Bilge pump for a pongrass

[Anddox]

I just bought a Pongrass 18 foot half cabin and was curiuos if anyone knows if they come out with a bilge pump fitted. I cant get in under the floor to see and cant find any switch for one, but I would have thought a bilge pump in a boat that size would be mandatory, any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Andrew

[Pongrass18ft]

Hi Andrew, many years ago I installed a bilge pump to my 18ft pongrass I owned. What I did was cut a section out of the rear floor and there is plenty of room for you to put a bilge pump in. And I then just sica flexed a Perspex sight window over the hole neatly to close the opening.

Chris.

[Geoff]

Bilge pumps are normally optional so unless the original owner requested one fitted it's unlikely to be there.

Other than what u have checked so far , if one is fitted then there will be a hose coming up through the floor & out the side of the boat.

Is the floor F/Glass or ply. If ply then it will be held down with screws

Geoff

[cameldownunder]

Take a garden hose, put it in your boat, open the water, switch the battery on, close the drain of the boat, wait.

If nothing happens the boat doesnt have a bilge pump or it's broken. If water starts to flow out somewhere, you have one that works.

Don't forget the reverse the steps otherwise you get a hefty water bill, and the battery might run out.

[Guest 4myson]

You boat is Fiberglass right ?? The bilge pump MUST be fitted ABOVE the sealed floor . The area between the floor & Hull must remain airtight !! I would strongly advise against cutting any holes ...... There should be a recessed section at the back of your floor towards the transom where you would mount the bilge pump ........

[Anddox]

You boat is Fiberglass right ?? The bilge pump MUST be fitted ABOVE the sealed floor . The area between the floor & Hull must remain airtight !! I would strongly advise against cutting any holes ...... There should be a recessed section at the back of your floor towards the transom where you would mount the bilge pump ........

Isnt the area between the floor and hull the place where water may get in to be pumped out?

[amkr]

I used to think the same. But its not the case in my Haines.

The floor area is completely sealed. The bilge is only there to stop water that gets washed over the sides/back, its a small cavity in the back of the boat and water gets pumped out from there.

If water gets between the hull and the floor, you'll quickly find your boat sitting lower in the water than you'd like.

[Anddox]

So am I correct in assuming if water did get in the hull it shouldnt get past the floor and the boat should stay afloat?

[amkr]

It depends on the boat design.

If water gets under the floor, you lose buoyancy, if enough gets in then you sink

If water gets on top of the floor, it runs Ito the bilge and can be bailed or pumped out, the under floor is still sealed and the boat will continue to float, though it will sit lower in the water due to extra weight.

In some boat designs the under floor section has design features to prevent or delay any sinking scenarios. Sealed compartments or foam filled sections which are designed to prevent total flooding of the hull.

[Ric001]

Even on the sealed section of the hull there should be some pump out facility as the bilge is the lowest section of the hull even if it is under the floor. A water tight inspection port is a relatively straight forward installation to assist with checking the bilge pump. On your deck if above water line you may have scupper valves that will allow water to wash out without need for a second bilge pump.

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[amkr]

Even on the sealed section of the hull there should be some pump out facility as the bilge is the lowest section of the hull even if it is under the floor. A water tight inspection port is a relatively straight forward installation to assist with checking the bilge pump. On your deck if above water line you may have scupper valves that will allow water to wash out without need for a second bilge pump.

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There wasn't any pump-out on any of the glass boats I looked at buying (around 6 or 7 boats). The under floor area was sealed in all of them.

[Guest 4myson]

You should never get water in the bottom section of the hull ... If you have water coming out of your bottom bung after an outing than you have a crack somewhere & YOU must attend to that immediately... As Amkr has stated the bottom section of your floor must be sealed & they don't have bilge pumps in that section ....

[Guest 4myson]

Even on the sealed section of the hull there should be some pump out facility as the bilge is the lowest section of the hull even if it is under the floor. A water tight inspection port is a relatively straight forward installation to assist with checking the bilge pump. On your deck if above water line you may have scupper valves that will allow water to wash out without need for a second bilge pump.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your obviously talking about a bigger & newer style boat ... Your advise does not apply to the pongrass

[Guest 4myson]

You boat is Fiberglass right ?? The bilge pump MUST be fitted ABOVE the sealed floor . The area between the floor & Hull must remain airtight !! I would strongly advise against cutting any holes ...... There should be a recessed section at the back of your floor towards the transom where you would mount the bilge pump ........

Isnt the area between the floor and hull the place where water may get in to be pumped out?

That area between the floor & hull is what acts as boyance on your pongrass if it ever flips over that's why it must remain air tight ! It should be the only place where water should NEVER be !!! If you have water come inside your boat say from wave wash the bilge pump is there then to pump that out for you by keeping that area air tight the water Should never make its way into that sealed section between the hull & floor ..