Hunter 42 Bilge Puzzlement

[K1MGY]

Hello to all.

My Hunter 42 Passage CC (BABU) offers a bit of bilge confusion to this new owner/sailor. Hoping someone with knowledge of the "down under" might help.

Two questions:

1. There seems to be no flow possible between the engine compartment bilge and the main bilge (located beneath the compression post). If the shaft packing seal gives way, or perhaps one of the through hulls, the water will rise and, it appears, try to flow into the blower fan duct, and then onto the deck. Not a pleasant scenario.

This appears to be a call to action. Does it make sense to (a) install a bilge alarm in the engine compartment bilge and (b) install a pump with an output hose routed to the main bilge?

2. Are all the other below deck bilge compartments connected so that if one fills up it dumps into the main bilge? I can't quite tell. Should I be concerned if they don't?

[rslifkin]

If you're going to add more pumps, have them pump directly overboard. Pumping water from one part of the bilge to another and then overboard (instead of directly overboard) is a waste of both power and potential pumping capacity.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by K1MGY

Hello to all.

My Hunter 42 Passage CC (BABU) offers a bit of bilge confusion to this new owner/sailor. Hoping someone with knowledge of the "down under" might help.

Two questions:

1. There seems to be no flow possible between the engine compartment bilge and the main bilge (located beneath the compression post). If the shaft packing seal gives way, or perhaps one of the through hulls, the water will rise and, it appears, try to flow into the blower fan duct, and then onto the deck. Not a pleasant scenario.

This appears to be a call to action. Does it make sense to (a) install a bilge alarm in the engine compartment bilge and (b) install a pump with an output hose routed to the main bilge?

2. Are all the other below deck bilge compartments connected so that if one fills up it dumps into the main bilge? I can't quite tell. Should I be concerned if they don't?

Its been a few years since I surveyed one of those but if I remember correctly, the engine bilge is the deepest bilge in the boat. You should have a high water bilge alarm in there any way. ABYC H-22,Electric Bilge Pump Systems, 22-7-3. To meet this requirement We have a second pump 6" higher than the first and that is tied into an audible alarm.

I also agree with rslifkin, a separate pump should be added forward.

[K1MGY]

Very helpful. I'll consider another hole in the side for engine bilge.

[n0where]

So its a little late, but I had this problem too and I was looking around. If you notice there is a ridge line in the fiberglass on the floor between the shaft and the front half of the engine. From what I can tell this ridgeline is there to separate the aft portion of that compartment from the forward. The aft compartment does have "hidden" drain holes, at least on my boat.

Now on the outside of that ridge line towards the stern, where it meets the sides, there are two 1 in holes drilled into the corner where the ridgeline meets the sides. Its almost impossible to see just by looking. Those two holes are probably clogged up and causing water to run OVER the ridgeline into the non draining compartment. Run your finger along it and I bet there is old soundproofing stuck in there clogging it up.


I might have a picture somewhere and ill upload it if i can find it.

You are correct that there is no bilge pump in the compartment directly under the engine. I assume this is like this to prevent oil and whatever from engine maintenance from getting into your bilge.

You need to pay attention to make sure these holes are free and clear.

I am also going to install a drippless the year, but that's another story.

[Fintry]

I teach flood control at the Cruising Club of America's Offshore Safety at Sea Hands On Training. We strongly recommend having multiple bilges and bilge pumps. If you get a flood, it is far easier to find if you don't have to search the whole boat. On a 42' boat, I'd like to see four bilges, plus a watertight chain locker. Having two is a good start on that.

[n0where]

Originally Posted by Fintry

I teach flood control at the Cruising Club of America's Offshore Safety at Sea Hands On Training. We strongly recommend having multiple bilges and bilge pumps. If you get a flood, it is far easier to find if you don't have to search the whole boat. On a 42' boat, I'd like to see four bilges, plus a watertight chain locker. Having two is a good start on that.

Yeah, There is really one main bilge on this boat that everything drains into below the varous sub-floors. I understand where the designers are coming from with that compartment directly below the engine, trying to prevent fluids from getting to areas of the boat you cant access that eventually drain into the bilge. And to also keep the engine compartment dry. But it does create an area that does not drain properly. So if there was a large leak by the shaft, it would pool up in this area until it overflowed somewhere if those small drain holes were overwhelmed..

However, relating back to this, the water from the dripping shaft seal should be draining through those holes and down in the bowls of the fiberglass frame into the main bilge keeping that area dry. That compartment under the engine should remain dry. Now I do agree with you that there should be a bilge pump in there for emergencies. It is rather stupid that it does not. But normal operation should have the water from the shaft going to the main bilge through those drain holes. I don't think you'd want 2in of sea water directly under the engine constantly.


I'm going dripless because its a center cockpit boat with electronics and other things in that central engine compartment and I want to keep water out of there as much as possible.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by K1MGY

Hello to all.

My Hunter 42 Passage CC (BABU) offers a bit of bilge confusion to this new owner/sailor. Hoping someone with knowledge of the "down under" might help.

Two questions:

1. There seems to be no flow possible between the engine compartment bilge and the main bilge (located beneath the compression post). If the shaft packing seal gives way, or perhaps one of the through hulls, the water will rise and, it appears, try to flow into the blower fan duct, and then onto the deck. Not a pleasant scenario.

This appears to be a call to action. Does it make sense to (a) install a bilge alarm in the engine compartment bilge and (b) install a pump with an output hose routed to the main bilge?

2. Are all the other below deck bilge compartments connected so that if one fills up it dumps into the main bilge? I can't quite tell. Should I be concerned if they don't?

There is nothing wrong with this arrangement. Its very normal for the engine bilge to be separated from the main bilge. This is to stop engine leaks (oil, fuel, etc.) from getting into the main bilge and then getting pumped overboard. If you're worried install a high water alarm, but an automatic bilge pump would be a bad idea. a manual one that you have control over if you are worried

The rest of the bilge should bypass the engine bilge to allow regular overboard pumping if needed

[n0where]

Originally Posted by K1MGY

Hello to all.

My Hunter 42 Passage CC (BABU) offers a bit of bilge confusion to this new owner/sailor. Hoping someone with knowledge of the "down under" might help.

Two questions:

1. There seems to be no flow possible between the engine compartment bilge and the main bilge (located beneath the compression post). If the shaft packing seal gives way, or perhaps one of the through hulls, the water will rise and, it appears, try to flow into the blower fan duct, and then onto the deck. Not a pleasant scenario.

This appears to be a call to action. Does it make sense to (a) install a bilge alarm in the engine compartment bilge and (b) install a pump with an output hose routed to the main bilge?

2. Are all the other below deck bilge compartments connected so that if one fills up it dumps into the main bilge? I can't quite tell. Should I be concerned if they don't?

Not sure if this helps you, but you can see the drainage holes here in this picture from another forum. You can see the drain hols from this angle, which is hard to see without contorting yourself.

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/th...al.1249928480/

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/at...17-jpg.191429/