Mainship Pilot 34 shower sump

[rwy36]

Hi everyone,

We're new owners of a 2004 Mainship Pilot 34 and we have heard that its shower sump needs to be regularly cleaned to prevent problems.

So I have a couple of questions: 1. Where is the shower sump located and how do you access it? 2. Any advice for cleaning & maintenance?

Thanks for your help!

Bill

 

[Diverrob]

On our 2007 34 Trawler it is under the stairs used to get Doug from the salon to the galley.

 

[DavidM]

On my 2003 it was under the front of the engine.

David

 

[Easternshore]

On our 2005 Pilot 34 express twin the Mainship geniuses installed the shower sump under the port fuel tank making it challenging to service. To clean the screen one must remove the screwed on top, good luck. We recently had Claret's hull sandblasted to prep for a barrier coat and the pressure blew the sump discharge line off of the sump box, actually broke the box fitting. Replacing with a new Rule 99B shower sump was a challenge to say the least. Wiring and hoses had very little extra length, take plenty of photos of the wiring prior to cutting as the new sump will not have as many leads as the old. You will need to connect the wiring to the sump light on your electric panel. Buy a good wire crimper, some water proof/resistant connectors, sealant and Goslings as it's not a 2 beer job, play some reggae to muddle any salty language. Also be careful of your feet as lying on the grates to work on the sump it is easy for your feet to kick some of the stbrd engine wiring.

 

[rwy36]

Thanks for the info Easternshore! Our Pilot 34 is a single engine but the sump is also mounted in a very inconvenient location (forward of the engine). For something you have to clean out every now and then it seems like they would have made it more accessible.

 

[rgano]

It is under the steps going into the forward cabin on my 30-Pilot II, but still a pain to have to tend to those sumps. I would have done away with it entirely and just used a manually activated Whale Gulper like I did in my trawler had it not also been the sump for the air conditioner. The diaphragm pump design of the Whale does not care about hair and gunk and just pumps it out. In my case, I left the float switch in the sump box but ripped out the screen and the little tiny centrifugal bilge pump. I plunked a Whale pump on top of the box and ran a short piece of hose from its intake to the bottom of the sump box through a hole I drilled in its top. Plugged the original overboard hose into the Whale's outlet and wired the pump through the float switch just as the bigle pump had been. Flawless.

 

[rwy36]

That's a really good idea Rich (and one less stinky clean-up job)! Like yours mine (2004 Pilot 34) is right in front of the engine and behind/under the steps into the cabin.