MF805 Bilge pump

[fredinireland]

I am fitting hot water and heating to my 805 after a long delay. I went to the boat yesterday and found a lot of water in the bilge under the engine. This has not been seen before and is definitely rain water. There is a roof drain outside which drains into the deck drain and also gets into the small bilge by the prop shaft which I regularly sponge out in the Lazerette. I can only assume after the long lay up this has overflowed into the engine compartment.

So I switch on the manual bilge pump switch on the console and the pump runs (loudly) but the water stays. No water coming out anywhere. Is the bilge pump supposed to empty this as mine clearly does not. It is a new boat to me so I am finding all sorts of issues. I am thinking I need a bilge pump in the engine bilge as not sure what the other one does or where it pumps from.

Anyone else found this issue?

[Charlie-Bravo]

Hi, no help for your actual model, but many boats, motor or sail, have an engine bilge bucket , generally not connected in any way to drain into the main hull bilge, the main reason being that if your engine decides to spit out all its oil fuel and coolant it is then not spread throughout your hull bilge making a very big mess, and making your boat smell badly.

I have a hand vacuum pump onboard, so if any spillage occurs in the engine dept it is easy enough to suck most of it into a bottle, and sponge the remaining liquid ...... and then a quick polish, ....... you do polish your bilges don't you?

I would think an engine bay bilge pump is probably overkill, ..... but each to there own, there sounds from your description that there should be a 'passage' for the water to drain from the propshaft bilge area to the main bilge, bypassing the engine bay ....... perhaps there is one, perhaps it is blocked, perhaps it got missed in the build !, sure another MF owner will be along to help soon, perhaps another pump to the prop area bilge to stop it overflowing into the engine bay would save you some sponging.

Hope it helps, good luck.
CB

[fredinireland]

Thanks. I will investigate fully what is going where.

[sitara]

The bilge pump in my boat is a diaphragm type pump with rubber flapper valves. It is possible for a bit of crud to get caught in the valves causing them to remain open and not allow the pump to suck. Also the foot valve if fitted can corrode shut. A quick clean can fix these issues.