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Having bought our 1989 just before the winter, I've yet to see it in the water so not sure where the waterline will be in relation to the sump.

And if a pump is needed, what about the outlet ? I suppose the sump drain could be used, which is fine until the pump dies......

And what about the bow compartment ? I had it in mind to fit a neoprene seal to try and prevent water ingress in the first place.

Advice gratefully received !

Thanks,

Anthony

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I never had one on my 13' Sport.

However, on my 17' and larger boats, I had one basically for the rain water when I fished.

If you boat a lot in rough water or rain, then it will help to get rid of the water without having to pull the plug and go fast and then put the plug back in.

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Thanks as ever, Joe.

I should have mentioned that the boat will sit on a mooring, so it's prolonged rain (we're in the UK !) that's my main concern, rather than taking on water in use.

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In the case of mooring, I would pull the plug at the dock and see how much water comes into the boat.

If it isn't that much, then you don't need a sump or bilge pump as it will never get more water in there then that.
Unless..... A leaf or debris block the drain tube(s).

I have seen many Whalers docked without the plug.
Some had too much water for me while others were just fine.
It depends on different factors like motor weight, loading, etc.

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Thanks, Joe, I'll do as you suggest - sounds a good plan.

I've been looking on line for small automatic pumps and there are one or two that should just fit into the sump, the height is the main constraint of course. So if she sits too low I'll at least know in advance what pump I need.

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The 15 will self-bail with the plug out. I used to leave my plug out at the lake but it seems I remember the water filling the sump and getting a little onto the deck. Water on the deck in itself is not a problem on the mooring. The problem comes from marine growth if the water stays too long on the deck. The front locker will drain empty sitting still in the water I believe. If the back of the boat sits too low consider leaving a little weight in the front to raise the stern while on the mooring. It really goes back to Joe’s advice. Pull the plug and see how she sits. The amount of water on the floor is all that will be there after the rain.

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I just installed one on my 15 ft SS for when I leave it docked overnight and in case it rains. This happens about once a year when I take the boat with me on vacation.

The Rule Automatic Bilge Pump, model 25S fits in the bilge perfectly and does a great job of quickly emptying any water in the boat. You must, however, install a switch that disconnects the pump from the battery when not in use. In the automatic mode, the pump turns on every 2.5 minutes for about a second to sense for water (there is no float switch). Rule claims that it only draws about .5 A in 24 hrs doing this check, but this would add up over time and kill your battery. I used the Shoreline Marine Bilge Pump 3 Way Switch. I got both the switch and the pump from Amazon for a total of $75.

Lastly, was deciding where to pump the water to; the splash well or over the side. I decided to take it overboard and used some std pump tubing, a couple of 90 deg elbows and a plastic conduit clamp from Home Depot so I didn't need to worry about installing a through-hull.

Check out the pictures in the link below.

https://plus.google.com/108704537003663470221/posts/Fy923TJdCsn

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I have a manual one installed in my Sport 15 so I can flip it on with a switch and pump out the water that gets in when the kids get back in the boat. The plug remains in and the outlet dumps into the splash well - the water then drains out the splash well drain tubes...I also made a nice mahogany cover for the bilge so you you can step on it when moving around the back of the boat. I added a picture of the cover to my personal page.