Thursday, October 22, 2009

The bilge works.....

well it was hardly a high tech project;

Bilge full


Bilge empty....almost


There is a small lip where the two epoxy/sand pours joined, but it serves to trap water on the sump side, so I just pretend that it was part of the plan.

BTW the sand/epoxy mix is never coming out. I tried to grind a little to level off the sump and lets just say it took a while.

This is what I plan to install as a sump pump;



The Whale Supersub smart 650.

6 comments:

builder said...

Looks nice. And now the question: paint or gelcoat?

The Incredible Hull said...

Good question, actually nothing. I thought about bilgekote but figured that all it would do is flake off eventually and block the bilge pump.

Jerr Dunlap said...

You're right about BilgeKoke - It's only meant for dry spaces. I would absolutely paint a barrier coat of epoxy with 20% barrier coat additive (West Systems 422) - Epoxy is permeable... Much more so than many believe. You'll prevent delaminations that way.

On another note - I view bilge pumps as my safety for a broken thru-hull or other flooding. That 650, especially with lift, hose length & anti-siphon will seem to pump hardly at all. A couple of 2K gph pumps & smooth hose will take care of that.

Love your blog and boat! Keep it up!
- Jerr

builder said...

I do have bilgekote in the bilge. And while it is not yet a "real world" test, it has held up nicely to construction debris, dust and water. Seems tougher than typical topside enamels.

Another option is Interlux E2000 epoxy barrier coat system. Easy to apply and comes in gray or white.

I am with Jerr on the bilge pump. While that 650 looks cool (never seen it before) and I like its low profile compact design, I'd be wary of an impeller style pump that low in the bilge where debris can damage the vanes (I have seen that in the typical Rule pump installations).

Maybe a diaphragm pump as a backup?

The Incredible Hull said...

RJ and Jerr

Hopefully great minds think alike, or we are all doomed.

Gerry

Jerr Dunlap said...

BilgeKote's resistant to chemicals and is good stuff but it's not a barrier coat. The Interlux InterProtect2000E is a good product and will do the job nicely. Make sure to use InterProtect 1000/1001 (barrier coat primer) for prep. It binds stray solvents. I've used Petit and Interlux for years and have never had a problem. Then again, I'm thorough with prep. Nice meeting you, RJ & Gerry! Cheers! - Jerr