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Sounds to me like the shaft and/or rudder packing need adjustment. You may also have the auto bilge off? Lift the float switch by hand and see if it kicks, and if so, how high did it need to be lifted.

Long term in the water is hard on the gel. Over the w/e it won't be a problem for a well maintained and waxed boat.

And tie a good knot.

I feel everyone pretty much knows I'm an "early riser". I do the same 7 days a week no matter what I'm doing. I love it when I'm at one of the antique/classic boat shows, get up early (4am) and take a walk before breakfast through the area/harbor where some of our members wood boats have been moored overnight. There are always several boats with auto pumps and you can listen for them. The ones that turn on every 5 minutes are the real bad ones!!! I will actually note them down just in case I need to judge them That day. A bad bottom does get points deducted!!!

BTW, the amp draw on a bilge pump is actually pretty low and keep in mind the "on" time is pretty brief. Even the ones that run every 5 minuets never seem to run the battery down to a point where the owner has a problem starting the boat the next day. Think amp hours and do the calculations!!!!!!

I'm kind of surprised by this thread. I just think of it as normal to keep the boat in the water. My '63 spends most of every summer in the water at a dock. It doesn't leak a drop, but the hull certainly stains quite a bit.

On some past trips I've left it overnight in Lake Champlain at docks and moored, worried a bit on the mooring on the big lake, but never have had a problem. I wouldn't worry a bit about leaving it as long as you have a bilge pump in working order and a decent battery.

First, YES, leave the bilge pump on auto, that's what keeps boats from sinking when something goes wrong.

The other thing is that if you're taking water through your shaft packing, which is the most likely place, you'll take on water much faster when running. With the shaft stopped the flow is usually much slower. Still, you really need to figure out where the water is coming from.

BuffaloBFN wrote: BuffaloBFN wrote: Sounds to me like the shaft and/or rudder packing need adjustment. You may also have the auto bilge off? Lift the float switch by hand and see if it kicks, and if so, how high did it need to be lifted. I guess my forum cred doesn't hold much water... On second thought, just drill a hole in the freeboard right above the waterline so if the bilge pump fails it will still gravity drain.

Guess not!!

Since he did ask about adding another pump, maybe one of these would work plus it wouldn\t run the battery down!!

Agreed. Leave the auto-bilge on and fa-gedda-bout-it.

BuffaloBFN wrote: I guess my forum cred doesn't hold much water...

uuuuhhhhh....wrong-o


john