IHBA has a new requirement.  because of past events IHBA now requires all race boats to have a bildge pump.  this rule is now in effect and will be checked for at Phoenix.  It is suggested that the discharge is out the back side of the boat.  this will be in view of the starter.  if you have excess water pumping out he can notify tech and they will notify you that you have a water problem. This should be a win win thing.  Mike IHBA tech

Phoenix race is coming up, we expect a big turn out of boats. Tech should be set up at the end of the tract next to my motorhome.  same place it was last year.  send someone up early to get your tech sheet and any contingency stickers you may need.  when you come to tech, come ready.  have all your contingency stickers on, have your tech sheet fill out, (both sides) have you helmet and jacket out ready to inspect.  make sure your fire extingisher is in the back of the tow vehicle. Capsules, have your steering hatch open,  have the number and class on the front and back windows.  I know most of you do come prepaired for tech and we at tech do appreciate that.  we won't make the racers that are ready for tech wait for the racers that aren't.  If you don't have everything ready, we will send you to the back of the line. get teched as soon as you can. "you can still get tech if the boat isn't ready."  example.  the motor won't start, the driver isn't here.  we can tech everything but that or other things.  then we can finish it later and it only takes a short time because we have checked everything else.  don't wait until qualifing day to get tech.  we may be busy and hard to get hold of.  looking foward to a great race.  we will tech starting wed 1PM until dark or no one is in line.  thursdays starting 8am til dark or announced. (normally no one show up early on thursday. good time to tech with no line.) come early and have coffee with me.   Mike tech director.

Thanks for the info i will add a pump to my boat before then.Dont worry about me i'll have my tech sheet and all gear ready to show to help you speed up the process once again.

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Whos Cheatin Who #004 pce(ihba),comp flat(njba)for 06 season

That's one of the best rules I have heard yet. I could name about a 1/2 dozen boats that probably would not have sunk if they had a bilge pump. It ruins that teams weekend and is a show stopper. Way to go.

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For IHBA Rescue Sponsorship Package

Mike can we move this to tech and get Daune to keep it on top so everyone can see it and it does not get buried. Thanks for the info.Wonder if we can use it to put out our fires LOL. CYA in phoenix thanks

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Juan Blanco

Mike I have to agree that is a great rule we have been running one since I started and people just laugh.  But it has pulled us out of a few problems.  And then again in Marble a couple of years ago it could not keep up with the amount of water coming over the side of the boat bad jet ski personal.  But guess after the boat was drug from the bottom and set up on the in ramp the pump was still pumping a steady stream even after being the boat being down a half hour plus.

Maybe other orgs should look into this

Ok John the topic has been moved and I must say wow it took 10 years to become a rule!!!

 

Don't read this wrong but we did this in the ADBA and it is only a $30 plus investment to prevent a higher price tag replacing all the electric componets on your boat. Depending on which you choose there are pumps that have capacity from 500 to 2000 gph and to use Greg mishap in Marble Falls a bilge pump might have prevented him from sinking. It would have helped Jerry for sure last year at the World Finals.

 

I noticed in SD that Eddie has had a bilge pump in his boat for a while now atleast some still have common sense.

 

 

Also why not put one in the rescue boats two!!! Granted it a little late if they need to use one but it will help get the boat out of the water quicker. Just take a little gel cell 12 volt battery tie to a pump and toss it in the boat while under tow to the ramp.

 

Here's a link of a simple automatic bilge that's 40 bucks (ATT S-500).   

Mike and/or Duane,

(In my opinion) it would be advisable to post this new rule to the IHBAracing.com website...

What do you think???

Thanks for the "heads-up"

Mike what's that??? Just kidding but neither mIke or I have anything to do with what gets posted there. I am sure their webmaster will post it when he gets around to it.

Vince, Attwood makes some good pumps, however I don't think there is a longer lasting or more reliable bilge pump then the ones made by Rule. All mine have out lived my Attwood's. http://www.rule-industries.com/

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I LOVE THE SMELL OF NITRO BURNING ON THE COOSA & SAVANNAH

                                      God Bless Our Troops

Someone just Posted over on the Hot Boat Forum, in the 'Just Jets' Section, that they had spoken to Tiffiny @ IHBA and she had said that if it, the notice of the 'New Rule', wasn't on the IHBA Website then, it wouldn't be in effect until after The WF's ...

Someone might want to straighten this out before a bunch of 'Jetters', and some others, show up @ Tech w/o bilge pumps and Mike has his hands full ...

Just a thought.   

