Replacing the Bilge Pump

[wolverine]

It's been 6 days since I was at the boat.  Went today to clean it up for tomorrow when I take a new friend out.  Open her up to find water on the cabin sole.  New batteries and the solar panel is working great so I knew it wasn't that.  Fuses all looked okay so I drove home and got a spare pump.  Removed a battery from it's locker, placed it on the cabin sole, and hooked it up directly to the pump.  Then I pumped the water into the sink with a spare hose.  Once most of the water was out of the bilge I removed the old pump and found it frozen.  Tried to install the "new" pump and found the wires too short.  Hardware store is closed so I left it hooked up to the battery on the sole for the night.  Left the boat a half hour ago in a mess.  The water is trickling in from the stuffing box that needs repacking.  I guess it's time to haul the boat. 

[Norman]

That is tough to find.  :-[  Did you get it clean enough to take the friend out?

Good argument for two pumps, fed from separate batteries.  I prefer bilge pumps to pump through vents well above the water line, preferably at the hull deck joint, so back flow is unlikely.

Haul out time is about now anyway, so Manana will do for repairs, just put both the seal and pump on the list.

[wolverine]

I was able to install the pump and we sailed for about 6 hours.  We got rained on several times, but it didn't damper us.  Great wind today.  Bonus: with his help I was finally able to pump out the holding tank.

The sails were stored wet, so tomorrow morning I'll raise them to dry.

[Norman]

The gloom is dispelled, you still went sailing!  Now you are ahead of most of the citizens of this world, especially me.  Color me green with envy.

Just a little cool for such, but I have dressed for rain many times by taking off nearly all my clothes.  My crew on one sail saw the advancing light rain, went below, and came back with pants and hooded rain gear.  I went below, came back in my bathing suit.  The rain mostly evaporated on the way down, and arrived as a mist, and I barely got wet.

Let us know about any more sailing days if you leave the Seidelman in the water.

[wolverine]

Went to the boat and raised the sails to dry.  Then I met with a couple sailing a 37' Pacific Seacraft for about an hour.  Returned to the boat a just got the main down and cover installed before it started to rain.  Brought out the boat soap and brush to clean the deck and cockpit.  I still need to properly clean the cabin sole, but otherwise she's looking good for her next outing.

Note:  I crawled under the cockpit and inspected the stuffing box.  It's barely a trickle, but I will be installing a second automatic bilge pump and look into scheduling a haulout.