The BitterEnd That's Alarming! By Captain J. Gary "Gator" Hill
High water alarm and bilge pump. Photo by Captain J. Gary Hill
W
hen should you be alarmed? Sounds like a trick or loaded question right? But let us apply Occam’s Razor here, which basically states that the simplest answer most often is correct. Therefore, when you should be alarmed is when the alarm goes off! And so, here we go again folks, down another twisted path that leads to one of Gator’s rabbit holes. Alarms come in all styles; some are physical, some mental and some are even psychological. Have you met someone and instantly an alarm went off in your head saying, “Stay away! Dangerous! Bunny burner! Womanizer!” We’ve all had those. Although I could go down a laundry list of types of people who trigger alarms, I guess I’m here impart some boating wisdom, instead. Boats have a myriad of alarms, from internal engine alarms to external alarms, as well as other systems. These can be audible or visual. The newer and more sophisticated the vessel, the more alarms you’re likely to have. (I’m not trying to sound condescending; I know many of you know these things. This one is for the new boaters among us.) Given that I don’t have pages and pages of space available for this, I better cut to the chase. As vessels get older, a couple of things can occur. One such thing is that alarms can either become nonfunctional or become erratic and inaccurate. Oftentimes when people buy used boats (which accounts for a great many of us) they may not even be aware of what alarms should work or even exist on their “new” vessel. Having someone knowledgeable in these things to consult can save a great deal of money or even a life. Spend a few dollars to either have a survey done, or take it to a competent marine shop. If you know someone you can trust your and your family’s lives with, then have them assist you. Center consoles with outboards are the most common personal boats here in the lowcountry. First, make sure your oil alarms are in proper working order. Then move on to temperature alarms and gauges; if they’re nonfunctional, get them fixed, or replaced. If that’s not an option then stay vigilant, as either of those can leave you stranded, costing you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Bilge pumps with high water alarms are another extremely
important set of devices. Making sure these work before each trip is one of the most important things you can check. Some bilge pumps come with built in floats that trigger the pump to engage, but most often the high water alarm is a separate piece of equipment. They are usually installed at a higher level but not so great that you have a considerable amount of water in your boat before it is triggered. The subject of bilge pumps could be an entire article but some online research should assist you with the proper workings. Let me also offer this handy reminder: make sure your visual aids work and reference them regularly while running your boat. A routine of systematically scanning your gauges is a good habit. I’d like to add one more word about gauges: use mechanical gauges as they tend to be much more accurate. For bigger vessels much of the same applies. Again check your bilges and highwater alarms religiously. As the size of the boat increases, so do bilge spaces and water line diameters, especially those that bring raw water into the engine for cooling. Some of these water lines can be in excess of two inches, and a two-inch line that blows can overwhelm most bilge pumps in very short order. So a highwater alarm can give advance notice something major is about to occur and give you those moments you need to avert a disaster. Well that’s about all I have for this month. May your new year be filled with love, health and blessings! As always, peace and love, shrimp and grits … I'll see you on the water!
Email: TheOriginalCaptainGator@gmail.com
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Southern Tides Magazine
January 2021
