Leaving battery switch on for bilge pump?

[surroundsound64]

Just wire a simple charger to a battery and plug it in. Solved.

[vacooley]

Re: lifts. Floating lifts do not have a 'lock' by design. A floating lift is usually used is because the dock cannot support the weight of the boat (as in a floating dock). If the lift was locked and then leaked air it could damage/sink the dock.


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[Wake.BC]

Why don't you just get a pump with a float and wire it in? That seems like the easiest/safest way.


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[Jakeb]

Too deep to put a surface lift in?


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[MikeC]

The area that I'm in on the lake the docks are floating in 20 - 50 feet of water depending on how close to shore the dock is located and the general topography of the lake at the dock. Also it's a corps of engineers lake so the water level fluctuates on a daily basis, at full pool my dock floats in 25 feet of water, during the winter it floats in about 15 feet of water and I'm in a shallow cove. So in many cases a floating lift is the only option, and they fail quite often.

[markj]

It sounds like you're suggesting that's stupid or something. I suppose it could be, but Jeff and I meticulously maintain our lifts so the odds of the lift failing AND the boat sinking are extremely remote. I leave the plug out of mine too when it's on the lift. Seems like for whatever reason, it tends to drip water for a good day or so.

-Charles

Yep. That's what I'm saying and it doesn't matter how you maintain your lift. I've had my boats on a lift for 15 years now and I've come out twice in the last 6 of those years to see my boat floating in the water. Either someone didn't close the valve all the way or who knows? Just glad I put the plug in before covering it. Especially since the bilge pumps aren't automatic. If you leave your plug out, your odds are 100% that your boat will sink (at least as far as the lift goes down) with no automatic bilge pumps if your lift goes down.

[charlesml3]

Yep. That's what I'm saying and it doesn't matter how you maintain your lift. I've had my boats on a lift for 15 years now and I've come out twice in the last 6 of those years to see my boat floating in the water. Either someone didn't close the valve all the way or who knows? Just glad I put the plug in before covering it. Especially since the bilge pumps aren't automatic. If you leave your plug out, your odds are 100% that your boat will sink (at least as far as the lift goes down) with no automatic bilge pumps if your lift goes down.

OK, the lifts we use in this area are nothing like what you're describing. There is no valve, no air. Our lifts are electric motors and pipes up in the top of the boat house that wind the cables up and down. The only what this is going to happen the way you're describing is if a cable breaks. If you maintain your lift properly, that will not happen.

-Charles

[vacooley]

Too deep to put a surface lift in?


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Variable lake levels (like 10-15 feet). Any fixed dock or lift is problematic.

[markj]

OK, the lifts we use in this area are nothing like what you're describing. There is no valve, no air. Our lifts are electric motors and pipes up in the top of the boat house that wind the cables up and down. The only what this is going to happen the way you're describing is if a cable breaks. If you maintain your lift properly, that will not happen.

-Charles

Yeah, I'm talking about a hydro-hoist or any other floating lift.

[charlesml3]

Yeah, I'm talking about a hydro-hoist or any other floating lift.

Here's a fairly decent photo of what I'm describing.

http://imgur.com/k4ppqm1

[markj]

I'd still leave the plug in if it were mine. A few cups of water in your bilge won't hurt a thing. Nice dock you have.

[vacooley]

OK, the lifts we use in this area are nothing like what you're describing. There is no valve, no air. Our lifts are electric motors and pipes up in the top of the boat house that wind the cables up and down. The only what this is going to happen the way you're describing is if a cable breaks. If you maintain your lift properly, that will not happen.

-Charles

Not making any judgement on anyone's intelligence but I have been operating boats on various bodies of water for 40 years and the one thing that is always certain is that something unexpected/weird/seemingly impossible WILL happen. My boats will never be left on or over the water unless they are seaworthy (no drain plugs out, no hoses disconnected for winterization, etc.). I saw a G23 (maybe a G21) in a dealer yard just a few weeks ago that had been on a cable lift. Storm came up and blew other stuff onto the lift. The boat broke lose and sank near the bank. Total loss.

To each his own.

As for me, I am going to either put a battery tender on or add a float operated bilge pump hardwired to one of the batteries. (maybe both :-) )

[charlesml3]

. I saw a G23 (maybe a G21) in a dealer yard just a few weeks ago that had been on a cable lift. Storm came up and blew other stuff onto the lift. The boat broke lose and sank near the bank. Total loss.

That was a boat in Texas that was blown off it's lift by 80mph winds. It sank (and was totaled) because it got slammed up against a concrete pier for hours. That boat was going down, plug or no plug.

[scottb7]

if it was me and it was just occasionally i would leave boat drain plug in and put battery switch on either one or two (not both). If it was frequent i would leave boat plug in and replace one of the bilge pumps with a pump with a float and wire it to one of the two batteries. problem is that i have had these automatic pumps come on and not turn off....

And i would agree that something weird will eventually happen...

[vacooley]

That was a boat in Texas that was blown off it's lift by 80mph winds. It sank (and was totaled) because it got slammed up against a concrete pier for hours. That boat was going down, plug or no plug.

Yep. Point was that you don't know when a lift will fail or for what reason. This particular boat was doomed but "blown off lift" is a little dramatic. The 80 MPH winds would not lift a boat but damaged the lift by rocking the boat back and forth. Then the boat was blown to shore/pier. Actually, the damage to the hull was pretty minimal ( I saw the boat and the hull damage was primarily in the bow area above the waterline. ). It listed when it ran aground and filled with water. It was totaled due to water damage. (Like the same kind of water damage you could get if you leave you drain plug out.)