Wet bilge (engine bay)

[RichM]

The bilge of my engine bay keeps getting wet and it's a bug bearer of mine especially when seeing boats with immaculate engine bays. A few people have looked at it and suspect that rain water is getting in. It is a semi-trad stern (Liverpool Boats) and it does have a cover but unfortunately it's not practical to keep it covered given it's my main entrance/exit. Has anyone else had this issue with a semi-trad Liverpool boat? I'm wondering if it may be a design issue. 

Also, would it be possible/easy to modify the bilge pump so that it can easily suck up water that collects in all areas of the engine bay bilge? Unfortunately it only seems to suck up from the very aft part of the boat. 

Cheers

RichM

[mrsmelly]

5 minutes ago, RichM said:

The bilge of my engine bay keeps getting wet and it's a bug bearer of mine especially when seeing boats with immaculate engine bays. A few people have looked at it and suspect that rain water is getting in. It is a semi-trad stern (Liverpool Boats) and it does have a cover but unfortunately it's not practical to keep it covered given it's my main entrance/exit. Has anyone else had this issue with a semi-trad Liverpool boat? I'm wondering if it may be a design issue. 

Also, would it be possible/easy to modify the bilge pump so that it can easily suck up water that collects in all areas of the engine bay bilge? Unfortunately it only seems to suck up from the very aft part of the boat. 

Cheers

RichM

Hi Rich

It happens on semi trads and cruisers on occasion, some worse than others. You need to ensure you are not pumping into the cut from under the engine but you could have a second pump fitted to one side of the engine bay and that should take care of most of it, put it on the side your boat tends to lean to. I also carry a wet vac for when I can be arsed.

[RichLech]

I used to have this problem with my semi-trad. Not Liverpool boats but built by some-one who used to work for them so very similar.

Eventually realised the outlet from the bilge pump was only just above water line and inside the boat, the outlet pipe immediately went down to bilge pump. Turns out that when water covered the bilge pump outlet, water back-siphoned into the bilge.

Sorted by re-running pipe so that it ran up from the outlet fitting before turning down towards the bilge pump. Also fitted one way vale to be doubly sure. Lovely dry engine bilge now.  

 

 

[cuthound]

Have you checked that your deck drains are clear?

A partially blocked deck drain caused my normally dry bilge to get wet in the recent heavy rain

A poke through with a bit of hose pipe soon cleared it. 

[Athy]

Our last boat, a trad-stern with a Liverpool Boats shell, had a similar problem, even though we ensured that the stern tube greaser was tightened regularly (which you no doubt do too). When it happened, the bilge pump quickly got rid of the water, but we never did discover why the water was getting in.

[RichLech]

18 hours ago, Athy said:

Our last boat, a trad-stern with a Liverpool Boats shell, had a similar problem, even though we ensured that the stern tube greaser was tightened regularly (which you no doubt do too). When it happened, the bilge pump quickly got rid of the water, but we never did discover why the water was getting in.

Athy, this water may have been coming in through the bilge pump outlet (and hence back through the bilge pump). See my post above. I had the same puzzle for a year after I bought my boat, until I twigged that the bilge pump outlet skin fitting was only just above the water line. h

[Athy]

1 minute ago, RichLech said:

Athy, this water may have been coming in through the bilge pump outlet (and hence back through the bilge pump). See my post above. I had the same puzzle for a year after I bought my boat, until I twigged that the bilge pump outlet skin fitting was only just above the water line. h

Yes, you may well be right, thank you.

I assume that either you let it lie, or that expensive welding work was needed to re-site the bilge pump 'ole and remedy the problem?

[Alan de Enfield]

5 minutes ago, Athy said:

Yes, you may well be right, thank you.

I assume that either you let it lie, or that expensive welding work was needed to re-site the bilge pump 'ole and remedy the problem?

 I don't think so, he said :

 

On ‎22‎/‎08‎/‎2017 at 20:24, RichLech said:

Sorted by re-running pipe so that it ran up from the outlet fitting before turning down towards the bilge pump. Also fitted one way vale to be doubly sure. Lovely dry engine bilge now

ie - a 'swan neck'.

