The best bilge pump.....

[oscarvan]

No not talking about the built in ones, that's a bag o' worms I don't want to open right now.

Talking about how to get the water out of the myriad of low spots in our vast, rice paddy like network of bilges. I keep a dry bilge. When I do work there's spillage. Winterizing, cooling system work, water tank work..... puddles happen. I have used super sponges, plastic cups, turkey basters, battery powered "stick pumps", squeeze ball pumps...... they are all a pain and many will have you laying down on the mechanics perforating your abdomen with hose clamps to get to "the spot".

No more. This thing is awesome. Thin, but rigid with a long reach (36"). 5-6 "sucks" will fill a gallon jug. Inlet is flat you truly get down to a 1/4" of water, which you then get with the paper towel held by long cooking tongs.

For the money I ordered a bunch. Hope to never run out.

(And of course they could come in handy in case of boarding by "hostile" associates or out of favor family members.)

[madhatter1]

That's a great idea.

[Scarlett]

I use a small version of one of those in my dingy to get out small amounts of water, at least I do when the grandkids don’t steal them to soak there siblings.

[Captain Ralph]

Finally crawled down to my own bilge today. Took some pictures and tried to find my model on line.
Darn vac was discontinued.
With out searching, I'm sure there is a replacement model somewhere.
It works like a champ.
https://www.shopvac.com/product/shop...catnum:5825411

[whoover]

The last i saw was that ShopVac is no more. A victim of Covid. There was a distribution warehouse in Burlington Ontario that is now closed. Very good product and alot of them still in use, shame to see a company like that close.

Walt Hoover

[Captain Ralph]

The last i saw was that ShopVac is no more. A victim of Covid. There was a distribution warehouse in Burlington Ontario that is now closed. Very good product and alot of them still in use, shame to see a company like that close.

Walt Hoover

Oh heck.
Hopefully some company has or will pick up on the idea of a pumping shop-vac again.
This vac has me spoiled.

[rlathers]

New Shop Vac owner - GreatStar Tools US

https://www.sungazette.com/news/top-...wner-revealed/

[Captain Ralph]

On our Bert, I have a shop-vac in the engine room. The kind that pumps water out of itself into a 5 gallon (ex oil) pail next to it. Then I collected all the old vac hoses that have been collected thru the years.
Out of our mid ship ER, these hoses reach near every ware.

I have just about talked my bud into putting one of these shop-vacs in place of the built in (missing) ship vac system and he can do the same for on and below deck clean up with out a hose from his port E R.

Nothing beats a good wet/dry vacuum for removing water puddles and this eliminates the need to drag a whole unit around and risk spillage.

[oscarvan]

Hmmmmm that sounds interesting. I could mount a small one up high(er) and plumb a drain to a sea chest......

[Captain Ralph]

Hmmmmm that sounds interesting. I could mount a small one up high(er) and plumb a drain to a sea chest......

My shop vac has a course foam filter on the water pickup, but it is still pretty dirty and some grit. I'm not sure I would want it to drain into my ships sump or sea chest. When I know I picked up some oil, then I pour my pail into a couple of open pails on shore and lay an oil-sorb towel on the top of the water to soak up any oil.
The grass is still green where I pour the remaining water off.

You will need a valve to close off your line if you do go that way. You will vac up water from the chest.

Quick look on line, I can not find my model to show it off. Cant remember the brand either.
I'll get a brand and model number from the vac it self tomorrow and update this thread.
Its a really cool vac.