TIPS FOR BOATING: Look And Listen To Your Boat’s Bilge
Published: Wednesday, July 11, 2018
By: Capt. Fred Davis
Just about everything that drops on to the deck of your boat is apt to end up in the bilge, including excess water spray and rain water.
However, regardless of the very important nature of the bilge, skippers often overlook checking it regularly. During my years of marine salvage experience, I had many calls to recover vessels that had sunk. The cause of many of these sinkings could have been avoided if more attention was given to maintenance of the bilge.
The problem is that most boat owners will wash down the hull and clean the aft decks after returning to their dockage — some may even clean the windows and cover the instruments to avoid any sun or water damage. However, once everything looks ship-shape, they often leave with little attention given to below decks.
A simple examination of the bilge, especially on inboard vessels, could avoid the damage that results from the boat sinking. Just a few minutes of review can expose evidence of water intake or blockage of the bilge pump. Stop and listen — the sound of water dripping may direct you to a problem. Vessels with thru-hull shafts may have a slight leak that allows a constant flow of water intake below deck. The flow of water from the stuffing box on the shaft is usually miniscule and directed to a sump area. Normally, bilge pumps can keep up with pumping this excess water overboard but they are powered by a battery system that can weaken and diminish over time should the leaking continue, so it’s still something that should be repaired if identified.
If your vessel has a self-draining aft deck that is open to the weather, its drains may plug with leaves or other debris left on deck. As the drains plug, they can rot, and the self-draining system could reverse. This may allow the vessel to take on excess water that can also quickly sink it. Drains on a self-bailing deck run from flush fittings on the aft, through a hose under the deck, to meet flush fittings just above the water line. These hoses can rot and tear. The best way to check that your hoses are intact and your plugs are clear is to pour water in the aft deck fittings, lean over the rail (or have someone on the dock observe), and watch to see if the water runs out of the flush drains at the waterline. This drain design has caused vessels to sink while underway, too, especially with the weight of numerous anglers at the stern of the boat fishing, so be knowledgeable about your boat before going out.
If your vessel is powered by an inboard/outboard, the drive system has a rubber boot that seals around it. The boot is susceptible to wear and tear as it ages and can create a water intake problem, also resulting in sinking the boat. It is an area that requires careful examination.
Another problem that has increased in recent years is created by small animals; beavers, minks, or muskrats. They have been known to enter exhaust systems, work their way up to the rubber fittings or hoses, and chew holes below the water line. Once again, if a vessel is left at a dock unattended, the result can be a sinking. Metal exhaust caps can generally keep the in-water critters out. They also help, along with placing tape over the exhaust ports, during winter lay-up since birds like to build nests which can be undetected during spring launch.
If you need to leave your boat unattended at a marina, it’s a good idea to note a watermark on your vessel and ask one of the employees to check it frequently. If you are docked at a facility that does not offer monitoring, ask a friend to stop by and take a look to ensure the boat is sitting level.
This article first appeared in the Summer Issue (Jul/Aug) 2018 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.
tags: Boating 101, Service & Repair
