Bildge~but tight for space

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YamahaC40Guy

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I'm constantly inspired by this forum, and am really enjoying it so far! I think the enthusiasm among the members is the best part...it's infectious! I had winterized my boat with the intention of doing more work on it when the ice starts to thaw...but MAN, this forum has rearranged my priorities! I'm headlong into the trolling motor project, and will be (hopefully) doing a test-fit this weekend. I have a question re: Bilge pumps now, wondering if anyone would like to chime in...?

My C40 is a little...how might you say, "thirsty" :roll: when it comes to fuel comsumption. Either that, or I'm opening it up a little too often. Either way, with the size of the boat, I can only fit about a 5 gallon tank in the back. I keep a smaller, spare tank on the other size, sitting upright...cozied-up to the battery. I've only had to turn to it once, but I was glad it was there! Anyhow, with all that fuel sitting back there, there is very little room for a bildge..but I'd love to have a small one back there. There is a slow leak (somewhere) that I plan on trying to address, but a bildge has it's place either way. So, short story long, can anyone suggest a pump/set-up that's "lean and mean"...small, slim etc.

Thanks so much,
Rob

(C40)
 
You do not have to put the bilge pump in the back - get a small run dry (self priming) pump and run some hose to the back
 
Thanks for the reply, but that's where the water all ends up! lol Whether anyone's in the boat or not, the water collects back there. Right now, I have a bailing bucket and a sponge!

Cheers,
Rob

*EDIT~just read that more carefully.. :oops: * Can you suggest a pump/supplier? A link?

Thanks,
Rob
 
the Cap.n makes a good point about installing one away from the lower end of the stern using a hose! :idea:

Not sure how much room you have in the aft section of your bilge, but here's the Attwood 500gph one I installed in my bilge. It's about the size of a baseball maybe, and available at Walmart if you have one at your location.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/images/albums/userpics/Bilge_Pump_Install.JPG
 
Thanks for the link WW, does that kit come with the hose/connections/wiring? I do have a Walmart nearby, but they don't have much in the way of marine supplies. :( Sure I could track one down though.

Cheers,
Rob
 
The only problem I have found with the small self priming pumps, when I was looking for one, is that few exist in 12v, and just about everyone had bad reviews on them.

Most any bilge pump will work. Just get a small one, say 250 GPH, and if you can't get it to fit, you can make a fuel tank platform, that lifts just up 3 inches or so off the hull, to fit the bilge pump under. It can be lift out, so you can still clean down there, and you can make it out of slats, like many swim platforms on ski boats, or just a simple piece of ply. It will also keep your fuel tank out of the wet bilge, and give you a place to put bungee rings, if your fuel tanks like to shift.
 
just a thought... but have you considered moving the fuel tank(s) and battery? It sounds to me like you have a ton of weight back there thats prob causing your bow to lift way up when running, slowing you down and eating up more fuel because it has to work twice as hard to push through the water... I'd be willing to bet if you moved your battery up front, fuel tank in the middle and maybe just your small spare tank in the bank the weight distribution would give you much better performance and milage... and best of all... you'll then have enough room for a dozen bilge pumps in the back!! :mrgreen:
 
Hey DryFly~thanks for the tip. I don't THINK the weight distribution is as big a factor as I'm making it out to be. The boat is very light, the motor is the absolute maximum I can put on there. (rated for a 35hp tiller, the addition of the console ups that) So, as my buddy says, it has a little "junk in the trunk." lol Have a look;

Boat1-1.jpg


When I built my deck, using the small space between the forward 2 seats for the battery and/or fuel storage was a consideration. It would have required big hatch, and a hatch that would now have the seat base bolted into it. Sitting on the hatch to fish didn't seem good, but making it smaller and pushing the seat base back did. Hindsight is 20/20, and this might happen when/if I decide to redo the deck. I might also add that the main purpose OF the deck was to stand, and fly fish from it. The reason for the trolling motor I'm planning on up there (another thread) is to be able to operate it WHILE spotting fish for friends. In other words, 2 guys up on that small deck, standing. In that case, the more weight in the back, the better! (or that Yamaha would be suspended in the air!) ****, wish I could afford that 20' Lund Alaskan!

Anyhow, I can't thank you guys enough, and think the idea of raising the full tank up in the back is great! (I WILL be doing that)

Cheers,
Rob

BTW DFR~I like the Adams tatoo, and it's the original dressing...wings down!
 
