Oily Bilge

[Theo]

My BMC 1.5 is mounted back to front with abelt drive leading from the gear box down to the prop shaft which runs under the engine.

 

The whole arrangement means that I cannot get any sort of drip tray under the engine and the bilge water (if I ever were to get any. I haven't needed to pump the bilges for the past four years) would be contaminated with oil.

 

The question is: when/if I need to pump the bilge how can I separate the oil from the water so that I don't pump the oil into the canal?

 

I believe that there are in line filters that would do the job. I don't know where I would get one from and if they are expensive in term of initial purchase or replacement filters. Alternatively, what do people think of the Cleenlife bilge socks mentioned on p 85 of the June 2012 WW.

 

I look forward to your thoughts...

 

Nick

[RLWP]

Easy!

 

You cannot pump the engine bilge overboard. As you have no separate bilge or tray under the engine, you can't put a bilge pump into it

 

Richard

[Theo]

Easy!

 

You cannot pump the engine bilge overboard. As you have no separate bilge or tray under the engine, you can't put a bilge pump into it

 

Richard

 

Not even if I separate out the oil so that none is pumped overboard?

 

N

[Theo]

Not even if I separate out the oil so that none is pumped overboard?

 

N

 

Just found this on the BSS web site:

 

 

30 Any leakage of oil from engine equipment must be contained and

prevented from being avoidably discharged overboard.

31 Bilge pumping and toilet systems must be designed, installed and

maintained in a way that minimises the risk of avoidable pollution.

 

 

That implies, I would have thought, that since I must have a bilge pump for the boat to remain safe I need to minimise the risk of avoidable pollution.

 

So by fitting the bilge sock that would look after the minimise bit. I would only pump the bilge when necessary and that would take care of the avoidable bit.

 

 

All fixed internal combustion engine and gearbox installations must

have an engine tray or oil-tight area.

Each engine tray or oil-tight area must be at least as long and as wide

as the combined length/width of the engine and gearbox.

The material of each engine tray or oil-tight area must be non-porous

and oil resistant.

All engine trays or oil-tight areas, including joints and seams, must be

free of signs of leaks, damage and deterioration.

The volume of each engine tray or oil-tight area must be sufficient to

retain the estimated capacity of the engine/gearbox sumps.

 

This second quote would seem to put me in a bind. It seems to agree with Richard's statement. I would think that all I can do is not arrange for any bilge suction in the engine/sterntube compartment. This might leave the boat liable to sinking if the stern gland (water lubricated) fails. I suppose that I can fit and automatic bilge pump in the cabin bilge and hope that filling the engine hole to the max would not cause the boat to sink.

 

A conundrum which requires some thought...

 

N

[RLWP]

Not even if I separate out the oil so that none is pumped overboard?

 

N

 

What you will need to do is satisfy your BSS examiner that you can satisfy sections 9.1.1 and 9.1.2:

 

http://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/media/164548/bss%20guide%20chap9.pdf

 

If you can convince the examiner that there is no way that you are pumping oil overboard, you may be OK. Otherwise it seems pretty clear cut to me

 

Richard

[David Mack]

This second quote would seem to put me in a bind. It seems to agree with Richard's statement. I would think that all I can do is not arrange for any bilge suction in the engine/sterntube compartment. This might leave the boat liable to sinking if the stern gland (water lubricated) fails. I suppose that I can fit an automatic bilge pump in the cabin bilge and hope that filling the engine hole to the max would not cause the boat to sink.

 

A conundrum which requires some thought...

 

How about providing a sealed off area of the bilge around the engine to satisfy the drip tray requirement, and then a separate container, with bilge pump, just under the stern gland, raised above the bottom plate. You could also have a separate bilge pump in the main bilge.

[Darren72]

We have a cheap 12 v wet vac costing £15 of ebay for cleaning up out of reach places. We empty the contents into a correct container/disposal point.

[Titan]

How about providing a sealed off area of the bilge around the engine to satisfy the drip tray requirement, and then a separate container, with bilge pump, just under the stern gland, raised above the bottom plate. You could also have a separate bilge pump in the main bilge.

 

In the mean time get a cheep bag of disposable nappies, suprising what they can soak up for £2 !!!! but the above sounds like a good start. regards Martin

[OldGoat]

In the mean time get a cheep bag of disposable nappies, suprising what they can soak up for £2 !!!! but the above sounds like a good start. regards Martin

 

 

BEWARE - disposable nappies (branded and own brand) degrade quite quickly once they get wetted either with oil or water - 12 hours maximum in my case.

