Leak in 23.5 water ballast tank

Rick Macdonald · Jul 25, 2018

"On all but the last outing, I woke to find the bilge with about three to five gallons of water."

What was different about the last outing? Less heavily loaded? If so, it could be the ballast tank vent hole. "Dry to the touch" doesn't convince me. Pack kleenex or paper towels in those places to see if the paper gets wet and remains wrinkled.

In my boat, bilge water pooled around the transducer under the aft berth, nowhere near my leaks or the bilge pump. Lol

rgranger · Jul 25, 2018

Hey @PropellerHead,

@CrispyCringle might have the right idea. What if you put your boat in the water, and with the tank full of water drop in about 5 lbs of dry ice. It will "fog". And if you seal up the plug, the pressure will have to leak out someplace and maybe the fog will tell you where the leak is coming from.

Doug J · Jul 31, 2018

C'mon people! Key point - "Some have suggested that leaky ballast tank valve and drain plug (which I've since addressed) might have been the culprit." Gee, I think that was it! Five gallons over night does not seem unreasonable to me if the ballast valve and or the vent plug was leaking.

jbreland · Aug 23, 2018

ronkS2 said:
Hey guys, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Are your plans to race, circumnavigate the world or go out and have some fun. Here are a few ideas good or bad but at the end of the day should get you out on the water.

IF you are considering the boat a total loss anyway, what can it hurt.

1. At the end of the day so what if it leaks.... Is the tank emptying out total, or just enough water to make a mess leaking into the bilge? If it is a reasonable amount just enjoy the boat until you can't anymore.

2. Do you trailer the boat? IF not, or even if you do cut a hole in the top of the tank where the vent is and fill it with weight. Cement, rocks, lead, mother-in-laws, whatever you have for dead weight. You may not have to put a full 1500lbs in but maybe enough to get the leak tamed.

Good luck on whatever the outcome and I look forward to following this link.

OK I'm gonna open up a big ol can of worms on this one !!!!
I've owned two hunter water ballast boats and my biggest fear is a leak in the ballast tank....most anything else I could repair........
lets just say for arguments sake you own one of the hunter water ballast boats and the unthinkable happens and the
ballast tank is compromised and you don't think there is any way to repair it. The boat would be pretty much a write off anyway and like ronkS2 said why not just add ballast. So how could you add ballast in the bottom of the tank and make it a permanent ballast like the old hunter 22 had. How could you get in there to do it and what to use for ballast etc...
Look I'm NOT thinking of doing this I'm just speaking worst case scenero and what could be your options...hypothetically etc..... friendly discussion....
Yes I know the trailer is not designed to handle the extra weight, but trailers could be beefed up to handle it. Heck as they came from the factory the trailers really aren't beefy enough to handle the boat as they come. H23.5 in particular as a prime example....(I used to own one and the trailer is marginal at best)

they used to haul the H22 and later the H23 wing keel around on a trailer so it's just a matter of making the trailer be able to handle the weight.
OK Go........(dodging bullets)

Jackdaw · Aug 23, 2018

If I’m doing the math right, 480 large 6oz boxes of Jell-O should just about do it. ;-)

Rick Macdonald · Aug 23, 2018

Dave always says not to have the water ballast full while the boat is on the trailer. It could deform the hull. Having permanent ballast in there could be a problem for the hull itself? Bmbut, as you said, if you're going to throw the boat away anyway...

rgranger · Aug 23, 2018

jbreland said:
OK I'm gonna open up a big ol can of worms on this one !!!!
I've owned two hunter water ballast boats and my biggest fear is a leak in the ballast tank....most anything else I could repair........

Well I think it goes down to how much are you willing to rip out and put back down. I would say fix it before I tried putting jello in my tank...

and if you get to the point where it is not worth it, walk away from the boat or part it out.

