Bilge Construction

[Señor Chris]

If there is water in the bilge at the front of the boat, will it run to the back as far as the engine space or do the floor bearers hold it in separate compartments ? 1991 Liverpool hull.

 

The reason I ask is that the only inspection hatches I can find in the cabin are right at the back next to the bed and was wondering whether a dry bilge here means that the whole cabin bilge is dry.

 

[Ex- Member]

Water should run to the stern, although not necessarily into it. There's generally a bulkhead underfloor separating the engine room from cabin areas.

[David Mack]

Water should run to the stern, although not necessarily into it. There's generally a bulkhead underfloor separating the engine room from cabin areas.

This is normally the case, but it does assume that the shell builder has chamfered the frames where the bottom and sides meet (and maybe also at the kelson if you have one) so as to provide triangular limber holes to let the water flow back.

[Señor Chris]

Water should run to the stern, although not necessarily into it. There's generally a bulkhead underfloor separating the engine room from cabin areas.

 

That would explain the location of the hatches.

 

 

This is normally the case, but it does assume that the shell builder has chamfered the frames where the bottom and sides meet (and maybe also at the kelson if you have one) so as to provide triangular limber holes to let the water flow back.

 

I couldn't see anything as obvious as that. Maybe I need to experiment.

[sclements1]

Limber holes permit the through-flow of bilge water from front to back, to the lowest point in the hullhere it is collected for pump-out.

[Tony Brooks]

Some (older?) boats had pipes connecting the well deck bilge to the engine space bilge I understand so water did not enter the accommodation bilge. It depends what you mean by "the bilge at the front". I would expect a Liverpool boat of that age to be conventional where the water will drain to just in front of the rear bulkhead. That is unless the boat is trimmed bow down.

[Neil2]

Some (older?) boats had pipes connecting the well deck bilge to the engine space bilge I understand so water did not enter the accommodation bilge. It depends what you mean by "the bilge at the front". I would expect a Liverpool boat of that age to be conventional where the water will drain to just in front of the rear bulkhead. That is unless the boat is trimmed bow down.

Hancock and Lane boats with the deep front well are one example of this and it seemed to me to be a very clever solution giving the advantage of a "level access" front well from the cabin without the disadvantage of a wet cabin bilge.

 

H&L cruisers also had a very efficient cockpit drain system as well.

[alan_fincher]

This is normally the case, but it does assume that the shell builder has chamfered the frames where the bottom and sides meet (and maybe also at the kelson if you have one) so as to provide triangular limber holes to let the water flow back.

 

Yes, absolutely.

 

I've no idea what Liverpool Boats were doing in 1991, but I wouldn't guarantee that any shell of that vintage necessarily has adequate ways that water can drain back through cross bracing on the bottom.

 

It's not unusual to have bracing that almost meets the sides, but for any small gap to be blocked by debris - particularly if whoever fitted out the boat simply "lost" sawdust and small offcuts of wood into the bilges, without bothering to collect it up!

Edited January 23, 2014 by alan_fincher