12v Bilge pump ..

[Volusian]

Hi all ....

 

anyone successfully fitted a 12v bilge pump inside their kayak... thinking of getting one but not sure if a manual switched type or automatic sensored type are best ... theres not a lot in the price to be honest ..

 

anyone ....

Edited May 8, 2007 by Volusian

[gilbo]

Very intersted in this idea but how much water are you getting in your kayak?

 

Not knowing exactly why you are fitting this?

 

I have never had more than a couple of cup fulls inside mine but do know when afloat the centre 6" screw in hatch will gulp water when I open it. I tend not to use it and just have it really for access inside the hull for fitting things.

 

Let me know more.

 

[YakDiver]

I thought about it a while back when there was a lot of scupper holes leaking on OKs if one were to fail it would soon fill up, but I don't think it would sink if air were trapped at the rear of the kayak, but I use buoyancy air bags anyway so it will still stay afloat

[Volusian]

will explain shortly why i feel i need one. However still pondering as to where the outflow pipe could be suitably situated so that if i use an automatic pump is used it can start and clear any sudden take on of water instantly.

 

The outflow pipe would have to be high on the kayak and fixed and sealed to avoid any ingress of seawater down the pipe itself .. i will sit and ponder where i feel it should go but if you have any thoughts i would appreciate it ..

 

cheers ... keith

[nifty]

Keith,

To repeat what Gilbo said, I am interested to see why you feel you need a bilge pump fitted. Surely if you are taking a lot of water into the hull then there must be a reason and prevention would be better than a cure. Drilling more holes for outlet pipes is only going to allow even more ingress possibly.

Added to that is the extra weight of pumps and battery. I must be lucky, my old prowler has never let in more than a couple of teaspoon full even after a few hours of playing in the surf, often being swamped and tipped over.

Stu

[richi]

Are you planning on paddling the Atlantic or something?

[gilbo]

will explain shortly why i feel i need one. However still pondering as to where the outflow pipe could be suitably situated so that if i use an automatic pump is used it can start and clear any sudden take on of water instantly.

 

The outflow pipe would have to be high on the kayak and fixed and sealed to avoid any ingress of seawater down the pipe itself .. i will sit and ponder where i feel it should go but if you have any thoughts i would appreciate it ..

 

cheers ... keith

 

I would be tempted to buy a second hatch cover (front or 6" mid hatch" and run the outlet through this. This could let you swap for situations when you arent in need of the bilge pump.

 

Still wondering why you need one?

 

[Volusian]

The reason i feel i need a bilge pump is that i had a near disaster at the weekend. I wasn't really going to mention it but i feel fellow kayakers should be aware how quickly things can change while out there yakking. The mention of a fitted bilge pump may be a slight over reaction to what happened but the theory is valid.

 

I recently purchased a used but mint Ocean Kayak Mailbu 2 kayak which i got to take my son out to enjoy the fishing scene on a kayak. Both myself and luckily too my 12yr old son are both competent kayakers attending kayak club every week. I understand the need to be fully kitted out in safety gear just in case. We are both strong swimmers too. I have fished the Malibu 2 solo twice now and fully enjoyed both occasions with no problems

 

However while out at the weekend 300 yds off our Yorkshire Coast in a slight swell to about 1ft with calm winds we had been out for about 30 minutes when i noticed the kayak was getting a tad heavy to paddle. I was paddling at the rear with my son at the front. This was the first paddle 2 up. I weigh approx 100kg and my son is a 30kg clothed. Again we were fully kitted out in safety gear. When I paddled the Malibu single the water didn’t quite come up to the top of the scupper bungs so is an excellent dry and stable kayak. However when sat at the rear and son at front the kayak water level came up an inch short of the footwell ribs top. Again well well short of the Gaspachi hatches fitted. So again I was more than happy with this slight take on of water. However after 30 mins on the water I noticed I was getting a little lower in the water. I knew then that we had taken on water somehow but not through the high hatches. The Gaspachi hatches are quite tight and I would say very water tight.

 

Before I had time to react to this quite sudden take on of water the slight swell caused the water in the kayak to move and caused the kayak lean sharpish to the right. I tried my hardest to offer stability to the kayak with the paddle but had no chance. The kayak tipped over quickly and we were out. My obvious first reaction was to ensure my son was safe .. he was. My leg was trapped round the paddle leash but was quickly released. As we never go paddling alone we were in the company of another kayaker who quickly came over to us. We quickly righted the kayak and got my son back in his seat. He was visibly shaken and shivering … an obvious sign of shock. As the kayak had taken on about I would say 30% water the kayak was still slightly unstable but as I was still in the water it was ok. The hatches were still on and tightly down so it had not got in this way.

 

Once we had recomposed ourselves we had no alternative but to leash the other Big Game kayak to the front of mine and paddle back to shore in a fashion. I was holding the rear of my Malibu while still in the water to keep it stable. This offered more than sufficient stability while we got back to shore. Took us a while to get back but we managed ok.

 

Since then I have done a couple of tests on the kayak by filling it water while chocked and while sat flat on our patio. I filled it up to the hatch level and noticed only one leak which was near the rear footwell. While paddling solo this flaw is above any water level however while 2 up it is about 1.5 inches under due to the extra weight at the rear. This leak point is an obvious flaw in the build of the kayak as one can feel a slight hole from inside the kayak at this point. This flaw is not noticeable from outside. 2 Pad eyes I fitted for the gaspachi hatches were nice and dry under the test conditions. This is the only leak i detected but im not saying there isnt another one not detected under the test ... there may be.

 

So … is a hole which is quite tiny the cause of the kayak to take sufficiently water in after about 30 minutes to cause this accident.. ?? . The hatches were well clear of the outside water levels so were not the cause of this water take on.

 

Our combined weights with tackle and a dry bag were well within the limits of the Malibu 2. As mentioned to JOH recently is the test of filling the kayak with water the same as having it empty with the pressure coming from the outside water .. ? … im not sure. What ever the eventual findings are I was quite shocked to see how easy it can be for these kayaks to take on water and how unstable they become. If this small leak isnt the cuase then im at a total loss to understand what happended but i feel sure it is the cuase.

 

Again a BIG thank you goes out to my fellow kayaker who was with us to which we owe him a great debt. I never have and never will venture out alone and for the foreseeable future it will be solo paddling only.

 

I have contacted Johnson outdoors about this and have to say they have been very sympathetic and quick to respond.

 

This is why I pose the question of the use of a Bilge pump in a kayak …

Edited May 9, 2007 by Volusian

[YakDiver]

The outflow pipe would have to be high on the kayak and fixed and sealed to avoid any ingress of seawater down the pipe itself

fit it near a scupper hole with a non return valve so no sea water can get back inside of the hull

[GB]

A normal manual bilge designed for a kayak would get you out of a jam. They cost around £25 and are readily available, the good thing about them is you dont have to rely on a battery and you can use it on any yak in your party. In my opinion it should be part of standard yaking gear but not many people carry one.

 

Glad to hear everything turned out o.k for you and your lad.