Turn Your Engine Into a Bilge Pump

If your bilge pumps get knocked out and the boat is filling up, remember this: By re-plumbing your engine’s raw-water pump, it is possible to take water from the bilge and pump it overboard.

Simply detach the raw-water intake hose from its sea cock (after closing the sea cock) and plunge it into the bilge. Start your engine and monitor the water level, to be sure your engine has plenty of cooling water.

Be Sure to put some kind of screen or strainer over the raw water pump suction hose, to avoid plugging.