RE: Floor/bilge

Eric Johnson (ej@tx3.com)
Fri, 15 Jan 1999 11:49:00 -0800


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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>
> After having to replace the cockpit drain tube on my new (then) Potter I
> have to agree with Judy about the importance of a bilge pump
> (even if it is
> just placed on the cabin sole) for any boat that is left in the
> water. Most
> important though is to have the boat checked often. One small leak, a
> normal size battery, and the amperage draw of the average pump
> and you could
> still find your Potter floating about four foot lower in the water.

at least the positive floatatin should work :)

I watched a boat sink this summer. I had a slip on Yarrow Bay on Lake
Washington and there were boats at anchor out on the bay. One was a
powerboat with no top on it. Of course the rains would come and fill it up
with water. If he had a bilge pump i'm sure the battery died quickly. One
day I was working on my boat. As I peered out over the bay, there was a rare
strong northerly (bad weather in seattle is usually southerly) and I just
watched the waves sink the boat. It was really weird. Another guy at the
dock said that particular boat sinks several times per year! I saw a
catamaran partially sink too when it left a hatch open. But Yarrow bay is
real shallow so its easy to raise 'em :)

The worst I ever had was my cockpit drain plugged once and I had about of
foot of water in the cockpit.