Manually operated bilge pump?

[mark&diana]

I apologize if this question has been covered previously, but how important is it to have a manually operated (hand) bilge pump as a backup in case of battery failure? If a good idea - any suggestions?

Thanks

[C-Otter]

Keep a big bucket aboard. The best manual bilge pump is a frightened man with a bucket. C-Otter

[416rigby]

This beast will get the water out pretty well...and it's ready for immediate use. Works great...and I'm glad we have it. Intake is at the transom near the plug and there is an inline check valve to make it self priming. She spits water within a few pumps.

[sailor-d]

Nice to see another with a "gusher" type pump. I don't even have an electric - just as well because electric ones seem to be a constant source of problems, failures and many inquiries on this site. I have a Whale Gusher pump installed with the strum box in the well by the drain plug. I have used it once or twice in four years to suck out a pint or so of accumulated rainwater. I think a manual pump is as important as a radar reflector.

[rogerbum]

I have two electrics that are fix mounted + a spare electric with 25' of cord on a 12V cigarette lighter connector (can be powered from another boat) and a manual pump of this type (I have the 10GPM one). I like this style as you can move it around to pump out a wet spot, move it over to another boat or dinghy in need or use it as a crude raw water wash down. I use mine a lot to rinse out the port lazarette which I have set up as a fish box. Not only is a manual bilge pump handy, a manually operated self bailing device is required in Canada.

[BrentB]

[thataway]

I keep one of the long 2" tube type of bilge pumps aboard--mostly for inflatble, as well as the two portable and 2 built in bilge pumps. The Whale gusher pumps are very good. We had the double chamber diaphragm 1 gallon a stroke: 60 gallons a minute in our cruising boats. Had to use it in a major Atlantic storm, since the electric pumps were getting plugged upwith dog hair, sawdust and construction debris.

[mikeporterinmd]

After a very sad friend woke me one morning with a bildge full of water, and
no one on the entire raftup had a manual pump, I bought one of the tube
type with a long hose.

I have the little bildge area in the dinette, and I can put the tube down
into the area, and have someone hold the hose over the side of the boat and
completely pump out the CD-22. Since the electric pump is currently
broken, this is a good thing.

The tube pumps are nice because they can be quickly taken apart and
cleaned if they suck up something that prevents the vacuum from building.

Mike

[dogon dory]

Sorry, Folks - Post Deleted By Author

[mark&diana]

Many thanks for all the feedback.

It looks like at a minimum we should get a 'tube' bilge pump which look fairly inexpensive. If we end up spending more time in rougher seas - one of the other more robust types may be in order!

[oldgrowth]

[rogerbum]

The largest pump they make is rated for 31 gals per minute. A little less than Bob remembers but still a big number (1860 gal per hour).

[lloyds]

The whale handpumps are great, plus with the correct end fitting they can get out most of that little bit that is left in the sump, something most of the automatic electrics won't. When I move up to a bigger boat I will have one. I always had one in the sailboats.

[oldgrowth]

[dogon dory]

Sorry, Folks - Post Deleted By Author