Many classic boat builders did not include a bilge pump from the factory. I would never restore a boat without including this basic safety feature. As the story goes, “More boats have sunk at the dock, flooded with rainwater, than ever sank at sea.” I’m sure that’s true. I’m also of the opinion that judges should never mark you down for having a bilge pump on your boat, whether the factory installed them originally or not.
Installing a bilge pump is a pretty straightforward process, especially when the sole has not been installed in the boat yet. So now is the perfect time to put one in. You simply determine the lowest part of the boat when it is floating at rest and mount the pump there. Route the discharge hose up as high as possible, as soon as possible (you may have to run the hose laterally for some distance), and then down to the through-hull fitting somewhere at least 6-8 inches above the waterline. Ideally the discharge should be somewhere close to the helm, so the skipper can actually hear it when water is being pumped overboard. Lights and alarms can be rigged to let you know that the pump is working, but nothing beats just hearing it running.
Most bilge pumps are rigged so that they will automatically pump when the water reaches a certain level inside the boat, and they can also be engaged manually by a switch at the helm. Wiring for the bilge pump and float switch is straightforward and is most easily accomplished when the sole and ceiling have not been installed.