I have had 86 hunter 23 for 5 years now, and in years past I would get a small amount of water in the wells where the rudder bolts are located at the beginning of each year - when putting boat in water. This year, the wells are full and when I sponge out, it slowly refills. Any suggestions on how to stop?
Water on board
- Thread starter Tsprosty
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Do you mean the keel bolts (not the rudder bolts)? The wells under the floorboards are above the keel. If you really mean the rudder bolts, that is, the bolts inside the transom that hold the rudder pintles, that would be the lazarette area or maybe one could call it the bilge, under the cockpit, that is filling.
You might have a bad keel to hull joint, or issues with the keel bolts. You may also have water seeping in from elsewhere. Can you see if the wells refill by water seeping in from the weephole, such as the one between the forward well and the v-berth area? When mine gets quite wet, enough to have water seep forward, it does weep out of the forward area and into the wells, and I have to keep sopping it up until all the water weeps back down. You could also have a bad hose under the anchor locker, which would let rainwater into the hull forward of the v-berth, which I suppose would seep under the v-berth and eventually to the wells. You could also have a bad deck fitting, such as a lifeline stanchion or chain plate cover.
You might have a bad keel to hull joint, or issues with the keel bolts. You may also have water seeping in from elsewhere. Can you see if the wells refill by water seeping in from the weephole, such as the one between the forward well and the v-berth area? When mine gets quite wet, enough to have water seep forward, it does weep out of the forward area and into the wells, and I have to keep sopping it up until all the water weeps back down. You could also have a bad hose under the anchor locker, which would let rainwater into the hull forward of the v-berth, which I suppose would seep under the v-berth and eventually to the wells. You could also have a bad deck fitting, such as a lifeline stanchion or chain plate cover.
I had something similar to this on my 1989 Hunter 23...The hose for the drain in the aft of the cockpit cracked in a place that was VERY hard to see and every time it rained the keel compartments would fill up. The water would work its was from the back of the boat forward. I only found the crack because I was in the compartment repairing my battery tray and accidentally moved the hose and saw the water coming out so I inspected closer. Repaired very cost effectively with some pool hose from Lowes.
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