leak!
I slept on the boat that night, fortunately I worked at the yard I was out at and could have hauled it back out if needed.
By morning it was much better but I was awake a good share of the night.

Next time I hauled out, I would wet the hull down with a hose after the sun went down and I went home.
And for sure I got it good and wet before dunking and it barely leaked a drop that time, lesson learned.

 

[Comodave]

Well at least you know that the bilge pump works…

 

[LN-RTP]

We had the big girl out for some maintenance recently.
Was working on our usual 2 weeks but "extra" plus rain with big wind behind it kept us out for 6 weeks.
Wasn't happy about it, was expecting some plank shrinkage but..,..

Whenever we go back in after two weeks out we usually have minimal water ingress, a slight trickle running through the bilge running aft and after a day or two it's stopped.
Bilge pump goes back to a normal once a week

This time when we were lowered in, water was visibly gushing in
There was a river running through the bilge and a waterfall running down the hull planking.
3500 gph (13250 litre) pump on every 20 seconds* pumping out about 25 gallons/100 litres at a time
(*20 seconds between activations)

Quite disconcerting reversing out of the slings feeling like we were slowly sinking.
And seeing the counter rolling into triple figures
Glad we have another 3 pumps in reserve and an alarm for if 1 fails and levels get up.

Anyways
3 weeks later we are still leaking but rapidly slowing
After 3 days there was celebration when it was coming on once every 10 minutes.
3 days ago it had slowed to once every 2 hours
Yesterday it was once every 8 hours
Today it's at once every 16.5 hours

Feeling much happier

Been there, done that.
We owned and lived on a woody as well, a 44' sailboat built in 1956, top of the line back then, teak, mahogany good stuff. (A bit of maintenance 30 years later in 1986 however)
Yes, it took a while for the hull to swell back up after 3-4 weeks on dirt.
Made me nervous but we survived every time.
(In the warm Caribbean we hauled and painted the bottom once a year to check for and to prevent toredo worms. )
Loved the boat but hated the upkeep, never again no wooden boat.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. S. I can readily relate. Our first "big" boat (1950-34' Chris Craft Commander) sank in the slings the first year we had her. Fortunately, the yard we had her stored at for the winter (aprox. 6 months) was VERY used to dealing with wooden boats and the water did not rise enough to do any damage to engine or electrics.


The second years I left the drain plug out and hosed down the interior for about a week prior to launch, reinstalled the drain plug AND slept aboard in the slings the first night. In the morning, in my usual waking stupor, I swung my legs over the berth into calf deep water. Needless to say, I didn't need a wake-up coffee. My shoes had floated to the other end of the cabin and sunk.



We had that boat for 12 years had many, many adventures spawning wonderful memories.

 

[78puget-trawler]

Greetings,
Mr. S. I can readily relate. Our first "big" boat (1950-34' Chris Craft Commander) sank in the slings the first year we had her. Fortunately, the yard we had her stored at for the winter (aprox. 6 months) was VERY used to dealing with wooden boats and the water did not rise enough to do any damage to engine or electrics.


The second years I left the drain plug out and hosed down the interior for about a week prior to launch, reinstalled the drain plug AND slept aboard in the slings the first night. In the morning, in my usual waking stupor, I swung my legs over the berth into calf deep water. Needless to say, I didn't need a wake-up coffee. My shoes had floated to the other end of the cabin and sunk.



We had that boat for 12 years had many, many adventures spawning wonderful memories.

Funniest thing I have read all week!

 

[O C Diver]

I've been using the same boatyard for about 30 years now. It's primarily a waterman's yard. Back in the 90s, most of the Chesapeake Bay waterman's boats were wood planted. They would crack open while sitting on the bank. The longer they sat, the wider the cracks. I can remember looking into boats and seeing the grass underneath the boat. Some would grease the cracks between the boards to close the gaps before putting over. Others had a gasoline powered trash pump ready for relaunch. The travel lift back then was homemade. The slings were raised and lowered by electric motors through double gear reductions. So the wood boats put over at the end of the day if they were expected to leak profusely. The owner would stay on the boat overnight adjusting the slings to the tidal level. When the trash pump was no longer needed, they would drop the slings and head off to their slip. Back then, I had a steel hulled charter boat. The standing joke when I would launch in the spring, was how long it would take for the steel planks to swell.

Ted

 

[Simi 60]

It wasn't worrying us too much as I knew the pump(s) would more than keep up and the new LFP bank was up for it.

But I was amazed at how much she had shrunk even though we did give her a hose every night or second night.

And amazed at how long she is taking to swell up again.

I was told that for every day she was out she will need that to get back again so a few weeks to go yet.

 

[DDW]

I read a book about scalloping in the Chesapeake. Some of the old timers would sleep with one leg draped over the berth, foot on the sole. This would wake them when the water got high enough to need to pump. Oh! the Joys of a wood boat.

 

[O C Diver]

I read a book about scalloping in the Chesapeake. Some of the old timers would sleep with one leg draped over the berth, foot on the sole. This would wake them when the water got high enough to need to pump. Oh! the Joys of a wood boat.

No scallops on the Chesapeake, it's oyster harvesting. As most Chesapeake waterman couldn't swim back in the day and most older style Chesapeake work boats didn't have self bailing decks, I'm going to say that story is a tall tail. Think about it. The boat can't be left at the slip for a day without sinking?

Ted

 

[Art]

Back in "my-years" of dealing nearly exclusively with woodies... working at LI NY and Camden ME boat yards [as well as dealing with my dad's family-fun woodies]. Late 1950's, all 1960's, thru early 70's... wood boats often kept on the hard Oct thru March = six [6] months of wood dry-out/shrinkage.

Tweren't no real big deal... Been at hundreds of wood boat launches

Day or so before and during launching:

- Quick caulk into opened bottom seams that need it.
- Slap on two thick coats fresh bottom paint.
- Keep travel lift slings under boat for one to two hours... making sure bilge pups work well [HD gas powered yard pump on call at launch site].
- Move boat to an end-tie or a slip. Owner stays aboard... usually one to two nights for keeping an eye on things.

Then - boat family "party time" for the six month NE boating season!

That said... Sure is nice to own well built FRP Tollycraft. NO launch leakage - ever. Bilge stays 100% dry... 100% of the time.

 

[Lepke]

Something you can do, a common fix in the old days. Force some sawdust underwater near the leak. It works like blood clotting.