Cruising Helmsman - July 2018

that it works. Please do not try this if the
bilge is oily. There are heavy fines for
disposing of oil overboard. This is why
boats should have a pan under the engine

• to collect any leakage before it joins the
  bilge water.
  Look carefully at the diaphragm of
  manual pumps. It is no big deal to replace
  one, but you need to know if it’s perished.
  Are the pumps protected by strum boxes
  or built-in screens to prevent sucking up the
  sort of rubbish that stops them working?
  Remember the shower sump pumps too.
  These should be easily checked for operation
  by running the shower for a few minutes.

GAS APPLIANCES

Does the boat already have a gas
compliance certificate?
Rules are evolving, so what may have
been legal before may not be acceptable
now. We once looked at a newish imported
boat that was advertised as never having
had the stove used. We soon discovered
the gas system had never been connected
because there was no way it would comply
with Australian regulations.
One of our own boats had the gas system
removed on sale. The rules had changed
since our purchase and the gas locker was
no longer legal. It was now considered too
close to an opening port in the cockpit.
You will need to familiarise yourself
with your state rules before you can make
any judgements on the likely legality of the
system. However, anyone can look at the
general safety of the installation.

35

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