Anderson Bailer troubleshooting

[Randy Jones]

I've had no luck getting the anderson bailer on my CS17 (#157) to work.  When opened, the water flows into the boat instead of out.  I've tried it at speeds as high as 4.8 knots.  Everything is clean and moving smoothy. The bailer is installed with the opening to the stern and seems to extend fully downward.  The only potential cause that I see is that the bailer is installed just aft of the centerboard trunk and might be affected by turbulence from the board or the trunk opening. I would appreciate advice from those with similar experiences or sucessful installations. 

Thanks.

[brigait1]

I'm not the expert here so I will happily defer to others, but having seen Anderson bailers at work on other boats (but not on a Core Sound) I think you are exactly right. At 4.8 kts it should be sucking water out pretty energetically. The bailer works by creating a low pressure zone right at the back end of the unit that pulls the flap open and sucks out water from the cockpit. By placing it behind the centerboard it is not in a clean flow of water to create this pressure differential. The turbulence might be coming from the board itself or from the turbulence at the back end of the trunk opening. To test this you might try using it while running dead downwind with the centerboard all the way up. I suspect you will find that it works a bit better but probably not as well as it should. You might also consider a split gasket on the centerboard trunk opening to reduce the turbulence in the trunk. Probably the best thing to do is move the bailer forward to a position beside the CB trunk. IIRC Graham said something about placing it just forward of the middle mast step as that is the lowest point where water will collect first.

Good luck!

PeteB

[Tom Lathrop]

Randy,

I've been using Elvstrom and the Andersen bailers for over 40 years and they have always worked fine, even on Spindrift 10s', so speed is not your problem.   My guess is the same as Pete's.

[Terry Dunn]

Hi Randy,

My Anderson Bailer is located about even with the rear of the centerboard slot on the other side of the keel from the centerboard.

It takes a bit of speed to work but it sucks like crazy when I get up enough speed. Last year prior to the T200 I had had my center thwart off and had not sealed it properly. Lots of water squirting into the boat. In one place and out the bailer.

My son Brian and I had a running argument going because he did not like the sucking sound when the water emptied out so he would close the bailer. Then I would open it when we got a little water in the boat.

[Greg Luckett]

I saw on another thread that Graham's plan set shows a recommended place to install the bailer.  I have yet to look at it for my Spindrift 12 but the Anderson bailer came today and I need to figure it out now too.  Perhaps he shows it in your plan set?

[Tom Lathrop]

I saw on another thread that Graham's plan set shows a recommended place to install the bailer.  I have yet to look at it for my Spindrift 12 but the Anderson bailer came today and I need to figure it out now too.  Perhaps he shows it in your plan set?

The best place to install a bailer is near the center but not behind the CB or DB, on one side and under the thwart so you won't step on it, especially if you sail barefoot.  The sucking sound is music.

[Greg Luckett]

Tom, will it work to install it about 6 to 10 inches forward of the transom and about 4 inches outboard of the keel board?  This would be on a Spindrift 12 sloop and would put it inside the aft seat compartment.

Thanks 

PS, I still need to go look at that plan set again.  Will do now. :-[

[Randy Jones]

Thanks everyone.  I might due a little testing but I'm convinced that I need to move the bailer or be satisfied with using it as drain when the boat is on the trailer.  I will locate it to the side of the centerboard and under the seat as suggested once I work up the the courage to cut the hole.

[John Burritt]

Greg

Ideally the bailer should be at the lowest point in the bottom.  I'm guessing the location you're suggesting isn't the lowest spot.  Refer back to Tom's post.

[Greg Luckett]

I just finished looking through Graham's plan set for the Spindrift 12 and did not locate any mention of the bailer.  From the advice given here to Randy and myself, I am thinking somewhere under the dagger board slot thwart seat, in the hull between the c/b trunk and the hull/side panel chime...midway.  This may not be a good place either.  I am going to give B&B a quick call for Graham's advice.

Thanks all and Randy for allowing me to hijack his thread just a bit.

[Ken_Potts]

  Randy,

  My bailer is located below the center thwart and on the opposite side of the keelson from the CB trunk.  It works great.  Give Pete's suggestion a try and run downwind with the board up to see if the bailer bails (I think it will).  I think that will either give you the courage to cut the new hole and patch the old one.  You won't be taking spray on when you're running downwind so it makes sense to locate the bailer to suck the water out while the board is down.

  I located the bailer where I did for two reasons:  1.  I can reach it fairly easily when sailing and I won't step on it.  2.  I saw it located that way on somebone else's boat  ;D

  If there's water in the boat when I park it in its covered storage place I jack the tongue of the trailer up until the water is centered on the drain.

[Randy Jones]

I accepted a tow to get across the puget sound shipping lanes a few weeks ago during a calm.  Tested the bailer at 4 knots with the board up and it still didn't work.  This reinforces the theory that it is the bailer location relative to the trunk that is the problem.  I'll be moving the bailer.   

[JeffM]

My Anderson bailer is right beside the keelson on the opposite side to the centerboard.  I've long been dissatisfied with it until I learned by observation that it needs a quite specific speed: just over 5kt.  Much above 5kt and it sucks so hard you can hear it.  Until I pass 5kt I don't open it.  At lower speeds it will take in water, but not so fast that I have to pay attention to it if my speed keeps changing.  Below 5kt I suppose you don't get much spray, but of course if its raining...

[wkisting]

My bailer is located under the thwart, right next to the keelson, but offset to the opposite side as the CB. It works great at speeds above 3.5 kts, but will let small amounts of water in at slower speeds if it isn't shut tightly. Look at the first picture at this link and you can see where mine is located: http://www.roguepaddler.com/cs20t.htm   I think this is the ideal location because its position under the thwart protects it from getting kicked or bumped by gear. The water collects slightly further forward, but it can be pushed toward the bailer gently with your hand quite conveniently, or you can use a cheap squeegee scraper (the kind used for drying the glass panels in a shower) for an even easier time getting every last drop to go down and out the bailer.

Greg, I think one of your posts above asked about locating the bailer in an aft seat compartment, but this would defeat the point of the bailer, as it is for bilge water in the cockpit. Or perhaps I'm misunderstanding what you were asking. I would locate it as close to the centerline as possible without cutting into the keelson, and definitely offset to the opposite side as the CB or you're asking for trouble.

[Greg Luckett]

What did you use for bedding compound? I am considering some of that 5200 stuff but am not sure. I have made a long habit of never putting any sort of through hull fittings in, until now with this bailer, which I am still wondering about.  It is my mantra, "Through hulls sink boats".   As a result, I do not know how to install any.

[Greg Luckett]

I prefer 4200 for this.  Still very watertight but easier to remove when needed.

I would have no worries over an installed Anderson sinking a CS series.

Ray, I happen to have a tube of the 5200 that was opened last evening and will go bad soon, but not any of the 4200. Will the 5200 work okay?

[Greg Luckett]

I could make an epoxy mix with a filler too, for bedding.  I wonder if that might be better?

[John Burritt]

5200 would be better than epoxy.  The 5200 can be talked into releasing w/ a bit of heat.  Would be harder w/ epoxy.  I might even consider a regular sealant.  The screws & nuts will hold it in place.