1984 Hunter 31 - Persistent leak near fuel tank

Jul 29, 2016
55
Hunter 31 Comox BC
OK progress report.
Cleaned and then resealed the two hoses in the lazarette. Its not going to leak there now.
Everything dry down below after some rain last night, happy about that.
We'll see as winter rains come later how it all is though!
Hoping we have the rear quarter berth issues resolved now.
Repainting the wall with a u-channel plastic moulding piece on the bottom to prevent water if any does come back from soaking in to the plywood. Will reinstall tomorrow. Its in two pieces now, so I can remove half and easily access the aft area and the fuel tank without having to remove anything from the wall forward of the fuel tank.
Re installed one port this morning, then decided to have at the large fixed window on the port side. Anyway that's off topic and another thread.
 

HMT2

.
Mar 20, 2014
899
Hunter 31 828 Shoreacres, TX
@pateco My vents are in the same position as yours. Wait, BEHIND the laz?? On my boat, the inside of the transom wall IS the back of the laz, there is nothing to get behind. So the hoses come up through the floor of the laz and turn aft, then connect to their fittings.

That is weird. Does your laz have an aft bulkhead or something? I see another difference. You don't have a discharge for your manual bilge pump on the transom. In fact, I don't see an attachment point for the handle of a bilge pump on the starboard side of your aft cockpit coaming. Where is your manual bilge pump?

Who would have thought there were such variations in the same model year boat (although I guess the PO could have moved my pump or yours).
Ray, my manual bilge pump discharges water through the starboard scupper drain at the water line. Also, the fitting for the rod to operate the manual bilge is in the wall of the lazarette in the cockpit. (See pic) My in and out hoses for my manual bilge go thought the laz floor. I am almost complete with replacing the manual bilge, the 35 year old Rule finally died. My fuel vent hose does not pass through the laz floor but like Chip's (I think) passes underneath the laz floor to the transom.
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SFS

.
Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
Mike, what year is yours? And am I correct in assuming you have a T fitting to tie the bilge discharge into the scupper discharge line? Interesting.
 

pateco

.
Aug 12, 2014
2,207
Hunter 31 (1983) Pompano Beach FL
@pateco My vents are in the same position as yours. Wait, BEHIND the laz?? On my boat, the inside of the transom wall IS the back of the laz, there is nothing to get behind. So the hoses come up through the floor of the laz and turn aft, then connect to their fittings.

That is weird. Does your laz have an aft bulkhead or something? I see another difference. You don't have a discharge for your manual bilge pump on the transom. In fact, I don't see an attachment point for the handle of a bilge pump on the starboard side of your aft cockpit coaming. Where is your manual bilge pump?

Who would have thought there were such variations in the same model year boat (although I guess the PO could have moved my pump or yours).
No manual bilge pump on mine? Looks like the remains of a mount for one in the V-berth, by the waste tank but nothing in the cockpit but smooth gellcoat and no hoses that I can find in the bilge.

Adding one is on my list for the future. Still trying to decide where.

I will double check my Lazarette for those vent hoses when I visit the boat next, but I do not remember seeing them. Starboard side of the aft Lazarette holds extra diesel and outboard fuel in jerry cans, So I can't visualize those hoses, but maybe they are right against the transom.
 

SFS

.
Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
...I will double check my Lazarette for those vent hoses when I visit the boat next, but I do not remember seeing them. Starboard side of the aft Lazarette holds extra diesel and outboard fuel in jerry cans, So I can't visualize those hoses, but maybe they are right against the transom.
Mine are indeed pretty close to the transom, which means the bends to the fittings are 90 degrees or more. Not the best situation. I'll try to get a pic if I end up on the boat today. Putting the last coat of urethane on 2 of the last 3 sole boards. Hope to have floors installed by Monday.
 

HMT2

.
Mar 20, 2014
899
Hunter 31 828 Shoreacres, TX
How do you like your SeaDeck flooring? It looks great. Can I ask where you ordered, and how much?
I love my Seadek. I bought it from Seadek online. As I recall it was around $400.00. Plus some back and forth shipping for the patterns. They have my pattern on file. As you can see it covers the molded in non skid area. If you plan to do it ask them for my pattern. Give me a PM if you are thinking about doing it and I will help you avoid a mistake I made.
 
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HMT2

.
Mar 20, 2014
899
Hunter 31 828 Shoreacres, TX
Mike, what year is yours? And am I correct in assuming you have a T fitting to tie the bilge discharge into the scupper discharge line? Interesting.
Ray, mine is a 1983. Yes there is a T fitting there. I was going over some safety checks before the Harvest Moon Regatta and discovers that my manual bilge was dead.
 
