New member - 1978 F32

[GrumpyDuck]

Initially my plan was to install a bilge pump mid-ship but there's not currently a thru-hull anywhere nearby to plumb it to. That meant a long run and fairly significant rise which would have a negative impact on the pumps throughput. Therefore I went with a backup pump all the way aft. In my head at least I figure if we're taking on that much water we have the throttles all the way forward in an attempt to get the boat to safety, which means most of the water will be pushed aft anyway. Perhaps my logic is flawed with a boat this size but this is how I've set my 23' center console up as well as previous boats.

High water alarms are definitely part of the plan going forward but I haven't decided how to set them up yet. The parallel circuit with some sort of visual and audio alarm makes sense - the switches light when the pumps run but right now that's only at the lower helm station. I was considering separate float switches wired up to an alarm system at different levels and locations wired to the upper helm. That way if the boat is taking on water the awareness of how much and where is a little better without requiring someone to go "take a look". If I've got a charter out the other folks on the boat are more often than not somewhat inexperienced when it comes to a boat. That makes information gathering in a crisis a problem, which just makes things worse. Like I said if the boat is taking on enough water that all the pumps are running we're headed for safety at maximum speed. If the pumps can't keep up then we're at the point where the only solution is additional dewatering solutions, and that's a whole different ball of wax.

Whatever we do I'm keeping a close eye on the total draw of critical electrical systems and ensuring they are able to run hard enough long enough. That's going to include options like a third battery wired in, a spare battery topside and a way to connect the bilge pumps or other critical systems up in the case of a flooded engine compartment coupled with a no-start condition on the motors.

Am I over thinking it? Maybe. Risk is unavoidable, and accidents are only a matter of time - they WILL occur. I'm trying to do my best to plan for contingencies.

[P-Dogg]

Remember two things: added complexity brings new failure points, and you'll want to be sure to have a way to silence any alarms. I use a guarded switch.

The level of redundancy required is a function of how you use your boat. 100 miles off shore tuna fishing by yourself? I'd want lots of backup. If just limited to weekend raftups, risks are diffetent.....