: Hi All,

: I was down at the local Radio Shack yesterday looking for the bits and pieces
: needed to hook up an electric pump in my kayak.

I got a book from Radio Shack a few years ago which had a circuit for a water actuated switch. (I believe the author was Forest Mims III) The electronic components can be encapsulated, leaving just a simple probe exposed. Set the probe 1/16th to 1/4 of an inch above the bottom of the boat and when you get water inside, the pump will turn on.

And another thought: My local Ace hardware store sells replacement parts for sump pumps, including submersible switches which can handle 10 to 15 amps of 120 volt ac. There are many varieties of such switches, so there are many available parts. Mercury switches and caged ball switches (some with floats attached) might be useful, but I suspect wave action would set them off even if the bilge was bone dry.

Hope this helps.

Paul G. Jacobson