YamahaC40Guy said:
Thanks for the link WW, does that kit come with the hose/connections/wiring? I do have a Walmart nearby, but they don't have much in the way of marine supplies. :( Sure I could track one down though.Cheers, Rob


Yep, kit came with everything. As I recall, the pump had about 2' - 3' of wiring, and I cut the excess off. Also comes with the inline fuse holders. I'm pretty sure you can also find the kits at BPS and Cabela's online. The part I hated was drilling a hole in the stern. Wasn't hard, just don't like adding holes in a boat :lol: . Use 3M 5200 sealant around the flange that goes through the hull.
 
Off topic, but how close to the transom are the bunks? If the option is there, I would move the boat forward until the bunks come to just past the transom. The transom is the place on the boat that has the most load on it, and if I had to put the whole weight of the boat on one point, the transom would certainly be that, as it is the strongest point on the hull, in most cases. Right now, the motor weight, and all the force from the boat bouncing on the trailer (boat is strapped at the transom, so the inertia of the boat lifting up against the straps when bouncing over a speed bump or something is the same as adding extra weight to the transom), is being transferred forward, and being supported on the weaker part of the boat. After a while, the boat might start to develop a hook in the hull (bottom of the hull, or the keel is slightly concave from bow to stern), which will give performance problems.
 
Hey bassboy1~that's a good question, and thanks for the input. They are closer to the transom than they look, though perhaps they could be closer. Again, the photo (motor size/scale) is a little deceiving if you've seen the other shots of the boat. (see the trolling motor mount thread) Regardless, I'll see (at the front end of the boat) if there is room to move everything forward a bit. While we're talking about transoms, the marina that mounted the motor/controls kind of scoffed at the idea of a transom saver.(?) With the cross-members on the frame of the trailer so far forward, I couldn't find a transom saver that would travel that far, and go around a corner...but I was determined to take most of the load OFF of the transom while towing. So, I designed a heavy-duty bracket, 1/4" CRS/powder-coated to hold a 4" roller back a bit towards the transom. As the steel was cut by a laser-cutter, I provided a technical drawing that utilized the hole pattern that was there already. The result works like a charm, and spreads the load across the cross-member a bit. Have a look;

BOAT4Tsaver.jpg


Once again, thanks for the input bassboy1~it would seem that a dozen people can look at a boat photo, and each of them see a different thing! Wicked forum!

Cheers,
Rob
 
Do you have power tilt and trim on your motor? If not, I would definitely use a transom saver. If so, I still would, but some people dislike the idea. The only time I see myself not using one, is if I have a performance Bass Cat or similar, which the manufacture specifically recommends a different trailering bracket. The downward force of the dead weight of the motor is still there, but the transom saver keeps the motor from "rocking" back and forth, which will gradually work a transom apart.
 
Power tilt~yes it does. There is no side to side resistance though, so the motor can flop around. (and did, all the way from the marina to my house...about 2 hours) I took it slow, but was determined to resolve that before it ever got towed again. Once I have the trolling motor and it's batteries all mounted in, I'll be bugging all of you guys about cleaning aluminum...my boat has issues there! It was a rental originally, parked in a slip for months at a time, year after year. A real calcium-like scale on there, and I've had little luck cleaning it off.

Thanks again for the help and input,
Rob
 
I would still use the transom saver. Unless the manufacture of the boat specifically says to not use one (they usually won't on a 14 foot aluminum), I will have one.

As far as cleaning it, I can't tell you. The dirt on mine serves as a protective covering. I was actually standing in the backyard yesterday, and thought to myself, man that boat looks like crap. The scratches from whatever I have hit recently weren't scratches in the aluminum, merely scratches in the dirt. #-o
 
If there isn't room for a bilge pump on the floor of my boat, can I use a livewell pump and extend a hose down to the floor as a pickup line?
 
Cubman said:
If there isn't room for a bilge pump on the floor of my boat, can I use a livewell pump and extend a hose down to the floor as a pickup line?
Negative.

The problem with doing that is livewell pumps, and bilge pumps need to be submerged, in order to pick up water. What you would need would be a self priming pump. However, when I looked into a 12v. self priming pump for another purpose, I couldn't find one that had good reviews. All seemed to malfunction quite regularly.
 

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