Part of sailing the high seas is preventing your boat from sinking. Even if your boat is completely functional, water can still seep in. That’s why we have the bilge — the compartment at the bottom of a boat meant to collect water that doesn’t drain off the side of the deck. If you want to know how to operate the bilge, you also need to know how to run the bilge pump. It’s a good thing bilge pumps are easier to operate than they were 400 years ago.
Here are tips on how to use a bilge pump.
Electric Bilge pumps
First, locate the primary pump. This should be found at the vessel’s lowest point. Lift the hatch and inspect the hull. Some boats have secondary bilge pumps, which are usually located further up the hull.
Next, look for the three-stage switch, which should have the labels Auto, Off, and On. The labels may be hard to read if the switch hasn’t been cleaned in a while. Turn the pump on by changing the setting to “On.” If that doesn’t activate the device, put the pump on “Auto,” and then lift the float. That should turn the pump on.
Put the switch back to “Auto” when you’re done. If you’re dry docking the boat (repairing the boat on land), turn the pump off.
Also, remember to put the pump on “Auto” every time you leave the ship. This is to prevent flooding.
Hand and Manual Pumps
Manual pumps look more like bicycle pumps. To operate this machine, the first thing to do is to search for the handle — a hand pump connected to the main cylinder.
Next, point the hose to a desired location so that it doesn’t spill the bilge water to your craft. If you haven’t done it yet, place the bilge pump to the lowest area of the bilge. If there’s already an electric bilge pump down there, so place the manual pump in a spot where it won’t interfere with the other pump’s operation.
To get the pump to start moving the bilge water through the tube, use the handle to move the rod in an up-and-down movement, although the pump most likely will move in an arc motion rather than straight.
Pump until only an acceptable amount of bilge water remains.
If, however, this doesn’t work and you’re still left with a lot of bilge water, consider bailing the bilge manually. Secondary pumps aren’t intended to remove an entire load by themselves.
Also, note that most hand and manual bilge pumps function quite poorly as main pumps. If you decide to get a manual pump, use it as an extra pump only. Make sure you have an electric bilge for optimal performance.