preventing and handling emergencies 283
How to Use Your Engine as a Dewatering Pump
With a few simple preparations, your en-
gine can serve as a large-capacity dewater-
ing pump. Some authorities recommend
using the raw-water hose without a separate
fl exible hose. But most raw-water exhaust
hoses are short and won’t reach fl ooded
areas like forward bilges. You can make a
more eff ective system for vessels with deep
bilges or forward bilge compartments by
attaching a longer, fl exible hose to the raw-
water hose as described next. If you choose
to use only the raw-water hose, disregard
the steps involving the fl exible hose.
- Shut down the engine.
- Close the raw-water seacock.
- Pull off the raw-water hose from the top tailpiece of the seacock. (If you are
using only the raw-water hose, screen the end and go to step 5.) - Insert the PVC tube 2 inches into the raw-water hose, and secure it with two
stainless steel hose clamps. Insert the other end of the PVC tube 2 inches into
the fl exible hose and clamp it in place with two stainless clamps. Use stainless
clamps to hold the screen material over the intake end of the fl exible hose.
(To save time in an emergency, make up the fl exible hose ahead of time, and
install the screen and compression tube.) - Stick the screened intake end deep into the bilge. Start the engine. Th e fl exible
hose will pull the fl oodwater into the engine and exhaust it at the stern. Check
astern to make sure you have exhaust water fl owing at a good rate. - Assign one crewmember to keep an eye on the exhaust water fl ow at all times.
If you lose suction or exhaust water fails to fl ow, shut the engine down right
away. To prevent this, keep the intake end of your pump beneath the water and
watch for clogs from debris.
Other Strategies for Staying Afl oat when Damaged
How else can you reduce or eliminate fl oodwater? If you ever sustain a below-the-
waterline hole in your hull, make these fi nal two points part of your damage-control
strategy.
Jack up (shift ) the damaged side. Flow rates taper off the closer the hole gets
to your boat’s waterline. If you raise a 1-inch hole from 1 foot below the waterline
to 6 inches below the waterline, the hourly fl ow rate drops by 300 gallons. Shift your
Tools Needed for
Using Your Diesel as
a Dewatering Pump
X 8- to 10-inch length of PVC
(to fi t raw-water hose and
fl exible hose)
X 6 hose clamps
X fl exible hose (4 to 8 feet, or
distance to the forward bilge)
X fi ne-mesh netting or fl exible
screening