Cleaning your bilge... (that last bit)

I am always surprised how many people leave a bit of water in the bottom of the bilge. It gets gross down there. Maybe I am being uptight about it, but I use a trick I thought I would share in case anyone can use this. As we all know a typical bilge pumps leave a bit of water, they can’t get it all out. I keep a wet/dry vac on the boat or on the locker next to it & use it whenever I get a bit of water down there I vacuum it out. Getting down there is the trick. I have a length of PVC pipe which reaches down to the bottom of the bilge which is pretty close to the diameter of the end of vacuum hose. I just break out the vacuum and slide it over the end of the PVC sealing it with my hand around the end. Or you can wrap a strip of tape holding the PVC into the hose. Using this method also gives you a “wand” that you can point into the corners & get where you want. I usually just leave the PVC pipe down there too for convenience. It does not get in the way or flop around. Been a good place to keep it. You want to wash your bilge, throw a bucket of soapy water down there & vacuum it out. When I am wet-vacing, I always used a strip of tape to hole the PVC in which also makes an airtight seal. I got lazy and attached a PVC fitting onto the end of my hose. Now I just slide on the PVC pipe length into the end & it stays. A last thought, fiberglass absorbs water. I was lucky enough to have a PO put (or maybe Jenson did this at the factory) a thick coat of gray paint covering most of my deeper bilge area. Really helps. I have a squeaky clean bilge with next to zero work. Cheers – Dyer

Be VERY CAREFUL when using any non ignition proofed devise on a boat that has gasoline or propane aboard. The US Coast guard approves ignition protected marine devises, such as electrical switches, bilge pumps, electric motors, etc. These approved devises carry the USCG certification. Wet Vacs are NOT USCG approved, and will ignite gas fumes. The resultant explosion will be deafening. [ at the very least ] I can live with a bit of residual water in my bilge. Joe DeMers On 4/12/2012 1:17 PM, Dylan Crouch wrote: > > > I am always surprised how many people leave a bit of water in the > bottom of the bilge. It gets gross down there. Maybe I am being > uptight about it, but I use a trick I thought I would share in case > anyone can use this. > As we all know a typical bilge pumps leave a bit of water, they can’t > get it all out. > I keep a wet/dry vac on the boat or on the locker next to it & use it > whenever I get a bit of water down there I vacuum it out. Getting down > there is the trick. I have a length of PVC pipe which reaches down to > the bottom of the bilge which is pretty close to the diameter of the > end of vacuum hose. I just break out the vacuum and slide it over the > end of the PVC sealing it with my hand around the end. Or you can wrap > a strip of tape holding the PVC into the hose. > Using this method also gives you a “wand” that you can point into the > corners & get where you want. > I usually just leave the PVC pipe down there too for convenience. It > does not get in the way or flop around. Been a good place to keep it. > You want to wash your bilge, throw a bucket of soapy water down there > & vacuum it out. > When I am wet-vacing, I always used a strip of tape to hole the PVC in > which also makes an airtight seal. I got lazy and attached a PVC > fitting onto the end of my hose. Now I just slide on the PVC pipe > length into the end & it stays. > A last thought, fiberglass absorbs water. I was lucky enough to have a > PO put (or maybe Jenson did this at the factory) a thick coat of gray > paint covering most of my deeper bilge area. Really helps. I have a > squeaky clean bilge with next to zero work. > Cheers – > Dyer > > > -- *Joe DeMers - owner* Sound Marine Diesel LLC SoundMarineDiesel.com <http://www.soundmarinediesel.com/> *phone & fax (860) 666-2184*

