This week's mystery picture

[anon]

That installation is a thing of beauty. Thank you.
My boat is an '87 MY, built in '86. Hull #369. Still going back and forth with names.

[anon]

A difference I noticed between Jon W's bilge and my bilge is the extra length of keel bolts that Jon's boat has, also the condition.

[Noah]

Sophie: if i were you I start by replacing your "funky" hose set-up, removing the apparent check valve, hard pipe and multiple connections, and run a single smooth bore flex hose from the pump, all the way to the transom.

[Jon W]

I cleaned the keel studs as part of the bilge pump upgrade project. I used Davis FSR.

The previous owner removed the wood in the bottom of the bilge and had the keel rebed. I can only guess that is why the keel stud length looks different.

I found a before and after photo of the 1st aft keel stud for reference. Not brand new, but an improvement.

[KWKloeber]

One interesting response was that I consider a 110V bilge pump using the shore power. The argument is that bilge pump float switches have been known to stick and cycle on and off until the batteries drain. But then of course I gratefully read that from you guys my worst fears are probably just that.

I'd be interested in reasoning from the respondee, the benefit of an A/C pump over a DC pump drawing say, 15 amps, when you have a 40-amp battery charger plugged into the same shore power.  Now, if you are for safety going to disconnect all other AC except the bilge pump whilst in the parking lot, that's a different situation.

   

[KWKloeber]

I cleaned the keel studs as part of the bilge pump upgrade project. I used Davis FSR.

The previous owner removed the wood in the bottom of the bilge and had the keel rebed. I can only guess that is why the keel stud length looks different.

That is exactly the reason -- removing say, 2" of wood and replacing with a fraction of that with fiberglass roving.

I liked the idea of the G10 blocks to raise the keel nuts.  Very cool idea. 

I saw another install using pvc pipe to keep keel bolts/nuts dry.  Epoxy'd (or maybe it was 5200'd) a short length of pvc pipe onto the bilge bottom to form a cofferdam around each bolt so water doesn't get to it.  Diameter large enough to get a socket onto the nut.

kk

[Jon W]

As part of the purchase the PO confirmed the boatyard followed the Catalina drawing for removing and replacing the wood that I got from this forum.

[anon]

Sound advice replacing the hose with a single smooth bore all the way to the transom. Thank you Noah. There is a Tee connection which I can only assume is coming from the head but I have not traced that. (I just realized it was there in the photo).

[anon]

Any ideas on what I should do with the tee connection?

[Noah]

Couldn't even venture a guess as to where/what the tee goes to. Not the standard configuration. Whatever it is IMO it needs to go.

[Jon W]

Right or wrong I think of the bilge pump system as a safety sytem. As such I would not have anything tied into the bilge pump system except for parts of the bilge pump system. Keep it simple, and efficient.

I can only guess that the hose is your shower drain. If you choose to keep it tied into the bilge pump system, make sure it has a properly installed check valve. If not your bilge pump will pump water into the shower/head instead of out of the boat.

[Noah]

I seem to remember she already located the shower drain/sump pump in its usual place under the head sink area?

[anon]

These pictures show the hoses in the head. As I stated earlier, I didn't even notice that tee'd hose until I posted the picture of the bilge. I will try to trace the different hoses this weekend when I visit my boat.
Thanks everyone.

[Stu Jackson]

Sophie, it appears that your PO did something right, since it looks like the head sink outlet has been Tee-d into the head inlet.  This is discussed under Peggie Hall's Top Ten List in the 101 Topics, with pictures I took of my mod.  It's a good thing to do.

From that picture under your had sink there is NO indication of where that T in your bilge could be coming from.

Instead of Mystery Picture of the Week, it may be Mystery T of the Decade! 

[KWKloeber]

Sophie

Which engine do you have?
(Feel free to put info in your sidebar profile) -:)

Zken