Manual bilge pump

On my 1983 49’GB Classic there’s a manual bilge pump whose 2.5”intake hose is situated and fixed to the starboard of the engine sole. It seems to me it should be able to be moved to the center to facilitate removal of bilge water. Both fore and aft pumps became nonoperational. We’ve tried the manual pump, but..nothing.
Any advice?
Capt.SeaFever

I don't know your bilge layout so won't comment on what can be moved where and what the benefit of moving would be, but I'm curious, can't the non-operational pumps be fixed? Wouldn't fixing those be the preferred approach?

Greg.

Definitely Craig, and I plan on doing this. Right now we are not able to repair them. I was curious to use the manual pump for the first time to find the intake hose connected aft and starboard.

Check for power at the pumps. No power? Check the fuse. Power at the pumps, replace them.
Later, search the web for directions for rebuilding your manual pump.

On the back burner of to do items. In my case I found the pickup located under a battery bank, so not easy to service and then the pump is in the ER. To access in a dire situation isolates the operator, not a good setup. Looks like it was setup to be compliant, may not even work since it appears to need several inches of water.

My only suggestion is establish a location where the operator can easily escape if it becomes overwhelmed. Armstrong runs out of power too.

I am confused, are you saying the manual hand pump isn’t working? Or are you saying the electric bilge pump isn’t working in the manual mode? If it is the manual hand powered pump, it may never have been used since the boat was built in 1983. It could have holes or cracks in the diaphragm. If the pickup hose is outboard of the centerline and is above the water in the bilge it won’t pump either. If both of your electric bilge pumps are not working that is a huge issue that I would fix immediately. Good luck.

Thanks to all for your comments.
Both electric bilge pumps are not working. The aft pump is easily located, however I cannot locate the auto to manual switch. The fore pump is nowhere to be found....probably under the battery bank.
Since theres no water off center, the manual hand pump, due to its location, may or may not be operational.
In either instance, these will be replaced first.

A manual pump on a boat like your is almost no pump at all...especially if you don't have a couple of athletic 20 year olds aboard.


The besy bilge pump is a fightened man with a bucket is omly true in a very narrow set of circumstances...and you know how many MEDEVACS for heart attacks have been done by old guys trying to manually bilge pump? I don't but I was involved with or heard dozens....more than I care to join.


But for bilge water...it would be fine. Like posted above, could be the pump, could be the pickup, or the hose.


How about a shop vac? That what I use to get the hard to get water....if it cant pull to the salon, I lower it till it can. May take a few evolutions....but it's handy and gets ALL the water out.

psneeld said:

A manual pump on a boat like your is almost no pump at all...especially if you don't have a couple of athletic 20 year olds aboard.


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Thank you for putting that into print. I have always wondered about who would man it in a crisis expended valuable energy to an infinite source of new water and with frightened people on board that need to be told to don life jackets, get the dingy prepared, etc, etc.

Yes, we are old and many of us have health issues. I guess we should sit in our cars outside of the ER or better yet, sit in the ER waiting room waiting for the big event. He died in the ER waiting room. He had been there for 3 months, waiting.
Come on folks, get out there and do something but, use common sense. Avoid sick people, if you are sick, avoid other people but dont sit home waiting for the big event.
With proper planning, you can still make it to FL, if that is where you want to go.
I guess you could go to the extreme of anchoring out and have food delivered to your swim platform, by dingy. Then, when the dingy has gone, you can retrieve the food and bring it inside.
WE are on the downhill side of life..... we gotta enjoy enjoy but, common sense prevails.

Dan, cross thread points?

Soo-Valley said:

Dan, cross thread points?

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Sorry about that. Feel free to move it to the appropriate place.