Newbie questions

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chas231

New member
As I'm crawling around our boat I'm finding some things I can't figure out. Any help would be appreciated. . .
How can I tell if the bilge pumps are working? At what point should they pump water, and how can I test them? They run, but I don't know when the float switch should kick in. The well in the cockpit has about an inch of water - nothng in the cockpit - but when should the pump turn on? Can
I just pour some water in to see if works?
In the anchor locker I found a heavy canvas bag with a few heavy bags of what feels like might be lead shot. What are they for?
The boat came with a spare prop. I'm glad to have it, but it takes up a lot of precious space. Is it a good idea to carry the spare in the boat?
Is the anchor typically hung on the bow roller so it's ready for quick deployment? Seems like it would take too long to pull the anchor out of storage and feed the rode up throught the deck if needed in an emergency.
Thanks for your patience and help.
 
Hi Chas-

You will typically have a couple inches water before the bilge pump kicks on. You can check it by turning the water hose on until the pump kicks on.

The bags of lead was used as ballast to keep the bow down.

There was a time I wished I had a spare prop with me- but I didn't.

The anchor should be ready at the bow--- unless you want to go thru the trouble of installing it every time you use it. Depends on where you are--- small lakes- you may not need it, larger lakes or ocean--- keep it at the ready.

Have fun
 
Hi Chas,
I would suggest removing the ballast as soon as possible. No sense in pushing around dead weight. If your vessel has trim problems move gear around or consider trim tabs. It's a great idea to carry a spare prop but you also need the tools to replace it.

I agree you should test your float switch in the bilge with a hose. I ran my Tomcat for a year without realizing the auto bilge never had fuses! (Turns out it never had fuses because one of the pumps had a stuck float switch and a cracked housing and I suspect the dealer did not want to bother to fix it).

It's definitely better to secure the anchor on the bow. It's a pain in the arse to deploy an anchor in pitching seas when you need to dig it out and lug it forward without falling in the drink.

Good luck with the start of the season. Come on mild temps!
 
Great advice on the pump. As for the anchor it really makes since to keep it up front on the roller and with the rope attached. Now you have to keep it in place. You can use bungge cord or take a few wraps of rope around the cleat. you should have 20 feet of chain first.
I install a locking pin to keep my anchor in place but easly deployed. They are cheap and easy to install. I used 5200 to install mine and it has stayed in place for 4 years just fine.

anchor pin lock
 
Chas,
The spare prop and tools are handy when you rap your prop on something solid. It is a good idea to have a spare castle nut, washer, cotter pin, and thrust washer (bearing) as it is too easy to drop one of these into the deep while stretched out over the engine changing a prop.
Regards,
Mike"Levity"
 
Thanks all for the advice. We had trim tabs installed, so the ballast will be removed. I'll get the anchor up where it belongs.
Appreciate the help!
 
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