2' x 1/2" pvc

 
 

Very cool Joe, got any photos?

I made an outlet hose for my bilge pump with pvc. I got some sand hot on the stove and pored it into a pvc pipe. I hammered nails into my workbench at the appropriate places, and laid the hot, flexible pipe on the bench so the nails would hold the pipe the way I wanted it until it cooled. 

On both my Feather Crafts I've pointed the bilge pump outlet hose upward so I can tell when the bilge has been emptied.

M

 

Don't cut any holes in the transom or sides to evacuate the bilge water.  Just throw a hose over the top of the transom or fab some PVC or copper over the transom and secure it so it stays functional.  Its also nice to wire it to a switch so you can manually turn it on AND have it connected to a float that will turn it on if the water raises the float.  That way if its left in the water overnight for days/weeks at a time you don't have to fuss with it if the leak gets worse.

Hello,
Thanks for the input guys!
To answer the question about the leak location:  I can not pinpoint its exact location.  It's such a tight and dark space under the hull and above the first trailer roller where the two bottom seams meet that I can only see where the water from the leak is forming small droplets on the bottom seam, but can not determine the origin of the leak  itself.

So I guess I'll follow advice and consider this an acceptable leak that a bilge pump can handle and place the bilge pump pick-up as close to the transem as possible on the heavy side.

Thanks,
Phillip Henderson

You might want to try running a small line of Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure (no kidding) around the head of the leaking rivet.  I've had good luck with using it on seam leaks.

M

The bilge pump on my ‘54 Vagabond sits inside one of the compartments created by the triangular bracing at the transom. I usually hit the on switch any time we come
off plane as the nose comes up and the water collects back there. I have a leak of around a similar drop rate to what you mention.

We also used water tight pop rivets when reinforcing the transom, it wasn’t a popular decision, but they have held, and we weren’t going to make the investment a rivet gun required. I trust my resident engineer.

I’m going to be a smart ars here 15,140 droplets in a gallon

I don't think one drop per minute counts as a leak.