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In my Bristol 35 we had about 4' of deep bilge. Used to take the youngest with terrycloth rags in his hands and swing him back and forth down there to scrub it out.
Child abuse aside, that bilge afforded me the ability to stack bilge pumps on an aluminum bar. I used a Rule 500 auto spitter in the deepest. I know it cycles, but I just left one boat in the yard for 4 months during hurricane season with the Rule 500 and got back and the battery was fine. She did take some serious rain water, too. I've done the same setup for nearly 30 years.
In the T37 I only have 2 FLA batteries right now (new Interstate). The Rule 500 is in the bilge hole and serves as the primary bilge pump. Also fitted in there is a Rule 1500 with a float switch and auto/manual switch at the nav and the Whale Gusher from the lazarette. I put the same setup in my Dyer 29 (with two AGM Group 31's).
If you have water above that bilge hole you've got more problems than another 1500 gph is going to move.
In late October we crossed the Gulf of Maine from the upper reaches of the Penobscot River to deliver the boat to Newport R.I. to be loaded on a freighter. 10-12 footers directly on the transom, green water over the bow in 32 degree temps 50 miles out. It's disconcerting when you hear hissing and look UP at the dinghy next to you surfing away, but we cured that. Beautiful sunrises and moonrises, though. Wicked scythe moon during the delivery melted into the Atlantic off Buzzard's Bay. Then, of course, it warmed up into the 70's as soon as we dropped off the boat.
I have not seen more than the puddle of water that the Rule 500 just can't pick up. Yesterday, after 3 days on the hook on St. John just chillin' for the holiday, we decided to bust off a little early. Made the 10 miles back to the dock and the wind hit gusts to 45 (lotta fun docking in a parallel slip) and it rained sideways for over an hour. Not a drop in the bilge. I suggest you make sure your pennant hose and connections are good and all your thru hulls are solid (I just replaced all mine, and new valves). I don't think adding a 1500 that high is going to do much more than drain your batteries further after the other bilge pump overworks.
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