Where could water getting into bilge possible from freeze Hunter 23 come from.

Nov 9, 2017
25
Hunter 23 857 Hendersonville
Have a Hunter 23. Rained for several days and pumped about 20 gallons from underneath floor boards. Checked on boat which is on trailer several times in last month and a few times had about 1 inches of ice under floor boards.

Does not look like water is getting in from anchor locker.
Drain in stern which attaches to a hose to cockpit had ice in it.
Looks like a little water may be coming from keel bolt which I see a few hair line cracks.

Cant figure where water can be coming from.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks Scott
 
Oct 31, 2012
464
Hunter 2008 H25 Lake Wabamun
If water is coming in during rain periods then it must be from the top and making its way into the bilge. Although I have not tried this myself, there is a technique to find any leak. Take a shop vac and,from the outlet end, pump air into the cabin to pressure up the interior. Then use soapy water to look for bubbles on the exterior to find any leak. You will need to plug all ports and holes that are there for a reason to force the interior air pressure out through the leaking culprit. This is the same principle used to locate gas leaks (much safer than a match):laugh:
 
Oct 3, 2006
1,003
Hunter 23 Philadelphia
Make sure she's nose-up - the sliding hatch doesn't seal all that great. I found out by just sitting in the boat on trailer on a rainy day
 

Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Check the anchor locker again. The drain hose collects mud from the anchor then freezes and cracks. That was the culprit on mine.
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,077
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
The boat is not covered-Just on a trailer-Thanks
So my attempt at the Socratic Method failed?

Covering a boat while on a trailer aren't mutually exclusive things. If ice can form in the bilge, it certainly can form on the deck, in deck fittings, in deck cracks, etc... doing far greater damage.
 
Jan 22, 2008
296
Islander Freeport, 41 Ketch Longmont, CO
So besides the drains from anchor locker/cockpit drains - both of which have a habit of coming lose from one end or the other or cracking, having that much water getting in from an unknown source indicates a major leak. If you take a long zip tie and push it through the cockpit drain does it come up through the floor? does it come up through the anchor locker? 20 gallons from a few days of rain indicates water is pooling somewhere and running in. Your most likely culprit is the cockpit or if the boat sits slightly lower one side or the other, it could be running in from a stanchion base or some other fitting on the low side.

Good luck
 
Nov 9, 2017
25
Hunter 23 857 Hendersonville
Thanks for advice. Supposed to rain today so will cover anchor locker and see. How ever as Victor stated due to that much water I will check cockpit drain again. I poured in water and it seemed to drain well from cockpit thru hose to back of transom outlet. However the clamp was extremely loose and maybe the freeze cracked housing.
 
Apr 27, 2010
1,236
Hunter 23 Lake Wallenpaupack
If the drain in rear of cockpit clogs or is covered by debris the cockpit will fill. You probably have a round access port inside the locker for the gas tank. If the cockpit does flood water can leak through it and into lazarette and maybe then into cabin. If lazarette area under cockpit is dry then I'd guess rain around sliding hatch.