1997 Sailfish 272 Aft Bilge Pump Access

[Richard1572]

Anyone with a late 90's 272 Sailfish ever replace their aft bilge pump and float switch? If so, how did you access it? From the hatch opening to the bilge is 36” and even standing on my head in the hatch I can’t even touch the top of the pump much less get to the pump. Actually, the pump works fine manually but the float switch is bad. I need to replace it but its even harder to access than the pump as its aft of and behind the pump.

The only thing I can possibly think of is cutting the wires to the float switch, just leaving the old one there and relocating the new float switch further forward where I can access the bilge through the cockpit floor instead of the raised aft seating.

Open to ideas and suggestions. I did ask my brother if I could stick his 10-year-old kid down there and that didn’t go over well.

 

[seasick]

Before you go nuts, I believe that the 12v feed for manual operation and auto operation are different. The manual feed comes through the accessory bus at the helm usually whereas the auto feed is wired directly to a battery using an in-line fuse. Since the manual mode works, the common ground is good. Just make sure that the 12v wiring and fuse are good. The float switches do go bad but a lot less often than the pumps.

 

[Richard1572]

Good suggestion, I'll see if I can chase down the direct wiring and fuse.

Thanks!

 

[Richard1572]

Looks like you may be on to something. I traced the wiring and found this. It’s behind the battery switches but still a lot easier to get to than the switch itself.

 

[Richard1572]

Well, that did the trick. I spliced in 3 inches or so of new wire with heat shrink butt connectors, replaced the fuse which was blown and put the hose in the bilge and she started peeing with all the battery switches off as she should.

Thank you! Save me a day or more of misery or maybe even death from positional asphyxiation.

 

[seasick]

My pleasure. Every once in a while even a blind dog finds the hydrant.

 

[TopsulTime]

My bilge pump and float switch were replaced this yr just before I bought her but I'm going to add a 2nd pump back there (my last boat had 3). Considering the access on '05s my plan is to fabricate a length of pvc pipe with the pump attached to the end and the top end of the pipe affixed near the batteries.