Bailing (boats)

Bailing is the process of removing water from a vessel.

A hand bailer is a device used for manually removing water which has entered a vessel.

In the simplest case, it is merely a smaller container which can be filled and then emptied.

This kind of device has been in use since early times.

Self-bailing boats are shaped so that they will drain completely if filled with water; powered by the venturi effect and the motion of the boat, they are distinct from the powered bilge pumps used on non-self-bailing boats.