# Who has bilge pumps in their Pathfinder tunnel-hull? (or any skiff)



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Who doesn't have one? 

Of course, you can use your empty Dunkin Donuts coffee cup to help bail your bilge out (just in case)!


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## Guest (Sep 9, 2018)

I don’t plan on having one in my project skiff. I am designing so a pump is not necessary though. Good ol’ half a Clorox bottle!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Yep


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## hawkman (May 19, 2018)

For those suggesting bailing, how would I bail out the bilge in a Pathfinder? A long straw and spit it overboard?


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## Guest (Sep 9, 2018)

hawkman said:


> For those suggesting bailing, how would I bail out the bilge in a Pathfinder? A long straw and spit it overboard?


Manual bildge pump lol!


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## Viking1 (May 23, 2010)

On my tunnel hull I have a bilge pump on each side. The way my tunnel is water gets trapped on one side and would never make it to the other side to get pumped out. I can't imagine not having the two bilge pumps unless of course I had about six of those long slurpee straws tapped together to reach the back of the tunnel.


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## Cam (Apr 5, 2017)

Most boats without flotation (foam) built into the system and running in deeper water should consider a couple strong bilge pumps. One wired to the main and another wired to a second battery possibly a trolling motor battery. First pump is on the bottom with a float switch. Second pump above that one on a secondary float switch. The discharge should be as close to the top of the deck as possible in skiffs.

Most production boats have a bilge pump designed for nuisance water but not for a thru hull or hose failure. Bilge pumps need to be quite large because a single thru hull or hose failure takes on water an absurd rate. A single 1100gph pump has no chance of keeping up.

Lastly a bilge alarm is a good idea. They are cheap and easy to install. The entire setup doesn't cost much and can save a boat particularly if wet slipped, moored overnight or running in nasty weather.


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## jimsmicro (Oct 29, 2013)

If you ask me, the smaller the boat the more you need a pump. If you're ever in bigger seas than you'd want to be in the last thing you want to have to be worrying about is stopping to manually bail out.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

I have one and also have a shop vac. I hate standing water anywhere. Pumps always leave a half inch plus. And removing plug always leaves a little too.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

I have one in my boat, and I'd never be without one even though I have plenty of foam.

I was using attwood pumps for a few years just cause they were available everywhere, but they suck....boom boom ching.

Seriously though, I'm going to a Johnson this time.


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## hawkman (May 19, 2018)

Ok. 

Small boat. Check.
Can't bail the bilge in this boat. Only the floor if we take a wave over the side.
Independent bilges - need at least one for each side. So that's four if I follow Cam's advice.
Hose or thru-hull failure. That's scary to think about. I DOUBT I will spend much time far from shore and in rough conditions, but they can arise.
Johnson > Attwood. Check.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

I have one on each side of the tunnel, on float switches. They're not really necessary on this hull in my opinion, since the cockpit doesn't drain to the bilge anyway. Gotta love that patented Pathfinder self flooding cockpit.
Edit: My wife invariably spills a 40oz fountain coke in the cockpit, so the now empty cup is great for bailing out the sticky mix of coke and seawater.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

hawkman said:


> Ok.
> 
> Small boat. Check.
> Can't bail the bilge in this boat. Only the floor if we take a wave over the side.
> ...


I think the 4 pumps is way overkill for your application. One pump per side is enough. Even if one burns out the water will equalize in front of the tunnel and the other one should get enough water out to keep you ok until you get to shore.

Also the thru-hulls should be high above the water line, near the gunnels. No problem with failures there. If a hose breaks then the water is just recirculating, but the other pump will still be working.

For what it's worth, I didn't use high quality thru-hulls or hose on my last build. And after 7+ years it still works and looks as it should.


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

When you skip upper body day at the gym:


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

yobata said:


> When you skip upper body day at the gym:


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## jhreels (Apr 20, 2017)

On July 4th we took my skiff out to watch fireworks. A yacht came by at wake speed and we took a healthy dose of water over the stern. 

My bilge pump kicked in right away, and because my boat has the drain plug installed from the inside, I was able to pull it out and hop on plane to suck the water out with the bilge pump helping.

Good to have safety stuff.


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## zthomas (Jan 14, 2014)

On my 17T, I've got a 750gph RuleMate (float switch and pump combined in a single housing) on each side. To install, cut 6" pie plate-type inspection ports into the false floor of that aft box, as far back as you can reasonably reach. My wiring runs through a hole with some other stuff near the port aft corner of the bait well. The hoses exit through fittings fairly high up on the inside walls of the "key slot" between the sponsons. Mine already had the hoses in place, so I'm not sure how you'd go about routing them. You can bet it won't be easy though.


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## Bruce J (Mar 4, 2018)

In case anyone is wondering, you can get one of those pumps like Yobata mentioned any place they sell kayaks. I keep one on my Maverick, but fortunately haven't needed it. I also have these drain plugs which I could open quickly if I can get back on plane to help drain.
View attachment 40938


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## Cam (Apr 5, 2017)

firecat1981 said:


> I think the 4 pumps is way overkill for your application. One pump per side is enough. Even if one burns out the water will equalize in front of the tunnel and the other one should get enough water out to keep you ok until you get to shore.


Four is not overkill if the boat is moored overnight unattended, wetslipped unattended, etc. Any time a boat without flotation is left unattended, having a primary and backup bilge pump is a good idea particularly on separate batteries (when possible). Once sponsons get into the mix, a smaller bilge pump in each sponson is probably a good idea. It is not like rigging this is prohibitively expensive.

What I am saying is, nobody wants to come back to this because they didn't want to pony up an extra hundred bucks:










That is a Yellowfin that sunk overnight partially due to pump failure.


