1986 Outrage 25 Drain Problems

[herbster]

Backstory: I purchased my 1986 Outrage 25 in 2018. There were problems with the engine and in 2019 as my house extension was a priority, the Outrage was laid up for 18 months. I have purchased a new Evinrude E-TEC 300-HP G2 engine which has just been fitted. I have decided to give the the boat a major overhaul in the winter of 2020. Before this I am going to give the Outrage a good cleanup. I will also prioritise the work that needs to be done during the winter.

The boat currently has a sump pump in the aft fishwell with the outlet hose and power cable passing through the drainage hole to the starboard sump, preventing free flow of water between the fishwell and the starboard sump. The boat also has a bilge pump in the forward sump area. The outlet hose for this pump goes along the starboard channel (where all the cabling lies) to a T connector connecting aft fishwell pump and the external drain through hull.

There is a major flaw as it means the starboard sump cannot drain as there is no flow between the starboard sump and the aft fishwell due to the drainage hole being blocked up by the outlet hose from the aft fishwell pump.

Does anyone have a pump in their aft fishwell and if so, how did you route the drain outlet so it didn't impede any flow from the port and starboard sumps?

Below is an image of the current pump hose routing.

[Stayinstrewn]

A simple solution is to install a new drain tube connecting the two areas. I did this on my Outrage 22 to alleviate this same problem.

Use the same 1-inch brass tubing as are used for the through hull drains, and flare the ends. Be sure that it is slightly angled downwards into the aft fishwell.

[jimh]

The outlet hose for this [forward] pump goes [aft] along the starboard channel (where all the cabling lies) to a T connector connecting aft fishwell pump and the external drain through hull.

When you join hoses containing flowing liquids as a T-connection, as you describe above, you cannot rely on the flow following the path you intend, particularly if the path you intend is to flow uphill and there is another path available that is downhill. Usually a check valves would be used to prevent backflow of the the water from one input into the other input of a three-way connection.

[herbster]

When you join hoses containing flowing liquids as a T-connection, as you describe above, you cannot rely on the flow following the path you intend, particularly if the path you intend is to flow uphill and there is another path available that is downhill. Usually a check valves would be used to prevent backflow of the the water from one input into the other input of a three-way connection.

There is a check valve between the aft pump and the T-connection, so not a problem in this situation. I think I'm going to route the outlet pipe from the aft sump through the fishwell cover (after drilling a hole and screwing in a befitting flange), behind the nav light pole and out over the transom. I'll then remove the T-connection and join the forward sump directly to the hose going through the through hull drainage hole. This seems to be the only way to avoid drilling a hole into the hull.

[herbster]

A simple solution is to install a new drain tube connecting the two areas. I did this on my Outrage 22 to alleviate this same problem.

Use the same 1-inch brass tubing as are used for the through hull drains, and flare the ends. Be sure that it is slightly angled downwards into the aft fishwell.

Thanks, I think I'm going to route the pump outlet hose through the cover and out over the transom as I don't really want to drill into the hull if possible.

[jimh]

If using centrifugal pumps, be aware any increase in the head on the pump--the vertical height the pump must move water to exhaust overboard--will significantly reduce the flow rate of the pump output. Usually a centrifugal pump with rating of, say, 500-GPH, only performs at that rate if the head on the pump is zero, that is, the output port is level or goes downhill.

Many years ago I installed a 12-Volt DC 480-GPH diaphragm displacement pump to dewater the keel sump on a sailboat. The JABSCO pump was about $300 at that time, and it now sells for close to $500. The pump was located about four feet above the sump. It would easily self-prime and lift the water out of the sump. The output from the pump then went to a Y-connection to a transom through-hull drain that was above the waterline. That pump would throw water out of the transom through-hull like a pulsating fire hose and shoot it ten feet horizontally. It was a fantastic pump for dewatering the deep keel sump. It replaced a centrifugal pump that was located down in the bilge; that pump could barely push out any water, and created just a dribble of flow, at best, and often no flow at all due to too much head on the pump. Also, a diaphragm displacement pump will pump small debris right through the pump and throw it out with the water,

[Stayinstrewn]

I wouldn’t sweat it, and would personally not go thru the deck for that application.