Hull Drain Solutions - Inline Pump??

[33JS]

Looking for some input from the experts, if you guys don’t mind!

With my Ribtec I have the bilge ‘well’ at the aft end with a submersible bilge pump and the obligatory elephants trunk. However, there is a hull drain point for the hull itself at the bottom of the transom that can only be utilised whilst out of the water. Every time I recover my RIB I find that there is water in the hull and it drains by opening the plug.

I’m thinking of plumbing in an inline submersible pump to the hull drain so that I can pump the hull clear each time I prepare to head out with the boat. I’d have to install a T-piece/blank in order that the hull naturally drained on recovery too.

Has anyone done this? Do you see any drawbacks? Would I need to install some form of hull cavity vacuum breaker?

Thought, please?

[paintman]

Does the transom drain release a lot of water or just a small amount?

[33JS]

Originally Posted by paintman

Does the transom drain release a lot of water or just a small amount?

Depends on time on berth or weather. I'm pretty sure the hull is tight. I've been all over it. I replaced the drain plugs between the hull and bulge well with high quality items too.

[ribber]

If you leave the bung between the hull and bulge out, does the water from the hull drain back into the bulge when trawling. Trawling when the engine is making the bow rise higher than the stern. I have removed mine and when trawling, quite a lot of water then flows back and gets ejected by the auto bilge pump. The only problem being, that the water can move back into the hull when on the plain/level when rain collects generally in the boat.

I guess adding more pumps and switches is more to go wrong. If every now and then you can just release water trapped in the hull, that's probably good enough.

[gjepson]

I had a similar problem on a Viking, changed the bung, checked the hull etc

Whilst on the trailer i put a hose into the bung and left it, when it was full and under pressure, found the tiniest of holes (under 1mm), filled it problem solved.

[33JS]

Originally Posted by ribber

If you leave the bung between the hull and bulge out, does the water from the hull drain back into the bulge when trawling. Trawling when the engine is making the bow rise higher than the stern. I have removed mine and when trawling, quite a lot of water then flows back and gets ejected by the auto bilge pump. The only problem being, that the water can move back into the hull when on the plain/level when rain collects generally in the boat.

I guess adding more pumps and switches is more to go wrong. If every now and then you can just release water trapped in the hull, that's probably good enough.

The hull drain is so much lower than the bilge plugs, so even if some water came out then there would still be a level of water left in the hull!

[33JS]

Originally Posted by gjepson

I had a similar problem on a Viking, changed the bung, checked the hull etc

Whilst on the trailer i put a hose into the bung and left it, when it was full and under pressure, found the tiniest of holes (under 1mm), filled it problem solved.

Maybe that's worth a try, but the hull is very clean and intact. I'll try for it next weekend!

[gjepson]

That's exactly what I thought and the hole had been there since manufacture.

If theres water coming out, it's getting in somehow?

G