Is a pump the answer

[Gaz101]

Hi went over to lundy island yesterday sunday in my sr4 delux
Bit of a mistake got about 6 miles off shore waves breaking over the boat
Pressed on thinking it would be shelterd by the island . It wasnot braking waves from all directions at times down to 3 knots too slow to pull out the drain plug
Will a bilge pump , pump low to the bottom of the boat ?

[henryfreston]

Originally Posted by Gaz101

Hi went over to lundy island yesterday sunday in my sr4 delux
Bit of a mistake got about 6 miles off shore waves breaking over the boat
Pressed on thinking it would be shelterd by the island . It wasnot braking waves from all directions at times down to 3 knots too slow to pull out the drain plug
Will a bilge pump , pump low to the bottom of the boat ?

Don't know anything about bilge pumps but you were nuts going that far shore on your own in a small boat

Saying that, it is a searider

[Gaz101]

2 boats all with life jockets on and kill cords both with dsc and gps felt safe but a bit wet

[henryfreston]

Originally Posted by Gaz101

2 boats all with life jockets on and kill cords both with dsc and gps felt safe but a bit wet

Oh I thought you were on your own

[totallydave]

I agree with Henry.

I don't know the S4 very well, but assume the deck is separated from the bilge and therefore you are talking about adding a 'bilge' pump on the deck (supposedly with a pipe over the side / back?). Whilst it would probably work (once you have about an inch of water around it), this means extra wires and pumps on the deck which does not sound ideal.

I carry a manual bailer (hand scoop) which is the easiest thing and you don't have to rely upon electronic.

But the best tool is the weather forecast ;-)

[A1an]

Dig the drill out and get an elephants trunk fitted

[Tim M]

A Searider (assuming it hasn't had the flooding hull blocked up) doesn't have a traditional under deck void/bilge space. Some Seariders were fitted with a bung in the deck just in front of the transom which allows you to drain any water on the deck into the space below, thus allowing it to drain out of the flooding hull hole at the back. That's one option.

The other two options as stated are bilge pump or elephant trunk. If it was my boat and I was planning on doing some serious cruising then I would fit both; a trunk will keep the deck free of water when under way and a bilge pump is useful if you're going slowly or for getting rid of water when tied up.

Having no means at all of getting rid of water from the deck isn't a great idea as you've probably discovered!

[colcreate]

Having been in 4m Searider in similar situations it was little comfort to have the pump running. The next wave simply overwhelmed the pump output. The completely swamped rib couldn't hold any more water yet it still maintained headway. With a flooding hull the original brass deck drains work quite well but personally I prefer 2 large transom trunk drains. After that experience I have always mounted my batteries and the fuel tank breather as high as practical so they do not become flooded. A bilge pump is handy and cheap enough so fit one anyway, that and a hand bailer keeps your crew happy....

[biffer]

You can go where you like in a little ship like an sr4. Put a large elephant trunk in it and a manual pump for when you're stationary

[doggypaddle]

Elephant trunks the way to go,
But if anyone knows if its actually possible to stay dry in a searider i would like to know how?

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by doggypaddle

Elephant trunks the way to go,
But if anyone knows if its actually possible to stay dry in a searider i would like to know how?

Not falling in face first helps

[doggypaddle]

I said in a searider not out of one NOBBUR

[simon23]

I got into trouble a few years ago in my tornado.it had a elephants trunk and a manual bilge pump fitted.problem was couldn't get up on the plane to use the trunk and had to drive the boat so couldn't sit at the transom pumping.electric pump would not get the boat dry,but on that day left running it would have helped.my advice fit all three!

Sent from my GT-S5830 using Rib.net

[mike-m]

Actually, when the boat is flooded, you do not have to get on the plane immediately for the elephant's trunk to work. If you apply power, the bow lifts and much of the water exits over the transom cutout, with more going down the elephant's trunk, simply because there is water at a higher level in the boat!
As the level drops, so the hydrostatic pressure reduces, but so does the overall weight in the boat and you start to plane, finishing off the job of bailing in the normal way.

Well, that's the theory!

[simon23]

In theroy,yes but when the cause of the problem is one of the chambers is full of water its a different game!

[GJ0KYZ]

Originally Posted by A1an

Dig the drill out and get an elephants trunk fitted

Agreed. Elephant trunks will drain your deck in next to no time. Good effort on the mad trip by the way.

[captnjack]

+1 on the elephant trunk. I added a single 3" diameter one to my ~5m RIB and its perfect. There's no way any pump can empty the boat like a powered firehose...