Bilge pump

[Rottsrool]

Obviously the larger the bilge pump the better, but what would be the minimum size to stop from sinking, reason I ask is the Maxll I purchased came with a 360GPH pump which I installed but seems really small.
Any thoughts?

[Mike]

That's really a hard question to answer as it, of course, depends on how much water you are taking on, how far off-shore you are riding and how risk adverse you are. If you are just pumping out water that is leaking in from around the seals/bearings from your occasional trip through a small pond and you exceed the capacity of a 360GPH bilge, then you have other issues. However, if you are crossing large bodies of water and plan for the worst, leaving out a drain plug or two and slicing the hull on coral that you are floating over, then 360GPH may not give you the peace of mind you are looking for.

There are some decent articles on the web regarding sizing of bilge pumps based on the type and size of a boat but they vary greatly. Check out these links:

The West Advisor: Bilge Pumps
Boats, Yachts: All About Bilge Pumps - Those Essential Devices for Keeping Your Boat Off the Bottom
Bilge Pump Sizing - The Hull Truth - Boating and Fishing Forum

If I were in your position, I would go ahead and get a little bit larger pump. You can pick up a 500-600GPH from Walmart for less than $20. If you are going to take the time to install one, go ahead and upgrade as cheap as it is.

[Rottsrool]

Thanks Mike

[Noel Woods]

I have the 550 and 600 GPH pumps in my machines. The cost is cheap enough, even with a discharge kit and switches, they cost less than $40 per machine, and it will give you peace of mind in what ever you get into.

The larger the pump, the more space they take up. I've got a large machine in which I mounted a 1200 gph originally but when it quit found it much more economical to mount 2 600gph pumps instead, and put one to the left, then the other to the right side of the machines. I prefer the small pumps as they will go anywhere, and on my Max2 have one mounted under the t20. The big thing to consider is where the weight of the machine is. For example in an Argo, the pump works best up front, for a Max2 or Max4, near the back.

[Twizted1]

One of those bigger is better deals. If I'm in to deep I want more than enough to bale my out.