Peggie Hall wrote in :


The problem is bilge pumps DON'T pump ALL the water out...which is why
most people do everything possible to keep as much water OUT of the
bilge as possible. 'Cuz the less water that goes into one, the less
there is to turn into a dark smelly swamp.


When Geoffrey bought Lionheart, an Amel Sharki ketch, we were horrified to
find that all the sinks, shower, everything but the head, of course, dumped
all that grey water into the BILGE! Geoffrey wanted to put through-hull
fittings under the sinks to get it overboard, directly, but other things
needed doing, first, so it got put off.

After using this arrangement since last August, including a couple of sea
voyages, we've found that this Amel smells a LOT better than his Endeavour
35 sloop BECAUSE of all the grey water sloshing around in the sump down in
the full keel, instead of that little trickle of rain and seawater making
its way into the "biological soup" of the Endeavour.

I think the advanced biology growing in the Endeavour's bilge is killed off
by the antibiotic soap the dishes are washed in that also cleans the oil
and scum out of the Amel's bilge! Amel has a BIG manual electric bilge
pump but the previous owner put in a BIG Rule 4000 gph and a float switch
way down in the bottom. The Rule doesn't do well with food solids that
make it into the bilge, but I just pull the power to it and flush out the
solids with soapy water and the big Amel OEM bilge pump ever so often, when
I think of it.

For some crazy reason, this arrangement works BETTER! Any ideas why,
Peggie?

Larry