Quote:
Originally Posted by cajunman
If you have a bait tank pump on board, consider rigging so you can simply take it out of the bait tank and use as a bilge,
(using an old back packing adage of having two or more uses for everything you carry)
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I tried that with a bait tank that I made a few years ago. I put a 3-way valve set-up on the pump intake line. (you can see the 3-way at the bottom of the picture)
I just wanted a way to pump out the bait tank at the end of the day. This could work as a bilge pump, but it wouldn't be practical with most kayak designs.
With a slightly longer intake hose you could reach the rear hatch on an X-Factor or an eXtreme. You would need a rediculously long intake or a removable pump/power supply to reach the center hatch on most other kayaks.
I toyed with the idea of installing a bilge pump for a while. In theory, it makes a lot of sense to have one. There are, however, some practical issues that make it difficult. I noticed that my Kayatank fills about 3/4 full as soon as I sit on my kayak. That water comes through the intake pump. That could happen in reverse with a bilge pump. Water could enter through your overboard discharge fitting and backflow through the pump, flooding the kayak. You need a good stop-check valve or a discharge plug to prevent this from happening. Even I have my limits for added weight and complexity. I just carry a trusty hand pump.