MANUAL PUMPS

Some manufacturers say that a manual bilge pump should be fitted for damage control. “During an emergency situation, there is a potential for the boat’s electrical system to be flooded, causing the pump to cut out,” explains Claire McCrea of Whale Pumps. “Best practice is for a manually operated bilge pump to also be fitted on board.” That said, Whale’s largest manual pump, the Gusher 30, shifts only 1,200 gph, while Edson’s well-regarded DD120 can manage 1,800 gph. In addition, a person in an emergency situation, even with adrenalin coursing through his or her veins, will not keep up for long with the 30 to 70 strokes per minute required by these high-capacity pumps. It can also be difficult to find somewhere to install them. It is, therefore, not uncommon for them to simply be mounted on a board, with a long lay-flat discharge hose, so that they can be used either above or belowdecks.