Everyone with a gas boat should make sure they know what gas smells like. Toss a thimble full in the street and make sure you stop doing everything you are doing and find the source if you ever smell that on your boat. Run the blower and smell the exhaust before starting the engine. If it smells like gas, see above. Also, make sure that the blower is actually blowing air. I have had my intake for the blower completely under water and no air flowing. That said, I had never considered what Joe was saying as I run my vac all the time on Papoose. But she has never leaked gas since I replaced the tank 20 years ago. I am replacing it once again in about a week. Allen On Thu, Apr 12, 2012 at 10:48 AM, Joe DeMers <je… [at] mindspring.com> wrote: > ** > > > ** Be VERY CAREFUL when using any non ignition proofed devise on a boat > that has gasoline or propane aboard. The US Coast guard approves ignition > protected marine devises, such as electrical switches, bilge pumps, > electric motors, etc. These approved devises carry the USCG certification. > > Wet Vacs are NOT USCG approved, and will ignite gas fumes. The resultant > explosion will be deafening. [ at the very least ] > > I can live with a bit of residual water in my bilge. > > Joe DeMers > > On 4/12/2012 1:17 PM, Dylan Crouch wrote: > > I am always surprised how many people leave a bit of water in the > bottom of the bilge. It gets gross down there. Maybe I am being uptight > about it, but I use a trick I thought I would share in case anyone can use > this. > > As we all know a typical bilge pumps leave a bit of water, they can’t get > it all out. > > I keep a wet/dry vac on the boat or on the locker next to it & use it > whenever I get a bit of water down there I vacuum it out. Getting down > there is the trick. I have a length of PVC pipe which reaches down to the > bottom of the bilge which is pretty close to the diameter of the end of > vacuum hose. I just break out the vacuum and slide it over the end of the > PVC sealing it with my hand around the end. Or you can wrap a strip of tape > holding the PVC into the hose. > > Using this method also gives you a “wand” that you can point into the > corners & get where you want. > > I usually just leave the PVC pipe down there too for convenience. It does > not get in the way or flop around. Been a good place to keep it. You want > to wash your bilge, throw a bucket of soapy water down there & vacuum it > out. > > When I am wet-vacing, I always used a strip of tape to hole the PVC in > which also makes an airtight seal. I got lazy and attached a PVC fitting > onto the end of my hose. Now I just slide on the PVC pipe length into the > end & it stays. > > A last thought, fiberglass absorbs water. I was lucky enough to have a PO > put (or maybe Jenson did this at the factory) a thick coat of gray paint > covering most of my deeper bilge area. Really helps. I have a squeaky clean > bilge with next to zero work. > > Cheers – > Dyer > > > -- > > *Joe DeMers - owner* > > Sound Marine Diesel LLC > SoundMarineDiesel.com <http://www.soundmarinediesel.com/> > > *phone & fax (860) 666-2184* > > >

How about a sponge! From: Joe DeMers <je… [at] mindspring.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 10:48 AM Subject: [Cal_Boats] CAUTION [ was Cleaning your bilge... (that last bit) Be VERY CAREFUL when using any non ignition proofed devise on a boat that has gasoline or propane aboard. The US Coast guard approves ignition protected marine devises, such as electrical switches, bilge pumps, electric motors, etc. These approved devises carry the USCG certification. Wet Vacs are NOT USCG approved, and will ignite gas fumes. The resultant explosion will be deafening. [ at the very least ] I can live with a bit of residual water in my bilge. Joe DeMers On 4/12/2012 1:17 PM, Dylan Crouch wrote: I am always surprised how many people leave a bit of water in the bottom of the bilge. It gets gross down there. Maybe I am being uptight about it, but I use a trick I thought I would share in case anyone can use this. > >As we all know a typical bilge pumps leave a bit of water, they can’t get it all out. > >I keep a wet/dry vac on the boat or on the locker next to it & use it whenever I get a bit of water down there I vacuum it out. Getting down there is the trick. I have a length of PVC pipe which reaches down to the bottom of the bilge which is pretty close to the diameter of the end of vacuum hose. I just break out the vacuum and slide it over the end of the PVC sealing it with my hand around the end. Or you can wrap a strip of tape holding the PVC into the hose. > >Using this method also gives you a “wand” that you can point into the corners & get where you want. > >I usually just leave the PVC pipe down there too for convenience. It does not get in the way or flop around. Been a good place to keep it. You want to wash your bilge, throw a bucket of soapy water down there & vacuum it out. > >When I am wet-vacing, I always used a strip of tape to hole the PVC in which also makes an airtight seal. I got lazy and attached a PVC fitting onto the end of my hose. Now I just slide on the PVC pipe length into the end & it stays. > >A last thought, fiberglass absorbs water. I was lucky enough to have a PO put (or maybe Jenson did this at the factory) a thick coat of gray paint covering most of my deeper bilge area. Really helps. I have a squeaky clean bilge with next to zero work. > >Cheers – > Dyer -- Joe DeMers - owner Sound Marine Diesel LLCSoundMarineDiesel.com phone & fax (860) 666-2184