Jul 29, 2016
55
Hunter 31 Comox BC
I must say that Seadeck product is impressive. Looks great. Would like to add that to my 31 next spring. Would sure be a nice addition!
 

HMT2

.
Mar 20, 2014
899
Hunter 31 828 Shoreacres, TX
I must say that Seadeck product is impressive. Looks great. Would like to add that to my 31 next spring. Would sure be a nice addition!
I have really enjoyed it. The have the pattern for the cockpit of the '83 -'87 Hunter 31.
 
Jul 29, 2016
55
Hunter 31 Comox BC
Nice. If OK with you, will contact you for the template when the time comes. Hope that's ok. Thanks
 

HMT2

.
Mar 20, 2014
899
Hunter 31 828 Shoreacres, TX
Nice. If OK with you, will contact you for the template when the time comes. Hope that's ok. Thanks
Sure it is! It will be filed under my name, which is Mike Tyson. If you need anything from me let me know.
 
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Reg M

.
May 21, 2016
131
Hunter 31 Montague
I am having this same problem of water mysteriously appearing in my quarter berth after a rainstorm. I first discovered it after repairing the top to my water tank. Before installing the top I found about a half liter of water in the tank. In an effort to see where the water was coming from I spread newspapers all around the quarter berth and waited till the next rain when I found the paper just forward of the rudder post soaking wet. So, the water is definitely coming under the center bulkhead from the starboard side. All summer I have been finding water in that well in the liner in the starboard laz where the exhaust hose comes through that hole just forward of the fuel tank but had no idea where it was coming from. There is no space between the liner and the cockpit sole on my boat so when you climb down into the starboard laz you cannot see in between the cockpit sole and the liner to see if the leak is coming from the starboard cockpit scupper (which has been replaced by the PO with one that is not flush to the surface, ie it is a mushroom head). I am in the process of covering the boat for the winter so this will probably be continued in the spring but I think I will get a proper V shaped scupper fitting to replace the one that is there and bed it with 4200. Another possibility is there is a lot of black mold on the inside of that starboard laz on the hull and there are water streaks on it so I suspect there may be water leaks at the toe rail.
 

SFS

.
Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
The mold on the hull is a huge hint, but based on something you wrote in the above post, I want to double check something already discussed elsewhere, in case it matters. The water in my well, at the bottom of my stbd laz, was actually coming from my PORT scupper. I know you said there is no gap between your cockpit sole and the upper side of the quarterberth ceiling, but I can't imagine my boat being special in this regard. The gap is small in some places, but is really obvious at a point roughly even with the forward edge of the fuel tank, and just forward of the bottom forward "edge" of the AFT laz. The boat is no longer at my house, so I can't take a picture for you today, but I recommend you double check.

For me to look across the ceiling of the quarterberth, I climbed in the laz, and sat down on the battery tray (which has no batteries in it) with my back against the starboard hull. I then look across the boat and slightly aft, like I'm looking at the aft port corner of the transom. The gap is pretty obvious. Another way to find it is to visually follow the forward wall (or the bottom) of the aft laz from its most starboard point until you lose sight of it because of the bulkhead that runs fore and aft. Right where the bulkhead obscures the laz, the gap occurs, ABOVE the bulkhead. Hope this helps. It also dawns on me that if your batteries are still in the tray, then moving around in this starboard laz is a monumental pain.
 
Jul 29, 2016
55
Hunter 31 Comox BC
Well we had some good rain last weekend. Expected the boat to be dry, however was deflated to find not. Had some drips from above the port fixed window. I couldnt believe it was coming theough where we sealed and sure enough it wasn't. It was coming in through the inside part of the wall. Then I realized the guilty party was the thin wood trim above the portlights on the exterior. I knew it wsnt sealed well if at all and it was loose in spots. Took it off, and it was soggy and broken in three places. Counted 12 screwholes holding it in place. Did the stbd side and it had 14 screws. One hole had no screw just a hole and one had the head broken off. Decided the trim wasnt going back on. Countersunk each screw hole and then filled with fibreglass resin with carbosil. Finished sanding smooth yesterday morning before a seies of heavy rain storms coming over the next few days. Compromising the seal of the cabin by putting 26 holes in that penetrate the plywood sandwich wall seems ludicrous for a cosmetic piece. Anyway its gone.
Sad thing is it could leak into the interior wall plywood for literally years if there is no outlet for it inside to drip from, and just rot the wood inside the cabin wall and you wouldnt even know it.
Also sadly found some water in the rear quarterberth again, so am presuming now its accessing via the description above and coming through that gap above the bulkhead from the port scupper. Am going in there during this storm to have a good look. I will win!
 
