Pump test: No more pumping! - Two bilge pumps compared

This summer it was so rainy and damp at times that many a tarpaulin failed to provide reliable service. As a result, the rainwater in one or two of the boats - as well as in the Verlags-Schwertzugvogel - sloshed up to the floorboards (or even beyond). Anyone who was then allowed to spend an hour on the Pütz in the most beautiful sunshine instead of enjoying a marvellous after-work tour of the lake will be happy to have other solutions. We have tested these and are delighted.

• Lifehacks: The 10 best tricks in the rain

For just €16.50, the cordless screwdriver pump from Wolfcraft, available exclusively from Bauhaus, offers maximum flexibility with a delivery rate of 3,000 litres per hour. Garden hoses can be attached to the compact device using separately available hose couplings (¾", 19 mm). The maximum suction height is four metres and the delivery height is up to 24 metres, depending on the hose diameter and power of the cordless screwdriver. For frequent use, it is recommended that the pump is mounted on a board. It took ten minutes to prime the pump, 50 minutes less than the labour-intensive pumping.

The powerful Einhell Power X-Change 18V GE-DP 18/25 LL Li-Solo dirty water pump (99.99 euros) with 160 watts of power, a flow rate of 7,000 litres per hour and a replaceable 18 V battery, which, like the charger, is not included in the scope of delivery, is even faster. The submersible pump has two performance levels. The delivery rate at maximum power has fire brigade jet qualities, the boat was pumped dry in four minutes. Wednesday regatta instead of scooping water is a great thing.

The tested pumps in detail:

Wolfcraft pump, 3,000 l/h

Thanks to garden hose adapters, the pump can be assembled in a flash. Connection of the cordless screwdriver via an eight millimetre thick shaft. Advantage: With their small diameters, the hoses also fit into the narrowest bilges. The stronger the screwdriver, the greater the flow rate.

Einhell Power X-Change, 7,000 l/h

The carrying handles make it easy to transport the 3.3-kilogram appliance. The Einhell pump is equipped with a 42 millimetre (1 ¼") pressure connection and is supplied with an adapter for 25/32 millimetre hoses. One disadvantage: the diameter of the pump is quite large at just under 18 centimetres

This might also interest you:

• Navigation on the wrist: smartwatches for sailors put to the test
• Leak detection: How to find and repair small leaks
• Equipment recycling: every sailor should use these green alternatives