I keep my DS1 on the water at a small lake near my home, and try to sail it two or three times a week, weather permitting.
Well, as any of you folks in the Northeast know, this summer, the weather doesn't seem to want to permit. We're averaging about a foot of rain per week around here, (an exaggeration, but not by much, it seems) and even though I have an old boom tent for the cockpit (not really rainproof any more, if it ever was), every time I take her out, I've got about 6" of water to remove before I do.
I've got a hand held, manual pump, and I keep a 2 gallon plastic bucket and scoop in the boat as well. To be honest, the bucket works best, but the whole procedure is getting pretty old.
A quick online search turned up a number of electric alternatives. Cabela's sells a D cell battery powered pump made by Attwood that looks like it may be the answer. It sells for 45 bucks and has gotten some good reviews by small boat users who have to deal with the same problem.
If anybody has any suggestions, recommendations, or thoughts on the subject, I'd love to see them.
Spending a good portion of my limited sailing time slinging a bucket is not something I want to do anymore. I got rained out, again, yesterday, (just as I got to the lake, as it happened) and between yesterday's and last night's rainfall, I'll bet there's another 6" in the boat this morning.
There's got to be a better way.