35CB - Garboard drain plugs

[Nancy]

Our 2005 35CB has two bilge compartments that are completely segregated by a bulkhead with no limber holes.
The forward bilge has a drain plug below the forward bilge pump under the dinette table.
The aft/engine compartment doesn't have a drain even though the lowest part of the keel is in this area.
Any ideas why there's no drain aft? And has anyone added one? Sure would make bilge cleaning easier.

[Pitou]

I don't know how your 32CB is configured, but my 2006 - 31TE did not have a drain in the the keel pocket which also made no sense as this is the low point of the bilge.

I added a 1 inch Perko Garboard drain plug at the lowest point in the keel pocket my first season on the hard. It makes cleaning and draining easy .. as it should be. When drilling for the Garboard, I discovered the keel to be solid glas with NO core. Bedded the Garboard in 5200 and daisy chained it to my bonding system.

https://www.perko.com/catalog/underwate ... rain_plug/

Keel Garboard.Perko 1 inch.jpg

[Rondo]

I was surprised to read that your 2004 CB has 2 separate bilge compartments separated by a bulkhead. I cannot get my eyes down into the bilge far enough to see, BUT I can say with certainty that water from the forward bilge drains quickly aft to the deeper section at the aft end of the keel. When I recently cleaned some oily stuff our of the bilge, I poured bilge cleaner directly into the forward space and it ran quickly aft. I assume that, since you have the questionable luxury of being able to see most of the bilge area, you can see the bulkhead. I used a hose in the forward end and the flow was immediate and quick to the aft end, so I assumed no obstructions between.
Ron

[Nancy]

Thanks, Kevin. Exactly the helpful detail I needed. We hate drilling holes in the bottom of a boat.

That's interesting, Ron. My information came from our surveyor, who previously owned a 35CB. So far, our two bilges seem to be separate. We'll know more in a few days after we haul and start cleaning.

More news later...

[Nancy]

Our two bilges are definitely segregated. Ron, the bulkhead is under the dinette table and is easily visible, "easily" being a relative term, of course, as the table has to be removed. And the teak & holly floor. And finally the access panel.

[Rondo]

Of course, the lowish bulkhead just aft of where the batteries live. It is the same in ours. I was stuck thinking of aft from the bilge pump under the aft dinette seat.
More proof of what you say is that when I removed the floor in the forward stateroom to get to the two water tanks, I found water in the small bilge area between the tanks, and no obvious way for it to drain. I pumped it out and left the space open to allow it to dry. I have not seen water there on subsequent looks. There was a very slow drip at the "L" fitting behind the shower wall. I believe that is how the water ended up in that bilge space. It was fresh water, and was not cloudy or yucky, so appeared to be chlorinated city water.
I'll wait until you investigate the space, but I'm guessing you'll find the same space, hopefully without the water.
Ron

[Nancy]

No, Ron, this is the extremely low bilge *forward* of where the batteries live. If you draw an imaginary line port to starboard across the middle of the table, there's a transverse bulkhead almost exactly directly beneath it. I'll get a good photo next time I'm aboard. First it has to stop raining.

I'm starting to wonder if this is another same-but-different thing between our two boats.

[Nancy]

Here's a photo of the two bilges at the transverse bulkhead. (Please ignore the wire nuts on the shower pump wires...they're on the to-do list.)

bilge below table-1-09.19.22-1445 annotated.jpg

[WillieC]

Ignored. But you made me look!

[Rondo]

Nancy, I took a closer look at your most highly excellent photo. I have had that shower sump out of there for pump replacement, but i never say a bilge pump forward of that bulkhead. I can well see why have one there would be a good idea, but nada.
Ron

[Nancy]

Ron, that forward bilge pump is way way down in the keel. We would never have seen it without a flashlight. The drain plug next to it is high enough to be useless. On our list of projects to contemplate is permanent removal of it and glass over the hole. Maybe next year or the year after.

[Diggie]

2000CB, aluminum bracket, two screws hold float switch in place, easy service, no drain plug. If pump failure occurs overflow appears it would flow over the beam to engine compartment below batteries...
Diggie

[Nancy]

If pump failure occurs overflow appears it would flow over the beam to engine compartment below batteries...

That would be a lot of water!!
I like your nice simple pump setup.

[Diggie]

Nancy you are right it's a lot of water for a boat. I took the garden hose and filled the forward section with water and found that the forward area ahead of the bulkhead was not as much water as I thought. It just took a couple of minutes to pump out. Also, the aft bilge holds at least four or five times the volume of the forward area, so I added an extra pump to the aft area slightly higher than the regular aft bilge pump. I guess it is a high water emergency pump. Recently refurbished all forward pump, float and bronze foot valve. Just trying to stay ahead of the bilges...

[Nancy]

Diggie, do you have a bilge pump in the keel below the drive shaft? We're going to add one there.