Crash pump setup - what do you have?

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David Jade

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Sep 12, 2025, 6:51:13 PMSep 12
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If you have a crash pump or a pump in a bucket kit, could you please share some details?

 

I’ve done a bit of research and I’m torn between something like the Rule Evacuator 7700 12v utility pump system, which is sort of designed for this scenario or just getting a large 120V continuous duty submergible pump in the 6000+ GPH range. I am a bit skeptical that the Rule pump would work any better as all pumps seem limited by head pressure (i.e. how far up and away the water can be pumped out).

 

For instance the 7700 GPH Rule Evacuator pump drops to below 4000 GPM with a meager 6ft rise, basically the minimum I think necessary to get the water from the floorboards to outside the boat. Some submergible 120V pumps seem to be able to do much better, some well over 6000 GPH with a 10ft hose rise. And they can do much better with debris that is likely to be in the water as well.

 

120V power for such a pump on our boat would last nearly a day if I can keep the batteries dry – limited only by fuel if we can keep the engine dry.

 

What have you done, if you’ve put together a crash pump kit?

 

For reference, a 2 inch hole 4ft below the waterline lets in approximately 9400 GPH – yikes!

 

David             _/)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Edward Schmidt

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Sep 13, 2025, 7:12:38 AMSep 13
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David, I volunteer at local marina mostly rigging sailboats etc. In emergencies we use a 120 volt fully submersible high volume sump pump. Has never clogged completely as it has 3/4 inch mesh cage. It will lift up to about 12 feet no problem. It uses 2 inch poly exhaust hose that we can extend up to 25 feet if needed, as sometimes we use siphon action as well. The only more vigorous apparatus I have seen are the pumps the fire department utilizes.
Sandy Schmidt sv ETOS J-42 # 66

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John Plominski

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Sep 14, 2025, 8:50:40 AMSep 14
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I started carrying a portable 12V "High capacity" pump for offshore things like the Bermuda race.  I cut the cigarette lighter outlet end off and added some heavy duty alligator clips.  The plan is to start the engine, connect to the starting battery (that is most accessible for me, J40 #79 has the engine under the sink and starting battery under companionway steps), and drop the intake in the aft bilge under the engine bed and outlet into the cockpit.  It lives in a 12x18" ditty bag in the bottom of the aft cabin hanging locker.  The ditty bag allows it to be tossed to another boat pretty easily.  The pump was around $180 a couple of years ago.  This was the highest capacity I could find that runs on 12V.  If you have AC power as an option I would definitely opt for that.

Todd Stevens

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Sep 14, 2025, 1:39:50 PMSep 14
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Yeah, I would look askance at a cigarette plug on one of these things.  Because of the way they’re wired, my J/42 had a huge voltage drop on the CP outlets, but that may have partly been a PO folly.  Make sure your wiring is up to snuff to run one of those pumps at full power.

Todd
J/42 Wild

Ken austin

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Sep 14, 2025, 7:53:51 PMSep 14
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A non wired /eelctric alternative is the Edson manual pumps that can operate at 18 or 30gph.
Expensive but work well as I recently tested in a non emergency situation while cruising :

Ken 
SV Mimosa J-40 located in New Caledonia


Joe Murli

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Sep 14, 2025, 10:17:35 PMSep 14
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I have the Edson hand pump. Each stroke in each direction is a gallon of water overboard.  I wouldn’t go offshore without it 
Joe
Sirena Bella

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On Sep 14, 2025, at 7:53 PM, Ken austin <kdau...@gmail.com> wrote:

A non wired /eelctric alternative is the Edson manual pumps that can operate at 18 or 30gph.

Todd Stevens

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Sep 15, 2025, 12:40:23 AMSep 15
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I thought about this a bit.  
It seems like the purpose of a crash pump is to buy time to fix major damage, get to the beach, wait for help, or to prepare to abandon ship.  The regular bilge pumps should handle non-catastrophic water ingress.  
But in case of single- or short-handed sailing, if you’re stuck manning a manual pump, you are unable to deal with damage, drive the boat, summon help, or deploy gear. You’re stuck at the handle, fighting a possibly loosing battle.  A powered and possibly pre-rigged automatic pump is the only thing that would have a chance of helping. 
Earlier this year, I saw a boat that lost its stern tube, within the harbor. I think they had four guys on board, crash pump at hand, and even then it was a close thing.  
Todd
J/42 Wild

David Jade

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Sep 15, 2025, 9:33:51 AMSep 15
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My thoughts too - if we’re manning the manual pumps we’re not doing much else.

 

Our J/46 does have two manual pumps installed (not as high capacity as the Edson), one has an extension hose to put it where you need it. But with typically just the two of us, they will never be the primary option for us. As much capacity as the Edson pump has, we could probably exceed that with a large sump pump and it won’t get tired arms after pumping for 20 minutes.

 

A friend of a friend broke one of their cockpit drain hoses and had to be rescued this summer (somewhere near Maine). Hearing about that and seeing their videos has bumped this up my priority list. They had no idea for a long time where the water was coming from by the time it got above the cabin floor boards.

 

On our J/46, those two deck drain tubes and all the stuff we tend to put in those aft lockers always worries me a bit. How long would it take to notice and figure out even where the water was coming from by the time it reached the bilge or flooded the cabin sole?

 

Which reminds me of another task – adding an audible bilge alarm.

 

David             _/)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

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