I have found that a couple gallons of white vinegar dumped into a rancid smelling bilge for a few days then add a few gallons of salt water and pump it all out. However, if you have fuel or oil in the bilge you may want to pump into containers and dispose of properly. I usually chase that concoction with some orange de solv to freshen up and remove any vinegar odors. This seems to work well in the deep bilge of the Cal 29. Mark Cal 2-29 ----- Original Message ----- From: Joe DeMers To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 10:48 AM Subject: [Cal_Boats] CAUTION [ was Cleaning your bilge... (that last bit) Be VERY CAREFUL when using any non ignition proofed devise on a boat that has gasoline or propane aboard. The US Coast guard approves ignition protected marine devises, such as electrical switches, bilge pumps, electric motors, etc. These approved devises carry the USCG certification. Wet Vacs are NOT USCG approved, and will ignite gas fumes. The resultant explosion will be deafening. [ at the very least ] I can live with a bit of residual water in my bilge. Joe DeMers On 4/12/2012 1:17 PM, Dylan Crouch wrote: I am always surprised how many people leave a bit of water in the bottom of the bilge. It gets gross down there. Maybe I am being uptight about it, but I use a trick I thought I would share in case anyone can use this. As we all know a typical bilge pumps leave a bit of water, they can’t get it all out. I keep a wet/dry vac on the boat or on the locker next to it & use it whenever I get a bit of water down there I vacuum it out. Getting down there is the trick. I have a length of PVC pipe which reaches down to the bottom of the bilge which is pretty close to the diameter of the end of vacuum hose. I just break out the vacuum and slide it over the end of the PVC sealing it with my hand around the end. Or you can wrap a strip of tape holding the PVC into the hose. Using this method also gives you a “wand” that you can point into the corners & get where you want. I usually just leave the PVC pipe down there too for convenience. It does not get in the way or flop around. Been a good place to keep it. You want to wash your bilge, throw a bucket of soapy water down there & vacuum it out. When I am wet-vacing, I always used a strip of tape to hole the PVC in which also makes an airtight seal. I got lazy and attached a PVC fitting onto the end of my hose. Now I just slide on the PVC pipe length into the end & it stays. A last thought, fiberglass absorbs water. I was lucky enough to have a PO put (or maybe Jenson did this at the factory) a thick coat of gray paint covering most of my deeper bilge area. Really helps. I have a squeaky clean bilge with next to zero work. Cheers – Dyer -- Joe DeMers - owner Sound Marine Diesel LLC SoundMarineDiesel.com phone & fax (860) 666-2184 __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 7049 (20120412) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 7049 (20120412) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com

Without a doubt be careful when dealing with gas and propane..... Always be aware. Any devise including our cell phones and laptops (that are probably not coast guard approved) will cause a bang...... I also use a small portable wet vac to clean the bilge. I have sponges for the minor water around the stuffing box but when I clean it, the vac comes out. Greg From: "Mark Alan Stahnke (MAS Consulting)" Date: Thursday, April 12, 2012 10:16 pm Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] CAUTION [ was Cleaning your bilge... (that last bit) To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > I have found that a couple gallons of white vinegar dumped into > a rancid smelling bilge for a few days then add a few gallons of > salt water and pump it all out. However, if you have fuel or > oil in the bilge you may want to pump into containers and > dispose of properly. I usually chase that concoction with some > orange de solv to freshen up and remove any vinegar odors. This > seems to work well in the deep bilge of the Cal 29. > Mark > Cal 2-29 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Joe DeMers > To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 10:48 AM > Subject: [Cal_Boats] CAUTION [ was Cleaning your bilge... > (that last bit) > > > > Be VERY CAREFUL when using any non ignition proofed devise on > a boat that has gasoline or propane aboard. The US Coast guard > approves ignition protected marine devises, such as electrical > switches, bilge pumps, electric motors, etc. These approved > devises carry the USCG certification. > > Wet Vacs are NOT USCG approved, and will ignite gas fumes. > The resultant explosion will be deafening. [ at the very least ] > > I can live with a bit of residual water in my bilge. > > Joe DeMers > > On 4/12/2012 1:17 PM, Dylan Crouch wrote: > > I am always surprised how many people leave a bit of water > in the bottom of the bilge. It gets gross down there. Maybe I am > being uptight about it, but I use a trick I thought I would > share in case anyone can use this. > > As we all know a typical bilge pumps leave a bit of water, > they can’t get it all out. > > I keep a wet/dry vac on the boat or on the locker next to it > & use it whenever I get a bit of water down there I vacuum it > out. Getting down there is the trick. I have a length of PVC > pipe which reaches down to the bottom of the bilge which is > pretty close to the diameter of the end of vacuum hose. I just > break out the vacuum and slide it over the end of the PVC > sealing it with my hand around the end. Or you can wrap a strip > of tape holding the PVC into the hose. > > Using this method also gives you a “wand” that you can point > into the corners & get where you want. > > I usually just leave the PVC pipe down there too for > convenience. It does not get in the way or flop around. Been a > good place to keep it. You want to wash your bilge, throw a > bucket of soapy water down there & vacuum it out. > > When I am wet-vacing, I always used a strip of tape to hole > the PVC in which also makes an airtight seal. I got lazy and > attached a PVC fitting onto the end of my hose. Now I just slide > on the PVC pipe length into the end & it stays. > > A last thought, fiberglass absorbs water. I was lucky enough > to have a PO put (or maybe Jenson did this at the factory) a > thick coat of gray paint covering most of my deeper bilge area. > Really helps. I have a squeaky clean bilge with next to zero > work. > > Cheers – > Dyer > > > -- > > Joe DeMers - owner > > Sound Marine Diesel LLC > > SoundMarineDiesel.com > phone & fax (860) 666-2184 > > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of > virus signature database 7049 (20120412) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of > virus signature database 7049 (20120412) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > >

