Limber Holes

[Traveler 45C]

The bulkhead between the ER and amidships (under galley) has limber holes but they are plugged with the same type plug used in the dingy (forget the name).

I discovered A LOT of water under the galley (stbd side) that had no place to go. Pulled the plug and it drained for hours.

I understand compartmentalization, but what’s the use of having the holes only to plug them? Are these plugs OEM?

So, why and how are the limber holes supposed to be operated? Why have the plugs, why take them out?

 

[StratPlan61]

My understanding was that limber holes were small holes which allowed water to flow from one bilge compartment to another, ideally where a bilge pump existed to eventually pump out any apprecible amount. I thought Garboard Drain/Plugs were for annual or haul-out draining in areas where limited amounts of water might accumulate due to inefficiencies in hull shape, etc. My experience is that Garboard Drain/Plugs are usually a square drive cap pipe-type plug and that limber holes were just 1/2" holes with no cap/plug, just a passageway.
Maybe this is yet another thing I have been confused about???

 

[MikeP]

I installed plugs in those limber holes when we bought our 53MY.

Those limber holes allow water in the eng room bilges to flow forward into areas in the genny room long before the water is deep enough in the eng room to activate a bilge pump. What this means is that if you have shafts dripping, or whatever in the eng room, the water will move forward into the genny room where it will sit in channels until it is several inches deep. After it reaches that depth, the amount exceeding that will spill to the forward bilge. But the several inches of water in a channel about 8ft long will just sit there, spawning whatever. It is hard to get to these channels because they are underneath the battery shelves.

Additionally, water can't flow out of the eng bilge through the fore and aft limbers as quickly as the bilge pump can pump out the water. Therefore, the "equalizing effect" of allowing the water flow for and aft is not really useful anyway.

The same thing exists to the rear of the eng rooms - leaving the limber open just creates a large area for water to sit before it gets "deep enough" to spill into the actual aft bilge, where the pump is.

To me, the ONLY use of having all the limber holes is if some of the bilge pumps are not working. Otherwise, each of the 4 bilge areas can take care of themselves more effectively anyway.

The eng room is the only place where water can accumulate normally and then run into other areas. It cannot happen in reverse.

Anyway, that's my logic.

 

[spartonboat1]

Minor highjack, my old (1953) Chris Craft 40' DCFB has multiple limber holes in the frames, above the Garboard planks next to the keel. There is a brass chain that runs for 15-20' that is held by springs at the end. Lift up on the chain and it moves back and forth in the limber holes to help keep them clear.

 

[DickB]

I think Bear is correct. If you only had one bilge pump, and located it at the lowest point in the bilge, then the limber holes would allow all the water to flow to this one point to be pumped out. The limber chain was used to keep the holes open.

I think compartmentalizing with multiple pumps makes sense, and my holes are plugged as well.

Dick

 

[Traveler 45C]

The only compartments on my boat without bilge pumps are amidships (under the galley and under the master stateroom). These will drain aft to the ER if I keep the limber holes open. This makes sense, unless it is more important to keep ER bilge water separate, hence the plugs.

Are the plugs supposed to be installed during normal operation (water should not be getting to those compartments anyway)? Is it proper procedure to leave them in place, pulling them only if water has gotten into those compartments?