Compass

I took the compass out of the binnacle a few weeks ago to explore why the oil has leaked out. It turns out that the plastic dome has fractured around the joint to the bowl. The compass is a Ritchie D-615 which lists for around $1800 new. Soooo, I called the factory for replacement parts today. Cost so far: $55.

Bilge Pump Update

At this point I have replaced all of the bilge pump hoses and fittings, and rebuilt the pump with new gaskets, and cleaned everything up. The pump still won't prime. The pump in question is a solid vane type, and it's probably too high above the water level for it's specs (it's only rated at 20"). My next plan is to get a Water Puppy flexible vane pump which is reputed to prime up to 4 feet above the water level. This is the type of pump that was installed before I replaced it 3-4 years ago. Now I know why...