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Well Jake I can say it was the real Mike Isham who posted the information and he is the officail IHBA Tech, just to clear the air

Admin - We have no problem with Mike saying everyone should have a bilge pump ... Was just relaying some of the nonsense over on Hot Boat that could cause some confusion and Mike some 'Hassle'.

it's ok with me if stoker doesn't wanna install a bilge pump

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bp

Jake I hope you did not take my post wrong, I understood what you where sharing. My response was more to the line if I was to post over there that is what I would say.

No problem ... Understood and think its been pretty much taken care of 'over there' ... If they choose not to have a pump then, its 'Their Fun' with Maniac Mike .......

Jak (like Jack w/o the c ... have no idea just who this 'Jake' guy is, but, I've been called far worse in my lifetime.)

Ok Jak sorry for the spelling error I guess Jake the son of Hos was on my typing fingers lol

 

Ok here is the deal and it is straight from the IHBA per Nancy from Charlie.

 

The bilge pump will be mandated in 2007 so attend the annual meeting in Vegas if you have any question. Second it is extremely recommended for the World Finals and will be inspected, (those who have them move to the front of the line... just kidding)

 

Third did anyone read Charlie's article in the Liquid Quarter Mile, even Charlie thought it was common sense to have a bilge pump.  

yep.

Hell i even got one, and it works lol.

Another thing, along the bilge pump line. When we get a call or come up on a boat that is taking on water,  Many times, a jetski is already towing him, which will delay his sinking but he may not make it all the way to the ramp. If we stop the jetski, because we have to put a diver in the water to wrap the winch around the clamshell, the boat sinks immediately and it's a "flip of the coin" whether we can get him hooked in time or not.

On the other hand, if there was a lifting point, high on the engine, out of harms way, we could just snap a hook on it, even while it's being towed. I can't tell you how many times this scenario has played out. It just makes everybody sick when one of these boats goes under and pretty much eliminates them from the race.

I am not proposing a rule change or anything, and it would need to be approved by your association. I'm just stating my opinion about what I have observed.

I agree Scotty. Once these toys get wet they like to roll over an play possum.  And they don't like getting off their backs.  If we had the lift point then 9 times out of 10 we could have the boat back up on the surface pretty quickly.  A centralized lifting point would be a lot faster than hooking the zommies or using the blower straps.  That time that we could save getting it back up would give the teams a little more time to get their ride ready for another round.  But to stay on topic the bidgle pumps are a great idea.  I have seen a few with Two pumps, one on each side.  This is only my opinion but they have kept that boat on top of the water almost every race I have seen them run. 

Well Greg you do have lift points, rudder, v-drive and headers and with the right nylon slings you can hook quickly and without damaging the boat or the fuel systems plumbing.

With the spider boat it was designed to use the 8000 lb which through the center pulley straight down the middle. With the pontoons spread out this gives you and 12 foot stance to straddle any boat. I use to hook to the rudder with a nylon sling the winch cable this prevented damage to the hardware and then take the smaller 3000 lb winch and it went over the front boom to hook to the bow of the boat and I was able to then just set the boat down on the trailer. I never had a boat sink, sunk a few but when I had a call that a boat was taken on water I was there before it sank. Now recovering a sank but I always hooked the nylon sling to the v-drive which is the balance point for most boats and then floated it to the trailer while my portable bilge pump pumped out the water.

Now I whole heartily agree with Scotty about having eye at the rudder that is designed for hooking the cable directly too. This would make the hook quicker even if the boat is going down you could hook it before it goes all the way down.

Something like this would be nice:

 

 

There are plenty of places to hook to, I agree with that.  But if the boat has turned over when it sank it is hard to avoid damage to the boat.  We can and have done it but it takes time.  Sometimes a lot of it.  time that the crew could be using to get the boat ready for the next round.  We do everything we can to avoid causing any damage to the equipment.  A lifting point high on the motor that we could get to when the boat had rolled over would make thing a lot easier.  If we hook to the V-Drive when it is upside down a lot of stuff an get torn up.  Depending on the attitude of the boat the cable/strap can press (hard) against the capsule, hat, fuel lines, fuel tank and a bunch of other expensive looking stuff that I have no clue what it is.  But when it a boat is laying upside down on the bottom it's kind of hard to hook it to the headers, and the rudder would leave it upside down.  Now I know you have been around this longer than me.  But I am not a rookie and have seen a lot of "unique" Situations the past few years that would argue for an additional lift point.  And the Spider works great.  But I think we would like an easier way to roll one back over.  But as Hos might say, put what every you what on you stuff.  We'll pull it up however we have to. 

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Keep it on the right side of the water

We do have zoomie straps and straps for hooking onto the blower eyes. Every situation is unique and sometimes one way works better than another and it varies greatly from boat to boat.

My main point was more from a preventative standpoint. We would much prefer to get it on the trailer dry.