how big should I go on the bilge pump?

[Jake11]

I have a pretty small 14 sea nymph that doing some work to. It is a solid boat and currently has no leaks. I have never had a bilge pump in any of my previous boats. However, I plan to have my 2 year old son out with me by the end of summer. With that being said, I would like to have all necessary safety measures in place. So.... what size bilge pump is recommended for this size boat? It's a 14K (shallow semi-V).

 

[Skiffing]

How far will you be from shore and how long would it take you to get there?

I have 2 750 gph pumps mounted so that the first will have to be overwhelmed before the 2nd kicks in - unless I manually switch it on.

I went by a deadhead beaver cut log yesterday at 24 mph and didn't see it until it bobbed up next to the boat as I passed.

If I had hit that it would have speared the hull and no pumps would have gotten me to shore.

 

[earl60446]

Small boat = small pump although I always opt for an automatic, peace of mind if you leave it on the water unattended.
Tim

 

[RiverBottomOutdoors]

500gph or better is my recommendation. Automatic switch if you ever plan on leaving the boat in the water unattended or if you have a habit of forgetting to put the plug in.

 

[Capt1972]

As big as possible! Small boats don't hold as much water as a big boat before they sink!

 

[BigTerp]

As big as possible! Small boats don't hold as much water as a big boat before they sink!

Agreed!! And get some smooth bore plastic hose instead of the crappy corrugated hose that comes in most bilge pump kits.

Last summer I hit a rock and put about a 1" x 1/4" size hole in my hull. It was AMAZING how fast the boat started filling up with water. And the only way I knew it was filling up was when I noticed my sandals floating on the floor. I flipped on my 750 gph bilge pump (mine is manual) and it couldn't keep up. Luckily we got the boat off the rocks and to shore without issue. But it surely opened my eyes to how bad things can get, even on a small river. I've since added a second bilge pump (1100gph) on the other side of my bilge. It is wired to a separate battery (trolling motor) and on a separate switch than my other pump. That way if I ever loose power to one, for whatever reason, I'll have a backup pump on a backup power supply. I used Shields 148 series smooth bore VAC extra heavy duty hose instead of the standard corrugated hose. I also replaced the hose on my 750 gph pump with the same hose. It definitely pumps out more water with the smooth hose compared to the corrugated. When it comes to getting water out of my boat, I want the biggest pump possible. If my 750 gph ever goes bad, it will be replaced with another 1100 gph.

 

[DaleH]

A 2" hole only 1' below the waterline will let in ~78-gallons per minute. That's 4680 gallons per hour!

Plus, at the typical:

~8.34 pounds per gallon for saltwater, that is 651 POUNDS per MINUTE being added to the boat.

~8.5 pounds per gallon for saltwater, that is 663 POUNDS per MINUTE being added to the boat.

Regardless of where you boat ... holy $#@& that's a ton of weight!

 

[momule]

Bilge pumps are pretty good for leaving a boat in the water overnight but a hole in the boat while you're out in it is best handled by having good foam floatation in the boat so that it doesn't completely sink (most boats are made like that) and have a bucket handy to bail with. That would be a good lesson for you son to learn anyway.

The best safety measure is to have the holes taken care of before you take the family out in the boat....and of course, TEACH THE KID TO SWIM !!