I'm not going to worry much about cell phones. http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp From: "Sv… [at] optonline.net" <Sv… [at] optonline.net> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2012 5:19 AM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] CAUTION [ was Cleaning your bilge... (that last bit) Without a doubt be careful when dealing with gas and propane..... Always be aware. Any devise including our cell phones and laptops (that are probably not coast guard approved) will cause a bang...... I also use a small portable wet vac to clean the bilge. I have sponges for the minor water around the stuffing box but when I clean it, the vac comes out. Greg From: "Mark Alan Stahnke (MAS Consulting)" Date: Thursday, April 12, 2012 10:16 pm Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] CAUTION [ was Cleaning your bilge... (that last bit) To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > I have found that a couple gallons of white vinegar dumped into > a rancid smelling bilge for a few days then add a few gallons of > salt water and pump it all out. However, if you have fuel or > oil in the bilge you may want to pump into containers and > dispose of properly. I usually chase that concoction with some > orange de solv to freshen up and remove any vinegar odors. This > seems to work well in the deep bilge of the Cal 29. > Mark > Cal 2-29 > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Joe DeMers > To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 10:48 AM > Subject: [Cal_Boats] CAUTION [ was Cleaning your bilge... > (that last bit) > > > > Be VERY CAREFUL when using any non ignition proofed devise on > a boat that has gasoline or propane aboard. The US Coast guard > approves ignition protected marine devises, such as electrical > switches, bilge pumps, electric motors, etc. These approved > devises carry the USCG certification. > > Wet Vacs are NOT USCG approved, and will ignite gas fumes. > The resultant explosion will be deafening. [ at the very least ] > > I can live with a bit of residual water in my bilge. > > Joe DeMers > > On 4/12/2012 1:17 PM, Dylan Crouch wrote: > > I am always surprised how many people leave a bit of water > in the bottom of the bilge. It gets gross down there. Maybe I am > being uptight about it, but I use a trick I thought I would > share in case anyone can use this. > > As we all know a typical bilge pumps leave a bit of water, > they can’t get it all out. > > I keep a wet/dry vac on the boat or on the locker next to it > & use it whenever I get a bit of water down there I vacuum it > out. Getting down there is the trick. I have a length of PVC > pipe which reaches down to the bottom of the bilge which is > pretty close to the diameter of the end of vacuum hose. I just > break out the vacuum and slide it over the end of the PVC > sealing it with my hand around the end. Or you can wrap a strip > of tape holding the PVC into the hose. > > Using this method also gives you a “wand” that you can point > into the corners & get where you want. > > I usually just leave the PVC pipe down there too for > convenience. It does not get in the way or flop around. Been a > good place to keep it. You want to wash your bilge, throw a > bucket of soapy water down there & vacuum it out. > > When I am wet-vacing, I always used a strip of tape to hole > the PVC in which also makes an airtight seal. I got lazy and > attached a PVC fitting onto the end of my hose. Now I just slide > on the PVC pipe length into the end & it stays. > > A last thought, fiberglass absorbs water. I was lucky enough > to have a PO put (or maybe Jenson did this at the factory) a > thick coat of gray paint covering most of my deeper bilge area. > Really helps. I have a squeaky clean bilge with next to zero > work. > > Cheers – > Dyer > > > -- > > Joe DeMers - owner > > Sound Marine Diesel LLC > > SoundMarineDiesel.com > phone & fax (860) 666-2184 > > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of > virus signature database 7049 (20120412) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of > virus signature database 7049 (20120412) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > >