Boat in the water / bilge pump killing battery

How long is it going between charges? Most bilge pumps should draw a low amount of juice. Are you sure you battery isnt going bad?

What about the switch for the bilge pump? is it cutting on/off properly or running too much?

What about a mooring cover to shed water?

mooring shed not possible, pump seems to be in working order. This happened twice with all the bad weather we've had. A day after I pump the bilge with the jumper solar panel has battery fully charged and boat starts no prob. Wondering if there is anything I need to add to help hold charge?

Have you checked your sacrificial anode recently.

You might have corrosion that caused a short.

sounds to me like your battery is getting weak...

Pretty sure it's 12 w. Have a 5 w that was on it before and thought it was too small but am having the same issue at 12 w

I've got a similar problem. Pulled my plug the other day after fishing and rinsing out my boat and a good bit of water poured out. I've got my bilge hot wired to a battery so it comes on automatically but it wasn't working. I flipped the bilge swith to manual and it started pumping so I figured either the float was stuck or a bad connection on the hot wire. Well, I tow the boat home and when I get home I go around my boat to get something and the bilge is running. Checked the switch and it was off. Flipped it on and then off and it stopped. Guess the float is sticking on and off?