Florida Rain!

ric · **Posted:** Fri Aug 19, 2011 8:32 am

We got 7" of rain last evening in a 2 hour time span! It took 35 minutes with the 500gph bilge pump to empty the boat even with the "waterproofed" snap in covers. It raised up 3 inches :shock:

Jafo4U · **Joined:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:33 am **Posts:** 1026

Hope your getting ready for Irene she is a Cat 2 right now and by thursday they are saying it should be offshore as a Cat 4 :shock:

. That cone was crap in 92 with Andrew hope we don't have a repeat.

Joe In Miami

LouC · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2011 10:26 am

How about putting in an 1100 Rule in place of that 500, as long as the wiring and fuse can take the current draw....
we got 7-8" of rain over last weekend in 24 hrs and I didn't even get enough to turn on the auto bilge switch.
If you can I'd put in an 1100 Rule and a Sure Bail auto switch...
For any of these smaller boats that are left in the water even with covers, a 500 gph does not cut it. The bilge on a small boat fills up so fast that you need a bigger pump.

ric · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:08 am

LouC wrote:

How about putting in an 1100 Rule in place of that 500, as long as the wiring and fuse can take the current draw....
we got 7-8" of rain over last weekend in 24 hrs and I didn't even get enough to turn on the auto bilge switch.
If you can I'd put in an 1100 Rule and a Sure Bail auto switch...
For any of these smaller boats that are left in the water even with covers, a 500 switch does not cut it. The bilge on a small boat fills up so fast that you need a bigger pump.

You got that right. A 500 is a joke. I might just take up your advice with that rule 1100 with a sure bail auto switch.

I'm going to keep an eye on the weather, but if it stays that far off the coast I'll leave it in the lake. If it gets any closer out it comes. I'll be sure to take off the covers, etc. Wind here right now is supposed to get only 35 tops, that's nothing. If the storm moves 50 miles closer to FL, we'll have 75+ gusts

Does that bail switch care about oil? My bilge is a tad nasty since when the power steering leaked out.

LouC · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:24 am

The Sure Bail is bomb proof, oil, salt water, leaves, etc it's been down there 9 years without a problem.
What I did was get a piece of aluminum stock, bent it into an 'L' shape, mounted the pump and switch on the bottom leg of the L, and screwed the vertical leg of the L into the bulkhead between the engine bilge and gas tank. Sealed up the screw holes with 3M 4300. Now if either fail, I just remove two screws and lift the whole mess out of the bilge.
BTW I carry a spare motor for the 1100 and a spare Sure Bail on board just in case. I have all kinds of spare parts in the boat and tools to change em...

I'm thinking of adding a second 1100, and Sure Bail over the off season, I'd have to install a separate water line and thru hull and wire it up, but thats not a big deal. Having 2200 gph (theoretical anyway) is a nice set up in a small boat. Should be standard, with all the stupid gimmicks they put into todays boats, the real important stuff they scrimp on....

this will convince you to up-grade, keep in mind that this is a Whaler that can't sink, a proper salt water boat...but watch how fast it pumps that out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q6jlu66RUM

here's one more to the point, an I/O boat, look at how long it takes to pump out this bilge, with a 4000 gph pump....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q6jlu66RUM

ric · **Posted:** Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:56 pm

You got me sold.

Jafo4U · **Joined:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:33 am **Posts:** 1026

Awesome videos!

taz42169 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:00 pm

I'll be adding that upgrade as well this off season! Awesome.

www.iFourWinns.com

Florida Rain!

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