People with decks that drain to the bilge...

[Curapa]

The V that I recently acquired has deck drains that go to the bilge. I originally planned to raise the deck and have it self-bail but I am thinking twice now. Since I am hanging the motor on a bracket I am anticipating some rear squat, I'm wondering,...why not leave it be? It will save me tons of work and I will not have to worry about taking in water at rest.

The boat will be used mostly for inshore/nearshore fishing but I have been known to head out in the nasty stuff. I am worried about a pump or battery failure with a bilge full of water. The boat will never be kept in the water overnight except when beached on the occasional sandbar.


Any pros/cons from you guys with either setup?

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by Curapa

The V that I recently acquired has deck drains that go to the bilge. I originally planned to raise the deck and have it self-bail but I am thinking twice now. Since I am hanging the motor on a bracket I am anticipating some rear squat, I'm wondering,...why not leave it be? It will save me tons of work and I will not have to worry about taking in water at rest.

The boat will be used mostly for inshore/nearshore fishing but I have been known to head out in the nasty stuff. I am worried about a pump or battery failure with a bilge full of water. The boat will never be kept in the water overnight except when beached on the occasional sandbar.


Any pros/cons from you guys with either setup?

I've had several different boats that drained from the deck into the bilge.
Except for one about 30 years ago I've never really had a problem with either a pump or battery failure. But if it really is a concern to you than I'd suggest that you have redundancy. Get two pumps and two batteries.... oh, and a manual pump is always a good thing to have, just in case.
And finally, as a last resort, as long as your engine is running and you can get underway at a reasonably fast speed, and you can get to your bilge plug from inside your boat, you can always remove the bilge plug and let the water be sucked out of the bilge that way. (Of course that ONLY works while underway, but it saved my butt once a long time ago before I knew about having two pumps and two batteries.) Just don't forget to put the plug back in before you slow down.

[reelapeelin]

I agree w/Destroyer...double up on large volume bilge pumps AND seperate batteries to run 'em...

The '74 I started my V20 journey in had an open bilge well w/no self drainage as do all V20s in the 70s...I had a single 850 GPH Rule w/an auto switch which I now consider inadequate...thankfully never had a problem. When the large wave comes over the transom and fills the back of the boat is when you'll need TWO (or more) 2,000 GPH pumps and TWO HOT batteries and hopefully a running motor.

But as Spareparts points out, the typical drains in self bailing hulls are grossly undersized for the worst case scenario...I upgraded the thru-hull fittings and hoses in my '84 to 1 1/2", but am under no disillusions about what will happen if the big one comes over the back, ESPECIALLY if it kills the motor...

[twhrider2]

Although I have i/o... REEL pretty much describes my bilge set up.

Installed 1 1/2" thru hulls/scuppers & 2 rule 2000gph pumps in bilge on water witch switches and 3 pos. rockers at helm.

At rest water line is just below the scuppers, keeping plugs handy if needed.

By the way my V is a '78.

[reelapeelin]

Originally Posted by twhrider2

Although I have i/o... REEL pretty much describes my bilge set up.

Installed 1 1/2" thru hulls/scuppers & 2 rule 2000gph pumps in bilge on water witch switches and 3 pos. rockers at helm.

At rest water line is just below the scuppers, keeping plugs handy if needed.

By the way my V is a '78.

Did your '78 come from the factory w/thru-hull drainage or did it drain into the bilge?...

[Kracker Jack]

my v is a 1974. It had the drain to the bildge floor. I ended up raising my floor about 1 inch throughout my build between bring the stringers up a little and using 3/4 ply instead of 1/2 inch. I absoulutely refuse to own a boat that drains into the bildge, the thought of it make me nausias!!!! lol!!! so what i did is completely sealed off the bildge from my deck I want her to ultimately pop up like a cork if shes swamped, I want the water to roll out of the transom. If you look close at this picture you will see I converted one of the old fish boxes in the floor to a sump well in the rear were a 1100 gph rule pump will relieve the deck of annoying wash. I also included ball scuppers on both sides with brass tubes incorperated so they be plugged up when on the hook and plugs pulled when on plane and trailered at the house. there will also be a 16" inch wash board that will span the deck port to starboard that is removable.this wash board will also keep transom wash off of the main deck and inside the "sump well area" so the bildge pump can remove it over board. so my deck is almost a hybrid of many styles. And of course I will have a 1100 rule and a 800 rule below deck with a high water alarm. I just didnt see the point that if one did come over the transom why I would want it to drain into the bildge why not make a sump in the rear to drain it off the deck. and the odds of you recovering after taking a good size swell over the rearend of the boat is isnt all that great. you really need to react fast regardless of how big your pump and scupper holes are. just my opinion.

[Curapa]

I originally hated the idea of a deck draining to the bilge as well.

Two pumps and batteries is mandatory on my boats anyways. Since I broke down due to a dead battery about 10 miles offshore I always have a backup now.

I have done the "pull the plug while on plane" trick more than a few times...

[twhrider2]

REEL.. my deck drains originally went to the bilge. Nothing wrong with that but just didn't like it.
When I got it there was a single pump the size of a snuff can with hose running to a plastic thru hull that fell apart when touched- NO GOOD. Now have 1 1/8 SS.
Tested scuppers today, even in reverse...NO WATER can you believe that?

On another note wife and I got caught in a H*LL of a rain storm today and was surprised at how much wound up in the bilge. Have to look into that tomorrow.

[macojoe]

my 75 was the same, i loved the no scuppers!! but like stated you need to have 2 pumps, put them on to a glued in 2x4 so they are off the floor a bit, this will keep them from sucking sand and other stuff that gets down there and jams the pump!

[spareparts]

PVC board works good to anchor bilge pumps down, you can 5200 to a clean bilge and screw your pumps into it.. I like mounting the auto switch a little higher than the pump, that way it doesn't keep coming on and going off with teh water siphoning back after its off. I set my emergency auto switch just above hte main one, its wored to an alarm, if it goes off, I know I'm in trouble. Right now my V has two 2500 gph pumps in the rear bilge, each with its own 1 1/8 smooth wall hose to an over board drain. I haven't finished the forward bilge pump, but it will be the same with its own overboard as well. My boat supposedly will ride high enough for the scuppers to keep the floor dry, but i don't like the hose routing and will be changing it