Self Bailer Repair

[Toso]

Has anyone removed or rebedded the self bailer tube that penetrates both hulls? I'd like to replace mine. By the way, what metal is it made of?
Thanks

[talbot]

I don't know if the metal bailers are even made any more. The last two I installed were plastic and came from D&R Marine. They're expensive, about $40. But they are easy to install, and it's easy to clean algae off of them after the season. The bedding turns out not to be that critical. The O-ring seals are what keeps the water out. I've had a couple of people recommend wiping the O-rings with light grease to ensure a seal.

The outer shell of the bailer does not fit precisely against the hull, and D&R recommends filling that space with silicone. The silicone doesn't actually affect the seal. It's mainly to create a smooth profile and prevent dirt and marine growth between the bailer and the hull.

By the way, even the O-ring seals aren't mission-critical. The bailer on my boat (1973) fits into a solid tube that bridges the space between the inner and outer hulls. If you should, for instance, not listen to your wife's advice on approaching a dock, overshoot the end, crash the boat into the breakwater, and shear the entire bailer off the boat, you can still sail back across the lake without sinking. I know this for a fact.

[Toso]

Thanks for the cure, it's exactly what I was hoping for; the stress test is a bonus! Anytime I can replace metal with plastic on a sailboat, I'm a happy man. It seems so straightforward that I'm beginning to get nervous.....

I put in an email to DR and will undoubtedly order their self bailer. Once again, thanks for the help.

Toso

[GreenLake]

What kind of grease? Plumbers grease is silicone based, which is something to be careful of around boats, because silicone gets into the gelcoat and can make repairs (or paint jobs) impossible later.

If the "rubber" O-ring isn't actual natural rubber, and it shouldn't be, then vaseline would work. The job of the lubricant would not be in creating the seal, but in helping the O-ring slip into a position where it can make the seal.

[talbot]

I think Vaseline was recommended by the Sailing Center locally here. And yes, it's not a lot. Just a thin film.

My experience with D&R is that they are slower to respond to email than to phone calls.

[Roger]

they ship e-mail orders promptly however. No fuss, no muss, no conversation, just send the goods, you either want em or you don't is the sense I got.

[asabatelli]

I've got my nice new plastic self bailer, but can't for the life of me get the old one to budge. The brass hex piece had broken off, and there's just the big nut left, but I think it's pretty much fused to the threads. Any thoughts on how to get this puppy out? Given that it resides at the bottom of a depression makes it hard to get tools on it and to get torque.... I'm assuming that big nut just unscrews from the aluminum shaft in a normal, counter-clockwise direction...? Any insights appreciated....

[ChrisB]

My suggestion would be to use a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel and carefully cut the hex nut off of the bailer tube (being very careful not to cut the fiberglass deck). The nut could then be pried off and you should be able to get the bailer loose.

[asabatelli]

Thanks! Worked perfectly!