Should the bilge look like this? And why are there engineering bricks in there?

[madder do ee]

I have been the proud owner of a Narrowboat for three weeks now. It's a great learning curve, and I'm really enjoying it.

 

The Bilge has courted my attention, mainly because it looks a bit of a mess to me. I don't understand why the bricks are in there and why the pump leaves so much water.

 

What I'm thinking is clear it out, repaint, fit the pump better or change the pump.

 

Your thoughts would be appreciated, 

 

Richard

[rusty69]

Looks a mess. Clean it out, paint it (preferably with epoxy). Make sure you have no leaks, and the stern gland packing is in good fettle. Place a bilge pump in a tuperware box beneath dripping gland if you want to keep the bilge dry. Bilge pumps will rarely get all of the water out.

 

Remove bricks.

 

Job done

[roland elsdon]

Bricks are there for ballast. Water is there because the stern gland leaks.

Its a sealed compartment so sacrificial so to speak.

Me id clean out the bricks  pump out the water get a bowl under the stern gland for the inevitable drips and then empty that instead of using the pump, unless it is found to be a through bilge

[madder do ee]

Thanks, Tupperware is a great idea. I thought it looked a mess, I just don't have the confidence yet to be sure.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

It’s a rusty shit colour, so you’ve no oil down there. ✔️ (Mine’s as black as you can get.)
Take the bricks out and lob them at cyclists. 
 

Don’t rush to paint it out. 
Let it dry proper and do some research on prep and paints. 
 

A few bricks dotted about like that ain’t gonna count much for ballast. 
 

[madder do ee]

5 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

Bricks are there for ballast. Water is there because the stern gland leaks.

Its a sealed compartment so sacrificial so to speak.

Me id clean out the bricks  pump out the water get a bowl under the stern gland for the inevitable drips and then empty that instead of using the pump, unless it is found to be a through bilge

Thanks, The stern gland seems to be sealing fine; I like the idea of a bole/Tupperware, something to catch the water when the prop shaft is warm.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Oh, I’ve heard people put a strainer over the Tupperware box to catch any grease 🤷‍♀️  

[Rincewind]

Judging by the 'tide mark' I would say the bricks were put in there so that the previous owner could stand on them without the water overtopping his shoes!

 

8 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

pump out the water get a bowl under the stern gland for the inevitable essential drips

 

[rusty69]

3 minutes ago, Goliath said:

It’s a rusty shit colour, so you’ve no oil down there

Probably just an excess of stern grease.

[robtheplod]

4 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Oh, I’ve heard people put a strainer over the Tupperware box to catch any grease 🤷‍♀️  

After years of research i settled on a plastic tub from a Chinese meal with some of the blue paper towel in it, then i can see when peering in if its dripping, and when it does i just chuck the towel away....

Edited April 26, 2023 by robtheplod

[madder do ee]

3 minutes ago, Goliath said:

It’s a rusty shit colour, so you’ve no oil down there. ✔️ (Mine’s as black as you can get.)
Take the bricks out and lob them at cyclists. 
 

Don’t rush to paint it out. 
Let it dry proper and do some research on prep and paints. 
 

A few bricks dotted about like that ain’t gonna count much for ballast. 
 

Dude the first cyclists I saw today had just stuck a please get in touch with CRT sticker on my window. if I started throwing engineering bricks at him I doubt I would still have a licence!

6 minutes ago, Rincewind said:

Judging by the 'tide mark' I would say the bricks were put in there so that the previous owner could stand on them without the water overtopping his shoes!

 

 

Interesting, from what I picked up on, he is a very practical guy and that would make sense 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 minute ago, robtheplod said:

After years of research i settled on a plastic tub from a Chinese meal with some of the blue paper towel in it, then i can see when peering in if its dripping, and when it does i just check the towel away....

I’ve settled for a 2L Kelly’s ice cream tub with some little magnets in to stop it shifting about. I have a strainer from a sieve to place in there. But I don’t have any drips. 
 

Small magnets are great for stopping ‘drip catchers’ from moving. 
I have one to catch the oil drips from my air filter. 
 

[Machpoint005]

1 minute ago, Goliath said:

>>  Small magnets are great for stopping ‘drip catchers’ from moving. 
I have one to catch the oil drips from my air filter. 
 

 

How does a small magnet catch oil drips?

😀

 

[madder do ee]

13 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Oh, I’ve heard people put a strainer over the Tupperware box to catch any grease 🤷‍♀️  

Nice

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Just now, Machpoint005 said:

 

How does a small magnet catch oil drips?

😀

 

😃 with its 🙌 

 

…the magnets stop the plastic tub / drip catcher  from shifting/sliding about

[madder do ee]

Just now, Goliath said:

😃 with its 🙌 

 

…the magnets stop the plastic tub / drip catcher  from shifting/sliding about

Awsome

[roland elsdon]

 

4 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

How does a small magnet catch oil drips?

😀

 

Castrol magnetec remember?

Edited April 26, 2023 by roland elsdon
Spelling

[Alan de Enfield]

11 minutes ago, madder do ee said:

Dude the first cyclists I saw today had just stuck a please get in touch with CRT sticker on my window.

 

 

Only had the boat 3 weeks.

O' Dear - what have you done to get on C&RTs 'Norty-Step' ?

[madder do ee]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Only had the boat 3 weeks.

O' Dear - what have you done to get on C&RTs 'Norty-Step' ?

Done everything right, just there systems have a two-week lag apparently. the C&RTs guy was lovely and we had a nice chat, all good

[dave moore]

You may find that engineering or blue bricks have been used for ballast, they are superior to normal brick in that they are impervious to water, an advantage in a bilge.

[Arthur Marshall]

If a  cruiser stern you'll always have water in it, because it rains.

[alan_fincher]

38 minutes ago, dave moore said:

You may find that engineering or blue bricks have been used for ballast, they are superior to normal brick in that they are impervious to water, an advantage in a bilge.

 

Also they are significantly denser than ordinary bricks, so you need less available space to produce the degree of ballasting you require.

 

That said though, as already stated, the very small number of bricks shown in your picture would on their own, be giving almost no ballasting at all.

 

You tend to need hundreds, not single numbers.

[madder do ee]

45 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

If a  cruiser stern you'll always have water in it, because it rains.

Trad stern

9 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

Also they are significantly denser than ordinary bricks, so you need less available space to produce the degree of ballasting you require.

 

That said though, as already stated, the very small number of bricks shown in your picture would on their own, be giving almost no ballasting at all.

 

You tend to need hundreds, not single numbers.

Figured they were originally used a ballast, but why there, have they moved? the bilge is isolated!

[magnetman]

Engine drip tray looks nice and clean which is good. 

 

My boats both have oily bilges I find this is generally because it helps prevent rusting but there could be other reasons.

 

 

 

 

[MtB]

5 hours ago, roland elsdon said:

Bricks are there for ballast.

 

What, both of them?!!