WATER LEVEL

STANDAEID STREET EL
THREADED INTO

Select piping in accordance with your location, and

the size of your boat. Galvanized pipe is suitable for
fresh water; copper pipe should be used in salt water.
l-Jse Vz" pipe for boats in the 16, to 20, range, and
3/+" at larger for cruisers.

BOTTOM PLANKING

t4j' aleeoen xoue

WATER LEVEL

WATER LEVEL

BOTTOM

Li'to34'.

STANDARD STREET EL
THREADED INTO

ABOVE
BILGE

BOTTOM PLANKING

Fis.

165

Home-Mode Self Boilers

One way to avoid the expense of installing a commercial self-bailer is to rig your own, using standard
pipe and pipe fittings. For a simple bailer, bore a hole
through the bottom at the point of the bilge that's lowest
when the boat is underway. Over the hole mount a
standard pipe floor flange in bedding compound on the
inner side of the bilge planking. A standard pipe plug
screwed in finger tight will prevent a reverse flow of
water into the hull when the boat is not under way
(Fis. 166).
Through the bottom hole, thread a standard pipe
street ell with the open end pointing aft. Suction created
by the boat when it's moving at speeds above 5 mph
will draw out bilge water. If the bottom planking is not
too thick, this ell can be screwed directly into the inside
pipe flange. With this rig, it's important to remember
to replace the pipe plug when the boat is stopped.
You can make a more sophisticated bailJiby eliminating the inside pipe plug and substituting a vertical
pipe nipple that will rise 4'to 6" above the static water

line (Fig. 166, bottom). Then, return this gooseneck

via two pipe elbows and nipples, so the open end is
aboul Vq" above the lowest part of the bilge when the

Fis.

167

Home-Mqde Jomb Cleot

Although most deck hardware is out of the do-ityourself category, John F. Dillon shows how a simple
jamb cleat can be cut from a suitable chunk of teak.
Fig. 167 shows the cleat laid out on a block of scrap
teak. The size of the cleat will depend on what you
need, of course, but the angle of rise is important, and
should be no more than 15 degrees. Cut out the cleat
with a saber saw. Round off all edges with a wood rasp,
sand smooth, and drill for the mounting bolts as shown
in Fig. 168. Be sure to countersink for the bolt heads.

boat is under way.

To prevent reverse siphon action while the boat is
docked or anchored, drill a r/16,, bleeder hole in the
upper side of the horizontal nipple at the highest point
in the gooseneck. This will permit water to drain to the
outside water level.
When selecting the length for the vertical nipple above
the pipe flange, be sure to consider your boai's waterline when a full load is aboard, because the nipple
should reach 4" to 61' above the waterline at maximum
draft.
Because of the bleeder hole and the extra height of
this rig, you'll need a speed of at least 10 mph to ireate

the siphoning action, The action is completely automatic, however, and you can locate the rig in any convenient spot as long as the intake reaches into the lowest
part of the bilge.

Fig.

t68