E.J. Willis R-1453 Bothway Bilge Pump

The Bothway

All brass. Double action. Built to outlast the vessel.

The E.J. Willis R-1453 Bothway Bilge Pump is far more than marine equipment. Hand-built in the United States largely from solid brass, it is a functional piece of maritime craftsmanship designed to be used, admired, and ultimately passed down.

For generations, E.J. Willis equipment has served aboard working vessels, including those of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. The R-1453 carries that same tradition forward.

A functional work of maritime art

There is a weight and permanence to solid brass that simply cannot be replicated.

The R-1453 is substantial in the hand, beautifully machined, and unapologetically mechanical. The brass will naturally develop character and patina with age, making every pump increasingly its own.

Fully functional. Often admired even more than used.

Pumps on both strokes

The R-1453 uses a double-action design, moving water on both the push and pull stroke.

It is an old-school mechanical solution that is simple, effective, and remarkably satisfying to operate.

No batteries. No electronics. No unnecessary complexity.
Just leverage, brass, and a proven design.

Built the way marine equipment used to be built

Today, most bilge pumps are meant to disappear below deck.
The R-1453 is different.

It is the sort of object you leave where people can see it. On a classic yacht, launch, tender, workboat, or simply displayed among other pieces of maritime history, it attracts attention because almost nothing is made this way anymore.

A pump in name. A statement piece in practice.

Why owners choose the R-1453

Because sometimes the smallest details aboard a boat say the most.

The R-1453 is for owners who appreciate traditional materials, American craftsmanship, mechanical simplicity, and objects made with the expectation that they will still be around decades from now.

Built to work. Built to be seen. Built to outlast the vessel.

Made in the USA

Each R-1453 is produced in small quantities and assembled with care in the United States.

Because these are not mass-produced pumps, please allow approximately 6–8 weeks for production.