Hunter 23 Bilge water

[kc2bya]

I have a 1986 Hunter 23. EVERY spring I end up pumping a couple of gallons of water from the space beneath the floor boards, where the keel bolts are. It's a nasty brown coloring and takes a good bit of pumping to finally get it to stop leaking back in from the weep holes in the hull.

Once I get it all pumped out and dried it never gives me a problem until the next spring after winter layup. Dry all summer and fall regardless of the amount of rain we get.

I'm thinking it has to be condensation between the inner and outer hull shells. If it were a leak from the snow melt I would think it would also leak during rainstorms, which it does not.

Upstate New York winters vary in temperature and amount of snowfall, but this is a constant chore every spring. Any ideas where it's coming from?

 

[Kermit]

Welcome to the forum! I had an H23 that would collect water. Lots of it. Brown and murky. I finally figured it came from from the rotten hose that drained the anchor locker. That’s probably not what’s causing your issue but it wouldn’t hurt to give it a look-see.
Good luck!

 

[kc2bya]

Thanks for the welcome. I'll be heading down to the marina today and I'll check that hose. Hopefully they've got the travelift fixed so I can get her launched. It's only 36 degrees with spotty snow showers today, but hey, we're wasting wind!

 

[Kermit]

Thanks for the welcome. I'll be heading down to the marina today and I'll check that hose. Hopefully they've got the travelift fixed so I can get her launched. It's only 36 degrees with spotty snow showers today, but hey, we're wasting wind!

Rainwater freezes in the hose and the ice cracks it. Mud from the anchor helps stop it up that much quicker. I learned why everyone rinses their anchor before bringing it all the way up.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Good response you old green frog

Crazy Dave

 

[Brian M H23]

My 23 also used to leak a lot more on land than at the slip - though, I never truly understood why it didn't leak so bad in the water. It was at Irondeqoit Bay in Rochester, though I always loved Oneida!

 

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[kc2bya]

The only reason I can see for them leaking more on the hard than in the water is possibly sitting on the keel, rather than evenly distributed loading when in the water, could cause the deck and hull to flex differently and open up a leak path. Other than that, condensation between the inner and outer hull shells during the winter is my thought. Upstate New York is constantly damp in the winter, with rising and falling temperatures and the amount of snow we get.

And I agree, Oneida is a great lake to sail on. Deep water on the eastern end with the challenge of navigating around shoals farther to the west, especially if you're into night sailing. Better be able to read a chart and hand bearing compass, lol.

 

[isaksp00]

Or maybe it is at a somewhat different angle on trailer either fore-aft or side-side, compared to when afloat. Maybe water can work its way around sliding hatch when angled but runs properly into cockpit when level? Do you cover boat on the hard?

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Osaksp00 hit a main point. Always level the boat and crank it up a few turns to deflect water from pooling possibly getting inl