False bilge issue Hunter 34

splax

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Nov 12, 2012
692
Hunter 34 Portsmouth
looks really nice...glad for you to have made your boat a more pleasant place to be...you do need to change out that corrugated tubing for a smooth wall hose, though, it will improve the bilge pump performance by decreasing flow resistance by about a third (should you ever NEED your pump)
 
Jan 24, 2017
666
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
What a huge deference this has made no more odors.
Just seemed to take me forever to finish it due to the cold weather her in Jersey.

Now I am on to the second part of my bilge project.
Instalation of a secondary bilge pump most likely on the shelf of the main bilge area hooked up to an independent battery I plan to install in aft lazarette.
After my friend's boat partially sank in his slip due to a faulty bilge pump this has been on my to do list for quite awhile.

Like he said now "you can never have too many pumps"
 
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Jan 24, 2017
666
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
Yes, west marine standard pvc check valve. Plus I looped the hose at the discharge fitting on the side of the hull.
 

SFS

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Aug 18, 2015
2,066
Currently Boatless Okinawa
@rah0218 - Rick, if you do this, please post pictures and report back. My research has not led me to find anyone that has actually done this on an H31, and I would like to do mine as well.
 
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SFS

.
Aug 18, 2015
2,066
Currently Boatless Okinawa
@Don Crowther - I did that, with a great deal of excitement, the same day that post was made. Never heard back from the author.

@Mike Culik - I see that you were on this site as recently as yesterday. If you see this, please PM me with contact info, or check your private messages for one from me in January of this year.
 
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Jun 27, 2004
113
Hunter 34 New Bern, NC
Hey Y'all,
I am too lazy for all of this work, standing on your head looking into the bilge. I have another solution to the problem,that may not be as good, but is much easier. First, drill some limber holes in the bilge so water that is trapped can reach the false bilge.
Now you are ready for the secret sauce. Take a small bucket and mix a 10% solution of Clorox with a few drops of dishwashing detergent. Take your bucket into the quarter birth, and pour the mixture under the engine bed so that it flows into the real bilge. This will disinfect whatever is down there. If there is any oil in the real bilge it will rise up through the limber holes. Do this twice a year.
 

SFS

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Aug 18, 2015
2,066
Currently Boatless Okinawa
This would be faster, and easier, but unless you get to the very bottom of the actual bilge, you will always have some amount of water left, to propagate, solubilize, and transport foul water.
 
Mar 4, 2009
9
Hunter 31 Jacksonville
@SFS
Ok.. I know it has been a while but today I cut the bilge out on my Hunter 31, 1984. I did not find any space below the bottom but I cut away the sides all the way around about an inch or less. And the stuff that came out smelled like a baby's diaper. It was gooey and what a mess it was in that bilge and all of my tools, screw drivers, etc. I'll have to finish the job soon. Today was the upper 60s here in Jax, FL so it was pretty nice. I did run the hose under the walls for a while and replaced the pump and float switch. Hoping it will dry out a little during the week. I will check back next weekend. Cleaning and painting will be next. I'll try to be better pics of the cut out sections, pretty ugly but it worked.
Later
rick

tool_small.jpg
bilge before.jpg
bilge during.jpg
pieces of the wall.jpg
 
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Jan 24, 2017
666
Hunter 34 Toms River Nj
Rah0218
Great job!
You will notice a huge difference now that all that trapped garbage is now out. When I did mine on my h34 the smell was gone completely in about two weeks after I was done flushing it out with bleach and dish detergent. I then used some hydrogen peroxide with white vinegar 50/50 mix with a little bit of detergent poured it thru the engine compartment lining and allowed it to run under the liner. That really killed all the mold and garbage under the liner.

I used bilge Côte to paint the entire bilge area last season and so far no issues and no more Oder.
 
Mar 4, 2009
9
Hunter 31 Jacksonville
Ok... Day two of the bilge work.
I did find that there is a small piece of wood below the bottom fiberglass. It seems to be bonded into the fiberglass in most places. I did have to chisel the bottom. I worked on it for four plus hours this time. And the looks of things I need another day to really get the bottom where everything drains ok. There are still high points around the edges and that holds water (and other things) from entering the bilge. More pics below... Staring pics is where I left it last weekend and others are from day two.
I did spray a mixture of water, bio friendly boat wash, and bleach all around the boat drainage areas. Wiped down quite a bit too. I did find a little of the gook but not much. I'll keep this going for a little while and maybe add white vinegar to the list.
More later as I go along... Thanks @SFS and @Mike Culik for their input. And thanks for the kind words.
IMAG2189.jpg
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IMAG2192.jpg
 

SFS

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Aug 18, 2015
2,066
Currently Boatless Okinawa
Wow, what a lot of effort. Way to go Rick. Did you use a sharp (wood) chisel and hammer, or something a little more blunt, like the end of a pry bar? Keep posting pics, it really helps.
 
Mar 4, 2009
9
Hunter 31 Jacksonville
@SFS - Sharp chisel and hammer. Came out ok but very small pieces so taking a while to do. I found the crow bar types were too curved. I did use them to pry a few times though but I did not find them good for chiseling the fiberglass.
 
Aug 23, 2011
94
Hunter 31 Georgetown, MD
Rah
Looks good cleanup takes a while.
Chisel and heavy duty putty knife is what I used followed by many wash downs with verious concoctions of soap/solvents for the sludge. Major improvement in the odor control which was the goal. I've had a totally dry bilge for the last two years.
 
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Sep 11, 2015
147
Hunter 31 Marina del Rey
On my Hunter 31 I cut a round hole with a hole saw, just big enough for the bilge pump. You can scrape out the litter from the hole. It makes for a much quicker modification.
 
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Dec 2, 2003
208
Hunter 34 Forked River, NJ
Many years ago I found that removing the base of the table also allowed me to flush that part of the bilge area, I most always find some stinky water in there. And have not replaced the hold down screws to make removal quick and easy. I have owned my H34 for 28 years.
 
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Apr 14, 2010
248
Hunter 34 Slidell, La.
Its been quite sometime that I posted anything on the Hunter forum. Since this blog per say is for removing the false bilge bottom on H34's I wanted to chime in and see if I'm missing something here. I removed the false bilge and flushed the boat on a couple of occasions, but its seems to still smell of foul odor (not as bad) once we board the boat and open it up. Is there other places I should be flushing other then the engine area and ice box ??? Any help would be appreciated.

Bub
 
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