Emergency and Convenience Bilge Pumps
A good bilge system has layers. Queen of Hearts already has a Whale Gusher Titan manual pump accessible from the cockpit. Beyond that, I wanted two automatic pumps: a low-level convenience pump to keep the bilge dry day-to-day, and a high-capacity pump higher up that only kicks in if water rises past the first pump.
The Convenience Pump
The low-level pump is a Jabsco diaphragm pump controlled by a Water Witch solid-state sensor. The Water Witch uses conductivity to detect water with no moving parts, no float to stick or corrode. It sits at the lowest point of the bilge to pull out as much water as possible.
Water Witch sensor at the bilge low point, wired to the Jabsco pump.
When the convenience pump runs, it triggers a relay on the Cortex, which sends a push notification to the Cortex monitoring app. A quick pump cycle in normal conditions is expected. Repeated cycling while at the dock or underway is worth knowing about.
Jabsco diaphragm pump, mounted remotely in the bilge.
The High-Water Pump
The high-capacity pump is an Attwood Sahara MK2 S1200, mounted significantly higher in the bilge than the convenience pump. It has its own internal float switch and only activates if the water level rises past where the convenience pump should have handled it. At 1200 GPH, it moves a lot of water fast.
| Model | Attwood Sahara MK2 S1200 |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 1200 GPH |
| Trigger | Internal float switch |
| Voltage | 12V DC |
| Mount position | Higher in bilge |
Discharge
Each pump discharges through its own vented loop and exits above the waterline on the starboard side. Separate discharge lines keep each pump independent: if one line has an issue, the other is unaffected.