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Ensign Sailing Forum

Need a way to determine orientation of bilge floor...
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Hi Joe
If you are going to cut out the glass layer covering the bilge well, have you considered putting the bilge pump at the bottom of the well and leaving the well open?
If you do that you can also put a drain hole in the bottom of the bilge well and drain the water out when the boat is in the trailer. 
You can see the details in the article on “Ensign keel drain plug” in the Boat maintenance and repair section on the website. 

Jonathan Gorbold
Questar 1226. 

Sent from my iPhone

Level the boat side to side using a long level across the toe rail at the bow. Jack up and block the trailer at the wheels.

Use the tongue jack to level the boat fore and aft using a long level and the waterline.

Assign whatever angle afterwards for the G10.

I'm planning to cutout a section of the bilge floor closest to the vertical baffle aft of the main hatch. Besides inspecting to see how things look in there, I would like to glass in a couple layers of G10 laminate slightly recessed from the main bilge floor to use this sunken area to mount my bilge pump. This will ensure that I get the majority of the bilge dry with the pump and float switch at a lower level. The boat is currently sitting on a trailer.


My question is this, what reference can I use to adjust the trailer that will simulate the boat sitting in the water to determine if the bilge floor is pitched or level and know how to set the G10 pieces level or at least pitching towards the pickup point of the pump?


Hope this makes sense and looking forward to any advice from the group.

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