[Public-List] manual bilge pump placement

Knickman Family knickman at gmail.com
Wed Feb 11 17:47:00 PST 2009


   Last May I was fortunate to buy "Bluejay", #372, built in 1969.  I live
in Maryland, but she had spent her sailing life on Lake Erie.  She was a
one-owner boat and apparently was sailed regularly out of Port Clinton,
Ohio.  As her previous owner had retired and moved to Florida, she was
passed on to his son, living in Maryland.  She was hauled to the Chesapeake
but for whatever reason never used.  The son finally put her up for sale
last year.  Other than some new sails, the boat is essentially unaltered
from her original state.  I had her hauled to my home last summer and have
been slowly (but surely) getting her back to seaworthy condition.  I have
re-worked the atomic 4 engine and she runs well.  I have replaced all the
toerails with new teak.  The hull was a very faded (but otherwise sound)
royal blue, and I've re-painted with Interlux Perfection royal blue.  All of
the old thru-hulls and original gate valves have been replaced, with the
addition of seacocks this time.  I'm slowly dismantling the interior and
refinishing the teak.  And while this has been alot of work, I'm ha
ving a great time as I go along.

   I'm currently looking to install a manual bilge pump.  My understanding
is that Whitby had originally used whale gusher 10 pumps.  I don't know what
happened to the original pump in Bluejay, but there is an access plate just
behind the port locker lid in the cockpit.This plate is about 6 inches in
diameter.  I'm assuming the pump had been situated under the seat in that
location.  I have obtained a whale gusher 10 to re-install, but the exhaust
pipe from the engine passes right through the same location.  The pump can
fit, but there isn't enough room for the diaphragm to move in and out
wfithout bumping into the pipe.  So obviously something isn't right.  I
could move the exhaust pipe further to the outboard side but it would then
probably start interfering with access to the port locker a bit.  I'd
appreciate any suggestions or explanations about the original placement of
these items.  Thanks for any help.

Ed Knickman



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