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## ryan_riggle09 (Jun 14, 2018)

I have one on each tunnel in my 15t, they were in the boat when i got it. There are two deck plates that are probably 6 inch diameter, the pumps are right bellow the cover so you can access them. They are not wired to float switch just wired to regular switch, the hoses are ran two the cutout where the motor is if that makes sense. I can send some pictures if you would like to see, seems to be a good set up.


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## Bruce J (Mar 4, 2018)

Ouch. I almost lost my Maverick one day during torrential rains in Port O'Connor. Due to some faulty wiring work done when I had a battery switch installed, the bilge pump was wired through the switch and not directly to the battery as it should have been. When I turned off the switch the night before the storm, it turned off the bilge pump too.

I woke up to see the boat barely keeping both nostrils above water. I carefully climbed in, worried that even my extra weight would put her down, but I flipped the battery switch on and the bilge immediately started pumping and saved the day. 

Just a friendly reminder to check and make sure yours isn't wired improperly. It's always best to learn these lessons from someone else's mistake!


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## Cam (Apr 5, 2017)

Bruce J said:


> Ouch. I almost lost my Maverick one day during torrential rains in Port O'Connor. Due to some faulty wiring work done when I had a battery switch installed, the bilge pump was wired through the switch and not directly to the battery as it should have been. When I turned off the switch the night before the storm, it turned off the bilge pump too.


My current boat came wired from the factory with everything on the switch as well. Easy fix but definitely worth testing before someone finds out the hard way.


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

Cam said:


> That is a Yellowfin that sunk overnight partially due to pump failure.


It sank because it filled up with water, not because the pump failed. That boat had major problems. Float switch or not, no bilge pump on earth would have saved it from sinking.


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## GullsGoneWild (Dec 16, 2014)

that's how all boats sink


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## yobata (Jul 14, 2015)

I feel like it would take SOME rainstorm to fill up the cockpit of a boat with rainwater (with no bilge pump), even overnight.


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## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

Rule 27S. Automatic without a float. Cycles every 3 minutes and continues to run if water is present. If no water it spins for 1 second and stops. 1/10 amp drain in 24 hrs. Pumps water much sooner than a float would trigger and no float to stick. I have one in both my boats and have spec'd two in the one being built now.


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## SnookNocker (May 15, 2018)

My skiff has one and I have been thankful more than a few times that I have it. Taking a splash over the transom, snorkeling and diving brings lots of water into the boat, lots of cast netting, getting stuck in the occasional severe thunderstorm, etc.. Mine has an exposed, tiny bilge and the boat is not self bailing, so much simpler than yours. Whatever hassle it would be to install them would be worth it IMO.

I wired the pump up on a 3 pole toggle switch. Bottom position Auto., Middle position Off and Up position is Manual. I have to disagree about the statement about Attwood pumps though. The original pumps in my boat were all Attwood including the livewell and aeration pumps. They all live out in the open and the originals lasted over 15 years with regular use and I only replaced them when I did my restoration because they were ugly and turning yellow. They still worked perfectly! HOWEVER.... If I were installing pumps in an area that is difficult to access, I would probably go for higher end pumps.

15 year old pumps








New pumps end of 2016


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## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

There are situations that can overwhelm even the most powerful pump. Bilge pumps are very convenient, but not always adequate safety equipment. I typically install them in boats I own, but it's also a good idea to be prepared to deal with a major hull breach by having appropriate safety gear and emergency repair materials. OTOH, just pulling the drain plug(s) and running on plane will bail a skiff as fast or faster than most bilge pumps.


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## Salt of the Water (Feb 26, 2018)

Two 2000 gph johnsons on separate levels with independent wiring and independent auto switches as well as manual over-rides. May be overkill for shallow water, but I wanted to be comfortable exiting inlets and taking this boat into the gulf.

I think the solid state switches (opposed to flapper / float style) are more reliable. Less prone to fouling and mechanical failure.





  








10 Bilge Pumps




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Salt of the Water


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Mar 2, 2018








Another bilge pump consideration is battery reserve capacity. Look at the amp draw from the pumps and figure out how long your battery can support it. I still need to wire my pumps up the the trolling motor bank on my boat, which will give me a lot more time to keep pumping water.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

hawkman said:


> For those suggesting bailing, how would I bail out the bilge in a Pathfinder? A long straw and spit it overboard?


A bilge pump!


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## hipshot (Sep 29, 2018)

Once upon a time I was winter fishing in my 18 1/2' bass boat. I was anchored in 35' casting up into 12'-14' on a mainlake hump, in a stiff north wind and rolling whitecaps. Occasionally a wave would come over the bow, with my whole 200' of anchor rode out. After a while it occurred to me that my boat was reacting to the waves sluggishly. I looked back into the cockpit and it had water in it, meaning that there was a whole lot of water in that vee hull. Too much to get on plane. It was too cold to get in the water to pull the plug, and the float switch had malfunctioned on the one pump that had one . I turned it on manual, as well as the second (manual only) pump, and started for the ramp with both pumps going. It probably took over a half hour to make the 2 1/2 mile run. I got the boat on the trailer and inched it out a little at a time; I was afraid it was too heavy for the trailer. When I got it out far enough to pull the plug it dumped water for quite a while longer. Turns out a through hull fitting for the livewell had broken. If I hadn't been so focused on fishing and maintaining my balance on that pitching deck, I might have noticed the sluggish reactions to the waves (surf?) sooner. I certainly should have. Had the boat swamped in that cold, rough water I'da been in real trouble.

From that day on I always made sure I had two functional pumps mounted, and I kept a pair of spares in the boat stall.


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