I have recently bought a new hand bilge pump and I am wondering where to fix it to my canoe. My first thought was to strap it to the back deck but then it would be in the way of climbing in over the back deck. Fixing it into the cockpit works well but but impossible to get at if you are still in the cockpit!

I've seen them under bungees on front decks and back decks. I've always kept mine in the cockpit, jammed between the side of the seat and the hull--it is accessable to me there. Could also put it into a knee tube affixed to the underside of the deck just forward of the cockpit.

I strap mine to the back deck. I carry it all the time. I haven't had to use it for myself much, but has come in handy when assisting others. (Also easy to get to for those water cannon battles that seem to happen often in our Florida heat)

I also keep mine by the seat and inside cockpit. I used to keep mine under the front straps, but a good size wave cleared by deck one day. I no longer keep anything on my deck.

I wonder if Strange Magic could describe a knee tube. I like the idea of fixing it into the cockpit somewhere and a knee tube sounds interesting but I have never seen or heard of one before.
I have made a mental note not to go out canoeing with Happy Paddler as I am a bit of wimp when it comes to water cannon battles and my cannon would be stuck in the cockpit anyway!

Drifter, a knee tube is any piece of pipe (often PVC) of any appropriate diameter, that is affixed inside the boat to the underside of the deck just before the cockpit. The forward end is closed (capped). It utilizes the unused space there for storage of whatever--water bottle, lunch, anything that will fit into the tube. Some people glass theirs into position; you could also use straps bolted into place--whatever works. I think the Brits invented them. The tube shouldn't be so big as to interfere with getting in or out of the boat, but big enough to hold enough to make it worthwhile. Any length that will work. Good luck.

Thanks for the information Strange Magic. When you mentioned the knee tubes at first I had visions of a sort of sock like thing made of stretchy material and not a rigid pvc tube. However now that my poor brain is slowly starting to function I can visualize a sort of tube made out of flexible pvc cloth which I could fix under the deck and I think, for me, that might work quite well. Thanks for the help
Harry

Harry, check this out: http://www.kayakforum.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/guille/wiki.pl?Knee_Tubes_And_Shelves

Carl

Thanks Carl, Everything you ever wanted to know about tubes and shelves!
Harry

If you paddle rough water and are serious about you're paddling ,drifter ,I would go for an electric bilge pump .Those hand pumps are bloody useless if you are trying to empty a half cockpit of water out .Get into trouble in rough conditions and you want to get out of there in a hurry,hit the pump switch and get paddling ,lot better than sitting there with a hand pump for 10 minutes.Try an experiment,capsize your boat ,right it again and try pumping it out with a hand pump,while sitting in the cockpit.Electric are more expensive sure, and can be a pain in the butt to fit but well worth the effort.

You're right about the time it takes to pump out the cockpit. I did practice "self rescue" with my new boat. An electric bilge pump in deep or swift water would be a great advantage!

One thing I discovered about my new boat, is if water is shallow enough for me to stand, while boat inverted, lift the bow and cockpit is totally empty then do the re-entry. This technique is used in deep water too with a partner. Just means you're in the water a little longer. Beats pumping!

My previous more rec style boat had lots of room behind the seat, so this technique was not as effective, but love it for the sea kayak.

Re: where to put bilge pump, after practicing a few times, for me, the front deck worked best. Does not interfere with re-entry.

Like others here, my pump is betw. the seat and the side.

If I need it, well, chances are I'm already out of my boat! and if others need pumping out I can either use theirs or pop the skirt and retrieve mine (depending on conditions & which is easier). If conditions are rough or have precarious obstacles, the first order of business is to get the paddler away to calmer waters and then worry about pumping out.

Totally agree w. Deb about the efficacy of inverting the boat at the takeout - so much faster and easier than pumping out. I never use a pump for that anymore. It can also be done solo in deep water w. practice which, for me, means bobbing underwater and then kicking up w. enough force to bring the bow clear of the water (I'm a small person).

I have yet to use a boat w. an electric pump. My first thoughts were that it would add weight not always needed, and, to depend on something electric has its own disadvantages. The people I know w. an electric pump carry a manual bilge pump as a backup.
Again, conditions vary as do preparation, and my observation is not intended to criticize anyone's protocol.

My main paddling partner installed a non electric foot pump. When he capsized (intentionally)and wet exited, we did a T rescue. Then it was his turn to pump. It took a lot of repeated pumping motions to get the cockpit fairly clear of water (he has a Tempest 165 & is a compact muscular man). FWIW he thought it was pretty tiring to his right leg and it took about as long as manually pumping out. The advantage of course was "Look Ma, no hands!" and he could secure his skirt much sooner.

There are many ways to skin a cat or pump out a kayak.

The other thing to keep in mind is that if it's rough enough to make you capsize and use your bilge pump,it will be rough enough to have water sloshing into your cockpit while you try to manually pump it out without your spray deck on.We do regular training days on rescues and generally after the 2nd one ,people fit an electric bilge pump,total weight would be less than a kilo,fit it either behind your set and put the waterproof battery box in the back compartment ,or at the front of the cockpit if you have a pod seat or not enough room at the back and put the battery box in the front compartment attached to the bulkhead.Put a magnetic reed switch and magnet on the deck near the cockpit and ensure everything is sealed and soldered ,and you will get years of trouble free use .I use a 1.2 amphour battery and I will get 30 full cockpit pumpouts of it ,just regularly recharge it and use a low amperage charger or you'll destroy the battery.

I just put an electric bilge pump from Bluewaterkayakworks.com in my NDK Explorer. Weighs about three pounds; has a lithium battery; magnetic switch on the first deck bungee.

Outstanding! As I almost always paddle solo, it's nice to be able to simply put my spray skirt on while doing my re-enter-and-roll, then turn the pump on when upright, with the skirt on. I can paddle and brace while it pumps out. Absolutely worth it. The kayak is already heavy; what's three more pounds? Could save your life. (I carry a manual as back-up, secured on the underside of the deck in a mini-cell sleeve attached with adhesive. I use the Harmony pump, as the float is a smooth cylinder running the length of the pump, making it much easier to secure in a sleeve like this).

Illusion,
Where in your Explorer did you place the electric pump and the battery?