Speaking of bilge pumps . . . .

[CaptainScott]

Here is the Pacific Northwest we have a lot of rain.

Anyone with a boat in the water and a dingy floating next to it can attest to that! The rain falls, the dingy collects water, and then sinks. Many folks have devised covers however most of those simply begin to sag, fill with water and then the dingy sinks. This such an issue that regularly our marina management takes polls on what should be done about all the sunk dinghy in the marina. Guess it looks bad.

My simple solution:

I took a nice little 500gph rule automatic bilge pump. I then took PVC pipe, came straight out off the pump and immediately into a 90 degree elbow and then straight up the height of the dinghy transom. 90 degrees over the transom and then 90 straight down about 2 inches. OK so you can picture a 3/4 PVC pipe hanging on my transom of my dink with a pump on the end. I then took a 75' orange outdoor extension cord. Soldered and heet shrinked a 2 wire quick connect on one end and a cigarette adaptor on the other end to plug into my 12v outlet. So now when we get home from a sail in Destiny, I simply hook my 12v to the pump in the dink and she stays empty for the next trip!

Hey, it may sound like a bit over done but it sure beats having to use a 5 gallon bucket in 48 degree water trying to bail my dink on a cold rainy day because we are taking off for the weekend!!


Total cost? the pump itself. The extension cord had the end chewed of by our dog and since I can't throw anything away I just might use someday, it was free! PVC was junk in my garage!

Scott

[Capt. Bondo]

Growing up on a resort I had 8 fishing boats to bail and clean every time it rained. I used a bleach jug with the botton cut off and a sponge.
Later another resort owner came up with the idea of using a 110AC sump pump. He could stand on the dock with the semi-rigid plastic pipe attached to the pump lower it into the stern and empty the boats in no time
Maybe the marina could do something like that

[CaptainScott]

Nah, we've suggested a nice dinghy dock many times. No reaction from the marina management.

I think our marina is suffering badly financially and making what appears to be poor financial choices. I'm no expert in that field but I would do some things differently.

Scott