Last edited:

pateco

.
Aug 12, 2014
2,207
Hunter 31 (1983) Pompano Beach FL
Then I realized the guilty party was the thin wood trim above the portlights on the exterior. I knew it wsnt sealed well if at all and it was loose in spots. Took it off, and it was soggy and broken in three places. Counted 12 screwholes holding it in place. Did the stbd side and it had 14 screws. One hole had no screw just a hole and one had the head broken off. Decided the trim wasnt going back on. Countersunk each screw hole and then filled with fibreglass resin with carbosil. Finished sanding smooth yesterday morning before a seies of heavy rain storms coming over the next few days. Compromising the seal of the cabin by putting 26 holes in that penetrate the plywood sandwich wall seems ludicrous for a cosmetic piece. Anyway its gone.
Sad thing is it could leak into the interior wall plywood for literally years if there is no outlet for it inside to drip from, and just rot the wood inside the cabin wall and you wouldnt even know it.
Also sadly found some water in the rear quarterberth again, so am presuming now its accessing via the description above and coming theough that gap above the bulkhead from the port scupper. Am going in there during this storm to have a good look. I will win!
Our eybrows had already been removed, but the screw holes were just filled with silicone. I cleaned them out, sanded, and filled with MarineTex. then buffed and polished. They are slightly off on color match, but look a lot better than the silicone filled holes that were there before. No leaks from there anymore.
2015-11-16 08.19.27.jpg
 
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Reg M

.
May 21, 2016
131
Hunter 31 Montague
The mold on the hull is a huge hint, but based on something you wrote in the above post, I want to double check something already discussed elsewhere, in case it matters. The water in my well, at the bottom of my stbd laz, was actually coming from my PORT scupper. I know you said there is no gap between your cockpit sole and the upper side of the quarterberth ceiling, but I can't imagine my boat being special in this regard. The gap is small in some places, but is really obvious at a point roughly even with the forward edge of the fuel tank, and just forward of the bottom forward "edge" of the AFT laz. The boat is no longer at my house, so I can't take a picture for you today, but I recommend you double check.

For me to look across the ceiling of the quarterberth, I climbed in the laz, and sat down on the battery tray (which has no batteries in it) with my back against the starboard hull. I then look across the boat and slightly aft, like I'm looking at the aft port corner of the transom. The gap is pretty obvious. Another way to find it is to visually follow the forward wall (or the bottom) of the aft laz from its most starboard point until you lose sight of it because of the bulkhead that runs fore and aft. Right where the bulkhead obscures the laz, the gap occurs, ABOVE the bulkhead. Hope this helps. It also dawns on me that if your batteries are still in the tray, then moving around in this starboard laz is a monumental pain.
I'll have another look. My batteries are not in the stbd laz, they are under the quarter berth, right over the stern tub and a little aft of the stuffing box.
 

SFS

.
Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
UNDER the quarterberth? Mine are ON the quarterberth, which I'd like to remedy. Got any pictures? How are they tied down? How in the world did someone get enough working room to make all the connections?

I have a horizontal access panel (just a board) in the quarterberth surface, close to the bulkhead, and forward of the rudder post. Never been able to look below that panel, as one of the 3 batteries is sitting on top of it. Don't know if the panel is large enough to allow batteries to pass through.
 

Reg M

.
May 21, 2016
131
Hunter 31 Montague
UNDER the quarterberth? Mine are ON the quarterberth, which I'd like to remedy. Got any pictures? How are they tied down? How in the world did someone get enough working room to make all the connections?

I have a horizontal access panel (just a board) in the quarterberth surface, close to the bulkhead, and forward of the rudder post. Never been able to look below that panel, as one of the 3 batteries is sitting on top of it. Don't know if the panel is large enough to allow batteries to pass through.
I went out after dinner and took some photos just for you. I assumed all H31's had the batteries in the same place, guess I was wrong on that one. I only have two batteries and they fit real nice in the space just aft of the stuffing box. There is a plywood shelf which has a center cutaway for the stern tube which you can see in the photos. All the necessary wiring is easily led to this area from the electrical panel which is located just under the campanionway hatch. There are two hold down straps which fasten to stainless cleats, you can see the straps in the photo, one is black and one is white.
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