Re: [Paddlewise] battery powered pumps

At 10:39 AM 2/5/99 +1100, you wrote:
>
>
>"waterbuster is powered by 3 Alkaline Batteries and will run for up to 5
>hours. Capacity is 757 ltrs/200 gallons per hour. Size 6.75" high x 5.25"
>diameter".
>
>This is all I know about this pump. ABout 30 pounds in cost.
>

Hi Nick,

I installed one of these WaterBuster pumps in my boat last summer. They do
have the advantage of being completely self-contained - no wiring, no
free-standing batteries. On the downside, I have to say I'm pretty
underwhelmed by the time it takes to empty the cockpit, even when it has
only several inches in it rather than being completely flooded. How much of
this is over-optimism on the maker's part about its speed, and how much the
fact that my bulkheads are located quite far towards the bow and stern, I'm
not sure. I do know that after experimenting with it in very moderate surf,
I'll be trying low-tech (a sea sock) and higher tech - probably the Rule
500 or 1000 others have been discussing.

Oh, yah, one other problem with the WaterBuster - it clogs up very easily
with the sort of seaweed and gunk found in every cockpit after more than
two days on tour. I solved this by cutting a foot off a pair of my wife's
old pantyhose, and slipping it over the entire pump base to form a
"filter". Now, of course, my wife is convinced I've got a "thing" for
pantyhose, and the more I protest... It doesn't make it any better that
she's so understanding and sympathetic about this supposed hang-up of mine
:-)

Cheers, 
Philip T.
N49°16' W123°08' 
"The opinions expressed in this posting are not necessarily those of my
employer, or indeed, of any sentient being."
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