It can be a pain to clear up the resulting gel....

[BlueStringPudding]

2 hours on a bad day, resulting in jellified chemical porridge on the bilge!

 

David Mack'e got the right idea, I reckon. Rather than try to fit summit under the engine, try to section it off instead. Either weld a strip or box round it or place a good sized drip tray under the stern glad to contain the water and bilge pump instead.

Edited September 19, 2012 by BlueStringPudding

[David Schweizer]

I also have a BMC 1.5 which drops a small amount of oil and water. To deal with this, I drop half a dozen or so folded sheets of absorbent kitchen roll into the back end of the engine bilges on our boat, which soak up the small amount of water and oil which rests there. When they are soaked, I remove them with a pair of tongs (the type sold for old people to pick up things) and drop them into a plastic container which sits in the stern gland bilge. Periodicly I remove this and bag up the oily wet tissue and dispose of them in the rubbish.

Edited September 19, 2012 by David Schweizer

[MtB]

What you will need to do is satisfy your BSS examiner that you can satisfy sections 9.1.1 and 9.1.2:

 

http://www.boatsafet...ide%20chap9.pdf

 

If you can convince the examiner that there is no way that you are pumping oil overboard, you may be OK. Otherwise it seems pretty clear cut to me

 

Richard

 

Swerving off topic into a rant, what business has the BSS (Boat SAFETY Scheme) got governing whether contaminated water is pumped into the cut? I agree it is a really bad idea from an environmental perspective but I don't think it actually puts boaters, or anyone else's, personal safety at risk.

 

Rant over.

[Paul C]

Our boat has a cutlass bearing and the bilge has been bone dry for about 2 months, maybe this is the solution to the problem? Every other boat we'd used (with a normal style stern greaser) does drip a little, especially after a long day. This one doesn't drip at all.

[ditchcrawler]

Swerving off topic into a rant, what business has the BSS (Boat SAFETY Scheme) got governing whether contaminated water is pumped into the cut? I agree it is a really bad idea from an environmental perspective but I don't think it actually puts boaters, or anyone else's, personal safety at risk.

 

Rant over.

And then they insist that if you spill any diesel while you are refuelling it goes straight into the canal.

 

Our boat has a cutlass bearing and the bilge has been bone dry for about 2 months, maybe this is the solution to the problem? Every other boat we'd used (with a normal style stern greaser) does drip a little, especially after a long day. This one doesn't drip at all.

Kiss of death. I have a standard greased gland and it hasn't dripped in 10 years. Noe I've got the weed hatch to seal I have a dry bilge as well.

[Grace and Favour]

Swerving off topic into a rant, what business has the BSS (Boat SAFETY Scheme) got governing whether contaminated water is pumped into the cut? I agree it is a really bad idea from an environmental perspective but I don't think it actually puts boaters, or anyone else's, personal safety at risk.

 

Rant over.

 

I suspect that as used engine oil is said to be carcinogenic, the Elfin Safetee /Environmental peeps have a reasonable argument in requiring folks to prevent adding the black gunge to the water courses

[sumajan]

Beware of those 'nappy' things. My son borrowed the boat, found my stock of 'soakerupers' and is now convinced I'm incontinent and just putting on a brave face claiming they're for the bilges.

[cheshire~rose]

On an earlier thread soneone (sorry I don't remember who) advised they just have a washing up bowl under their stern gland to catch drips with a bilge pump in there.

 

I was also advised there are some proper filters you can buy to collect any oil deposits in the bilge. They are expensive and if you have a very oily bilge they would become clogged fairly quickly but the fitting of one would satisfy the BSS

[Timleech]

On an earlier thread soneone (sorry I don't remember who) advised they just have a washing up bowl under their stern gland to catch drips with a bilge pump in there.

 

I was also advised there are some proper filters you can buy to collect any oil deposits in the bilge. They are expensive and if you have a very oily bilge they would become clogged fairly quickly but the fitting of one would satisfy the BSS

 

This link is to one of two recent threads where bilge filters etc have been discussed.

 

 

Tim

Edited September 20, 2012 by Timleech

[Theo]

Our boat has a cutlass bearing and the bilge has been bone dry for about 2 months, maybe this is the solution to the problem? Every other boat we'd used (with a normal style stern greaser) does drip a little, especially after a long day. This one doesn't drip at all.

 

I have similar but can't remember the brand. Hasn't leaked in 4 years. At all!.

 

The fact is, I have only just go around to thinking about some sort of bilge pump to use in an emergency of some unspecified nature.

 

N