[JGadsby]

I recently purchased a '92 Catalina 30.

It seems that there is no way to empty the bilge under the engine except to pump it out manually.

It seems like there ought to be a pump installed or at least a way for this to drain into the main bilge, but I can't find anything about this in my manuals.

Has anyone else run into this?

 

[christyleigh]

It's built that way on purpose to keep Engine Oil etc.... out of the bilge which would be pumped into our precious waterways.

 

[sailingdog]

Pumping oil overboard is a bad idea... big fines for doing so... Stan's probably correct in that the engine sump was intentionally kept separate for that reason.

 

[Rockter]

Oh man, don't drain it to the main bilge. It would be a collosal mess.

 

[timebandit]

Don't most cutless bearings drip in there??

 

[christyleigh]

Don't most cutless bearings drip in there??

Yes, into the main bilge. So........ ?

 

[timebandit]

Yes, into the main bilge. So........ ?

So it seams that all the time I was worried that something from the engine would get into the main bilge I was wasting my time.

Even on boats built in the 70's in the 50+' range??

 

[sailingdog]

Depends on the boat. Some don't isolate the engine sump area.

So it seams that all the time I was worried that something from the engine would get into the main bilge I was wasting my time.

Even on boats built in the 70's in the 50+' range??

 

[christyleigh]

Even on boats built in the 70's in the 50+' range??

Probably few boats from the 70's had anything to protect the environment aboard. When the OP said '92 C30 no question - bilge protected, but the first C30's from the 70's..... I don't know for sure