I purchased a Coronado 23 once that had been badly grounded. I had to pull all (ALL) of the interior out, cut out the liner and re-glass stringers before I started rebuilding bulkheads and berths. I also had to grind out many soft spots on the keel where the glass had been crushed. You can see some pics of that in my albums. It was a PITA but it was fiberglass. Fiberglass is easy to fix if you take the time.

jbreland · Aug 23, 2018

Jackdaw said:
If I’m doing the math right, 480 large 6oz boxes of Jell-O should just about do it. ;-)

Yes........ but what flavor Jell-O

jbreland · Aug 23, 2018

Rick Macdonald said:
Dave always says not to have the water ballast full while the boat is on the trailer. It could deform the hull. Having permanent ballast in there could be a problem for the hull itself? Bmbut, as you said, if you're going to throw the boat away anyway...

I'm thinking about this one too. The old 23 wing keel the weight of the keel was carried by being supported by the lower bunk of the trailer (the keel rested on the trailer). The old 22 however was just like the 23.5 or 26 had a non ballasted swing out centerboard (which did not carry any of the weight while on trailer) and the entire load was carried on the two trailer bunks....
How did they get away with it on the 22 ??
again guys I'm not thinking of doing this It just got the little wheels to turning in my head saying what if......

Crazy Dave Condon · Aug 24, 2018

Keel boats like the 23 wing keel sat on the trailer with the weight of the boat resting on the trailer keel tray. The bunk boards merely supported the boat to hold it straight up. Metal swing keels also had a keel tray so you could lower it down onto the keel tray. With the Water ballast boats there is no heavy duty keel tray as the centerboard does not weigh much but a tray is provide so the centerboard can rest on it as the weight of the boat is carried by the bunk boards only. Once I saw a private carrier with a 260 used taking it back to Hunter on the interstate. He pulled over as I too was towing a 260. I pointed out the boat hull seemed to be indented and climbed into the boat to let out the water. That driver called back advising towing much better.

One thing I used to do is buy a case of beer and asked folks to come over to have a beer. After about five or more I would look at the transom inside as well as the wing nut with washer as well as the air vent to see if any water was coming in

rgranger · Aug 24, 2018

Beer seems to be able to fix a lot of problems

jbreland · Aug 27, 2018

Dave, how did they handle the weight distribution on the old hunter 22. Its balast was all inside the hull and the drop centerboard didn't weigh much.... just curious ?

Crazy Dave Condon · Aug 27, 2018

I was not a dealer at the time as the Hunter 22 had been phased out.
@PropellerHead I am not sure if you checked the air vent plug. If worn out, replace. If loose, you can tighten it. On the wingnut that opens and closes the vent to allow water into the ballast tank, there is also a neoprene gasket under the large washer that may have to be replaced. Food for thought. If not maybe a call between the two of us. keep me posted.

dave

Chris Flanagan · Sep 29, 2018

Crazy Dave Condon said:
You all beat me to punch on the screws holding the pots poti down which is why Hunter used short screws. I have seen longer screws used by dealers installing that or by an owner.

Other areas to look.
1. Air vent plug not tight or worn out
2. Wing nut gasket worn out
3. Look at base of compression post where it rests into a larger base and note any small screw hoes in the compression post just above to see if any water coming thru. If bolts missing it takes a #10 bolt
Keep us posted

Hi Dave, I have had an issues since I bought my H23.5 with what I assume is are deck leaks from all the rain and collecting around the porta potty and is usually tinted brown. What length should the anchor screws for the potty be as not to damage the ballast tank? I feel fairly certain they coming in from the deck just inside the saloon close to the v-berth on the starboard side, additionally I have a leak just after the salon in the rear berth on the starboard side as well. The port side remains dry. My plan is to reseat the hardware and stanchions
on the starboard side and replace the windshield over the offseason. Any thoughts?

rgranger · Sep 29, 2018

I had the same brown water issue on the port side near my head area. I Rebeca the stanchion posts and purchased a companionway cover. Bone dry now

Crazy Dave Condon · Sep 29, 2018

Spoke with Chris today giving input as to areas to look for and leak check by pressuring the cabin brushing the outside with brush and soapy water to find air bubbles coming out

Rick Macdonald · Oct 22, 2018

Placing kleenex or paper towels in suspected areas will indicate the leak long after it dries because the paper will wrinkle. Replace it with fresh paper after any repair attempts to see if it worked.

I found and fixed 2 leaks that way: the bilge pump hose on starboard tacks and the centerboard bolt at the base of the compression post when moving near hull speed.