[rusty69]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 I don't think so, he said :

 

ie - a 'swan neck'.

Our recent survey suggested we need a swan neck on one of our outlets to comply with the 10" above the waterline requirement. 

Thats tomorrows job 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

Our recent survey suggested we need a swan neck on one of our outlets to comply with the 10" above the waterline requirement. 

Thats tomorrows job 

The 10" (tho' very sensible and safe) is purely an advisory on the BSSC (or private boats) but compulsory on any commercial / business / hire boats so it does make sense to do it.

 

(PS - planning to leave Saturday and run for Gt Yarmouth or Lowestoft)

[rusty69]

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

The 10" (tho' very sensible and safe) is purely an advisory on the BSSC (or private boats) but compulsory on any commercial / business / hire boats so it does make sense to do it.

 

(PS - planning to leave Saturday and run for Gt Yarmouth or Lowestoft)

How is that affected by the insurance conmpanies that ask  if all surveyor recommendations have been carried out?

Its the cockpit drain ones that seems stupid to me, as we had them welded up. 

Did you visit the lifeboat? I've not tried Gt Yarmouth by boat, always choosing Lowestoft. 

Edited August 24, 2017 by rusty69

[Athy]

20 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 I don't think so, he said :

 

ie - a 'swan neck'.

That's a clever solution.

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

How is that affected by the insurance conmpanies that ask  if all surveyor recommendations have been carried out?  Were they recommendations or suggestions ?

I have been round the hardware shops and chandlery (light bulbs, bits mending toilet seats, plastic hose for diesel siphon etc etc)

Its the cockpit drain ones that seems stupid to me, as we had them welded up. 

Did you visit the lifeboat? Family have been on the train up to the lifeboat station, on the beach etc.

I've not tried Gt Yarmouth by boat, always choosing Lowestoft.  Not been able to get Lowestoft HM to answer the phone yet.

 

[Grassman]

I've always had water in my cruiser stern bilge since I bought the boat 4 years ago. Even with the drain holes regularly checked and cleared, and the gutterings under the deck boards too, the rain water still gets in. I suppose it doesn't help that the deckboard edges are rather worn, but with some of the heavy downpours we get these days I think some rain would still get in there.

I also have the same problem as RichM in that much of the water doesn't drain to the compartment under the bilge pump but instead collects further forward. I have now fitted a Whale Gulper to the bulkhead with a pipe to hang over the side of the boat and the other pipe strapped to a broom handle in order to suck the water from each side of the bunded compartment under the engine. Due to a slight oil leak, the water in the compartment directly under the engine I pump into a bucket to dispose of it properly.

It doesn't completely remove all of the water but leaves just a few millimetres depth which can then easily be sucked out with my wet vacuum cleaner necessitating me having to only empty the vac once instead of 5-10 times I was having to do it each time before.

 

[rusty69]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

How is that affected by the insurance conmpanies that ask  if all surveyor recommendations have been carried out?  Were they recommendations or suggestions ?

I am not sure, perhaps I should find out. I suspect they were suggestions in order to satisfy insurance companies. 

[rustydiver]

Ive got a semi trad and used to get a lot off water in the bilges after a heavy rain storm a bucket or so. Had a good look at it when i repainted it and found that in the drainage channels were ok but found where they run under the deck they was welded to the deck but where there went under the gunnels the were open at the top where they raised up and the water was gushing in there.

As a try it and see i cabled tied some twin wall roofing stuff to the open bits that was a few months ago and all I've had is maybe a few mop full of water in that time.

 

[WotEver]

6 hours ago, rusty69 said:

I am not sure, perhaps I should find out. I suspect they were suggestions in order to satisfy insurance companies. 

Hmmm... A recommendation would be required to satisfy an insurance company. A suggestion is just that - take it or leave it. 

[Iain_S]

7 hours ago, rusty69 said:

Our recent survey suggested we need a swan neck on one of our outlets to comply with the 10" above the waterline requirement. 

Thats tomorrows job 

And best if the pipe run from highest point of swan neck to outlet is longer than from highest point to bilge pump.

[rusty69]

It was a recommendation for insurance purposes

Edited August 24, 2017 by rusty69