I've noticed standing water in Pygmalion #567 bilge water in the past and agree that the water tank area doesn't slope to the deeper builge/sump area. 

I'll check the weekend and see - with the lack of rain and heat - I would think that the bilge should be dry...

Jay 

I have a similar problem. I removed the original two l stainless steel tanks this past winter and replaced them with a single smaller plastic tank. When I had the tanks out I could see a small hole at the back of the center bilge which leads to the compartment where I have the aft bilge pump. Unfortunately when I filled the new tank the inlet pipe leaked and I ended up with about 40 litres of water in the center bilge compartment. I couldn't get the center bilge compartment to drain despite pushing a rod through the hole, from the aft bilge,  as far as I could. Possibly it's blocked but no matter what I tried I couldn't get it to drain. I ended up using a sponge to mop up as much water as I could and was going to leave it till the next haul out to deal with it properly. So I've got a few inches on my center bilge right now. 

If you put your hand in the aft bilge you should be able to feel the hole at the very bottom of the bilge. I was wondering if the issue is that my rear bilge pump float was so high,  and the bilge so large,  that the water level never gets high enough to trigger the bilge pump. That's the only idea I have right now. Maybe some others can provide some more information about this. 

The hole between the lower bilge and midship bilge should be flush to allow water to drain. There are a few factors that may not allow the midship bilge to drain properly. If you are not balanced aft enough, the water will stand instead of flush aft. If the hole is not flush, then you will need to either drill a flush hole, or install an additional bilge sump for the midship bilge. I suspect that most owners will plug the hole between the two bilges and allow the water from the lower bilge to flow into the midship bilge over the divider. I have a high-volume pump with a switch that has an alarm that will sound if the water in the lower bilge overflows into the midship. Usually this is a result of either the lower little pump not functioning, or the boat is taking on water beyond the volume allowance of the little pump. I do not have any leaks that would cause the midship bilge to fill, so I usually work to keep it completely dry. A sponge is what I use once the water has drained enough, then a portable fan to make it bone dry. If you tend to have standing water often, due to leaks in the water tanks, caprails, etc, consider installing a diaphragm pump like the Jabsco with a 1/4" hose to move the water into the lower bilge. You can install it in the settee bench locker and use a switch to turn it on whenever you want to pump the bilge dry. Otherwise, fix the leaks. Cheers.

This weekend I filled the water tanks on Pygmalion #567 and sprayed done the area - - that left some water in the otherwise dry bilge.  I've noticed that the water doesn't drain well to the sump... in fact the water stands under the tanks.  

2-3 inches of standing water is a lot of water though.  

What happens if you get about 4 of the crew aft as far as you can -- does the water drain to the sump? 

Jay  

Hi Mike,

I have the same setup as you do with my pump and float switch mounted on a wooden board that puts the pump and float switch into the deep bilge. I will soon be remounting them on to a fiberglass I-Beam with two pumps and two float switches. I never have standing water under the tanks, in fact, I occassionally hose the bilge down and the water runs aft into the deep bilge no problem. On Rhapsody the water ahead of the scupper drains OK leaving just a small amount that evaporates quickly. The bobstay fitting just barely kisses the water and this seems to be the line she likes to sit on. I have the old MD11C which is probably a bit heavier than more modern engines. Right now about 40 gallons of fuel, 135 feet of chain under the v-berth just aft of the anchor locker bulkhead, a 35 lb. plow and a similar size Bruce on the bowsprit, a Honda 2 mounted on the stern pulpit and lead pigs in the deep aft locker which were there when I bought the boat and have never weighed. She is a 1976 Sail-Away kit boat. Hope this helps.

Werner

Forgot to mention the two Group 27 batteries mounted in the aft lazarette.