Any tricks for getting the last bit of water out of the bilge?

SeaRide said:
Just a thought.......the electric motor/brushes of a shop vac are not ignition protected. Is it really a good idea to remove the last bit of water using a shop vac with the possibility of gas fumes being present???? I don't have the answer - just asking.
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I had the same thought until I thought about it with the engine hatch or hatches open it wouldn't be a problem in my opinion unless you had been leaking fuel into the bilge it's the fumes that go boom not the liquid. How many of us have used cordless drills in the bilge?

LKN said:
Get a utility transfer pump, screw hoses on it and stick it in there. My transfer pump has come in handy several times when it comes to my boat.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Wayne-12-Volt-Transfer-Pump-PC1/203663854
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I noticed in this post the pump is connected with alligator clips same as using a battery jumper just make sure to air the bilge out before running any electrical device down there especially a battery jumper or portable charger the battery fumes go boom too.

Just my thoughts maybe I'm way off.
 
That's not the exact pump I use... mine uses regular AC power and I don't even put the pump inside the boat when using it... I just run a host down into the bilge
 
Any issue with transfer pump not priming or losing prime due to the small amount in the bilge. I had this problem on a small Home Depot pump. I use a small B&D shop vac but I have to get down into the bilge with it as it doesn't have enough power to lift the water up to cockpit floor if I place the tank there.
 
I haven't had any issues with it yet.... I don't even know what model the pump is as I picked it up at the Lowes by my Marina a month or two ago while doing some work on the boat.

Seems to prime fine.
 
Big clean up after annual degreasing of engine room is a 5-gallon shop vac, minor clean up, 12volt 1/2 gallon shop vac (harbor freight) and final mop up is a large sponge with a small pale....
 
Saturday I went down to the boat with both my hand held drill driven pump & shop vac on the boat, there was about 1 qt of water in the bilge not even enough to get up to the pump inlet. I tried the drill pump first it picked up most but left some, then I used the shop vac it got almost every drop out of the bilge. Then I dumped some simple green down there to soak while I washed the boat. I then scrubbed the bilge & used the drill pump to get most of the water out it has a 5' hose on 1 end & 5' 3/8" hose on the other just pumped it into a 5 gallon bucket on the dock then used the shop vac to get what was left.

My conclusion:

Hand held pump worked great to most of it out leaves less than a quart in the bilge.
Hand held pump easier to pump most of it out into a bucket on dock.

Shop Vac wins for getting the last bit out but you need to carry it around.
Shop Vac need to be careful keep it upright or ya have another mess to cleanup ( ask me how I know )

Well there's my test bilge & boat both clean for awhile, wait boat needs rinsing we went out yesterday I forgot to rinse it off with saltaway.
 
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