News

The mild climate of Florida winters allows for year-round fishing opportunities. With average water and air temperatures in the low to mid 70s, Florida is the perfect winter location for a saltwater sport fishing trip or inland lake or river excursion. Many native and exotic fish make Florida waters their home, and in winter, Redfish, Snook, Spanish Mackerel, Tarpon, Bonefish, Sailfish, Sheepshead, and Tripletail are likely catches! 

Do you struggle with odor in your boat’s cabin, despite using air fresheners or deodorizers?  The source of your unwelcome odor could be coming from standing water in your boat’s bilge.  Even a few inches of water can grow algae, mold, algae, or organic matter.  A clean and dry bilge is crucial to keep odors at bay.

A "dry bilge system" refers to a low-volume pump system designed to remove the last few inches of standing water from a boat's bilge, minimizing moisture-related issues like odors, mold, mildew, and corrosion.  The primary function of a dry bilge system is to keep a boat's bilge area as dry as possible to reduce or eliminate excess moisture.  Almost every bilge has some level of standing water, as even the best designed bilge pump is limited by size and placement and leaves a small amount of water around the intake.  While traditional bilge pumps are designed for high-volume water removal in emergencies, dry bilge systems are focused on continuous, low-volume operation to maintain a dry bilge environment.

It’s winter – why should I think about a Dry Bilge System? Winter shrink wrapping can create the perfect condition for bilge condensation and moisture, since weatherproof polyethylene is not self-ventilating. Water can enter an outdoor covered boat through:

• Leaks around windows, hatches, worn seals, consoles, thru-hulls or other openings
• Rain entering open vents, unsealed areas, anchor lockers, rod holders, or other outside drains
•  Seepage through cracks or minor damage in the hull
• Water from melting snow draining into the bilge

Neglected bilge water from the winter months can lead to bacteria thriving in the dark, damp bilge compartment, which results in persistent cabin odors, extra cleaning, mold, mildew and corrosion on mechanical and electrical equipment.  Midwinter is the best time to start thinking about adding a dry bilge system solution to your spring commissioning checklist.  The BILGE-B-DRY, Dry Bilge System can help remove every last inch of water from your bilge to get to the source of cabin odor, mold, mildew and corrosion!