Protecting yourself from sinking

[sybrmike]

I just installed a shut off valve on the raw water thru hull last night (didn't originally have one). Also, originally had only one 500 gpm bilge pump. I'm putting in two 500's - one up front with an auto float switch & the other in back on manual.

I'll have another shut off valve on the ballast intake, a valved extra fill line for the one 750 sac still on the floor, & quick disconnects for the hidden sacs - so it'd be easy to close the valve, yank the hoses off the manifold in the bilge, throw two 1" lines overboard, & use the two Johnson 750 impeller pumps if ever needed.

If 2500 gpm won't keep up, "man the lifeboats, she's goin' down"...

[KY Steve]

Just an FYI for those who would let their boat sink, make sure your insurance covers the salvage. Most insurance does not and salvaging the boat is required by law in many areas because of environmental reasons.

A buddy's boat sank in 12' of water and it cost him over two grand to bring it back up and and get it on shore, his insurance did not cover that expense. Image what the cost would be in deeper water? The lake I'm on is over 100' in most areas.

Just something to keep in the back of your mind.

[haugy]

I just installed a shut off valve on the raw water thru hull last night (didn't originally have one).

Just remembered my thru hull has a 90 degree elbow, but with a hose fitting not a threaded fitting on it. How did you do the shut off valve? What did you use? I can't remember if I can unscrew the 90 or not.

[sybrmike]

Originally, mine had a 90 threaded directly on top of the thru-hull with a 5" section of pipe threaded on one end into the 90 and hose clamped to the raw water line on the other. I removed the pipe section and installed a MPT/MPT adapter into the 90, then ball valve, then pipe section. I had to take the handle off of the valve to thread it on due to tight clearance with the stringer and bottom. I also cut a few inches off the tail pipe to help make up for the extra space required by the valve.

Even still, the hose bend up to the strainer is too tight & the hose could rub on the trans mount. Tonight, I'm cutting the hose from the tail pipe to strainer and installing a barbed 90 so the hose doesn't kink or hit the mount. Space is tight with a valve for sure.

[haugy]

Yeah, I'm trying to put in a strainer and am trying to figure out the lines. Finding wire run 1 1/4" hose is a pain in the butt.

I may have to run to Lowe's and MacGuyver some stuff together.

[ericmichaels]

Just a thought but if you were in that situation couldn't you disconnect the drain hoses from your ballast if you had them and put those down in the bilge area and and just run your balast drain pumps along with your bilge? I have a 3 bag ballast system that I can disconnect the drain lines from the bags pretty quickly. I also have another pump that plugs into my aux power that is used to fill and drain additional ballast bags when needed. So 2 bilge pumps, and 3 ballast pumps that would take a little bit to disconnect and another bilge pump ( I believe it's the 1200gph tsunami pump) that can be hooked up in seconds. Wouldnt all of this be able to handle most problems on the water?

[geaux_fish]

While on the subject of bilges, I have a new (to me) 06 Launch. How much water coming out of the bilge is normal? It seems like I will have 30 -45 seconds of water being pumped after each run. Is that normal? How does that much water enter the boat?

thanks

[docdrs]

While on the subject of bilges, I have a new (to me) 06 Launch. How much water coming out of the bilge is normal? It seems like I will have 30 -45 seconds of water being pumped after each run. Is that normal? How does that much water enter the boat?

thanks

sounds like you need to tighten your shaft packing nut

[geaux_fish]

thanks, I'll check that out asap!

[bdumas35]

Yeah, I'm trying to put in a strainer and am trying to figure out the lines. Finding wire run 1 1/4" hose is a pain in the butt.

I may have to run to Lowe's and MacGuyver some stuff together.

Haugy,

Here's how I did my Salt.