Bilge pump failing

[John Berg]

After witnessing the tragedy at Camano head on saturday I decided it is time to Make my boat safer. I have put off repairing the rot and cracks in my spashwell until my house is done so I need to rely on my bilge pump. I cleaned out the bilge of foriegn matter and cleaned the screen. The Rule 1100 pumps alot of water for about 10 seconds and than fizzles out even when still submerged in water. I turn it off, wait for 30 seconds and than turn back on. Pumps for another 10 than fizzles out. The automatic part is not working but could be not getting power. Can a pump be old and tired enough to not work when it gets warm? John

[Tim McCrain]

John,

I read about the incident off Camano, did you actually see what happened? What I read was that three large wind-driven waves struck the boat from the stern and swamped it, was it the kind of situation that a bilge pump could have dealt with?

I also read that no one on board was wearing a PFD.

Tim

[Bflaherty]

I don't know about the Rule pumps but I remember the pump that came in our Chris craft (similar to a macerator pump that had a hose in the bilge with pump mounted high and dry) would pump strong for a few minutes then the impeller would get warm and sticky an it would slowly stop turning. Once cooled it would run again but each interval was shorter than the last... We bought new impeller and that seems to have solved our problem..

What little I do know about the Rule brand pumps is that my marine mechanic father always replaces the entire unit at the first sign of trouble, they are inexpensive enough not to justify the heavy risk associated with their failure...

[John Berg]

Going to replace it

Sounds like mine. intervals of operation got shorter. Ill replace. What I witnessed was after dropping my first pot at 6:55 because I was tired of getting beat to death by waves and didn,t want to wait till 7 a police boat started zig zaging through waiting boats. I commented to my friend that I was tired of paying all this money for them to be out here. He continued on SSW to the channel between camano head and whidbey. He met up with 2 other boats with lights flashing and than we got really upset about the taxpayer money being spent. Than a coast guard helicopter flew a pattern for a short period before hovering close to the water near the 3 police boats still in that same area. Now were thinking they were doing practice menuevers and how smart they were to do it when there were going to be several boats on the water. Than a friend calls and tells us about the accident. where we were, on the inside tip of the head we couldnt see anything close but we experienced tide one way wave another wind blowing the Skagit bobbing and it sucked. I was ready to go home at 7:45. We had 2 guys. Mike ran the boat on the starboard side where he also started the pot puller, also on the starboard side I stood on the starboard side and pulled in rope into a bucket. The davit/pully was hanging out the starboard side pulling up a pot that weighs 40lb with resistance from the water its self. Now comes the part where Im not being smart. My bulkhead behind the splash well is rotted where my controls go through it. So when were all on the starboard side water comes over the splashwell into the boat. After each pot we bilge pump and than go for another pot. We only had 2 guys. They had 5 people and were setting there first pot. I think to many people getting to close to the transom could be an issue. One wave kills the motor. Now you cant get away. Pulling the pot while moving forward kept water out. But it wasnt always an option because of the tide and the wind and the waves and all the other bouys. Heres an idea. I would settle for 1 day of shrimping if I got to pick the day. 70 degrees light winds no waves. We shouldnt have to go on set days. John

[Bflaherty]

Wow you seem to have the sentiment as most of my family... We inherited 3 shrimp pots 5 years ago and have never touched water with them. The one or two days shrimpary is absurd!!

[Helmar]

Bilge Pumps

I run two bilge pumps off separate wiring to the fuse block.
I am sure its more than I need but what the hey.

From what I heard about that accident is the Fish busters were there without any diving gear.

In all honesty, if a Fireman was there, they would have taken the chance and at least tried.

Seems the older I get the more I loose respect for people like that, sorry. Our tax dollars at work.

Don't get me started on Waste and the so called Home land Security, Man, what a JOKE.:TwoCents1: