One, Two, Three
The spring commissioning process is nearing completion with a number of small, but important, tasks accomplished this weekend from spraying wiring connections to clearing excess gear from the cabin. In the midst of this, I found myself counting – “one, two, three.” While many folks within earshot might have found this behavior peculiar, others might have suspected there was a method to the madness, which indeed there was.
You see, the boat has two bilge pumps, of the same brand, but different sizes. The larger of the two, mounted just forward of the engine, and coupled with a mechanical float, has worked flawlessly for decades. Its smaller cousins, positioned at the transom base and coupled with automatic electronic water sensors, unfortunately, have had much shorter lifespans, typically, less than 12 months. Winter layup is the kiss of death for these useful, but somewhat pricey, little pumps. Designed to sense and pump bilge water every 2 minutes, they typically arise from long winter rest with a scrambled sense of timing and inconsistent water evacuation, which can be detected through a verbal countdown. This condition leads to decreased confidence in their pump’s ability to keep the boat afloat. So, out they go onto the scrap heap and in comes the annual new replacement.
Based on my experience, I suggest you embrace the new technologies available to us as boaters. However, use common sense, practice some simple “check-out” procedures, and avoid putting all your eggs in one basket until you’re 100% sure that “basket” measures up to the task. You’ll be glad you did.
