1997 Hunter 376 rainwater leaks through the mast to the boat interior at the compression post.

[Diablito]

Several rears ago I asked the forum if there is a way to prevent the subject leaks that result from miserable engineering on the part of Hunter. I’m disinclined to drop the mast and wrestle a Hunter generated problem at huge expense to me.
has anyone conjured a method to resolve this problem that exists within the abilities of a quite capable “backyard” sailboat mechanic?
That is to say I’ve build small boat fiberglass molds and boats, added spinnaker track, car and pole (and assorted blocks and lines), replaced motor mounts and aligned Yanmar, designed and built an outboard engine davit, ad infinitum.
thank you captain’s for any advice you are able to provide.
Diablito (Tim Hollar)

 

[JamesG161]

Simple fix...

On your deck is a Drainage Plate for the mast.

Clean that out for all water to drain properly.

Jim...

 

[Diablito]

Thank you Jim. Something new for the multiple possibilities to resolve my problem.
fingers crossed!

 

[JamesG161]

If it still drips inside, you have to remove the Access plate, near the compression post, inside the cabin.

Then seal the drips with some Silicon.

Jim...

 

[Rich Stidger]

If it still drips inside, you have to remove the Access plate, near the compression post, inside the cabin.

Then seal the drips with some Silicon.

Jim...

Yes, but this is much easier said than done.

Also, leaks can be sourced from the screws holding the organizer cover. Sealing those screws is fairly easy. A leak from the screws will put water on the top of the ceiling panel of the salon and it can easily find its way to the compression post.

 

[rgranger]

What @Rich Stidger said…..I had a leak from the headliner in the head compartment on my H26. Took an entire season to track it down. There was a small rubber bumper/stop screwed into the companionway hatch track. Water would sit in that track, leak around the screw…. Migrate to the head and leak. The good news is that EVERYTHING on my deck got re-bedded before I figured it out.

 

[sailcapt340]

Do you have one of these on your deck?

On my 2000 340 this metal cover is the access way for the mast cables to enter the boat.
Please pardon the look of my caulk at this moment around this cover. It degrades, attracts all kinds of dust and dirt and looks like hell at the moment. The next cool cloudy day will be my re-caulk and clean project.

The 2 screws, circled in red, get removed and this allows the cover to fold back towards the base of the mast, it has a grooved hinge on the opposite side.
This exposes the hole in the deck where the wires and cables, under the center of that cover, go into the boat.
I have to re-caulk that hole every 2 years or so. Again, this is my year.
More importantly !
The 2 red arrows on either side, are the major issue. As you call it, Hunter Engineering.
I can’t speak for that, BUT, those arrows point to 2 “openings“ about 1” x 1” square on each side.
On my boat, the cables coming from the mast enter the cover on the right side. My red arrow covers this, but trust me, they go through there. The left side is available if I want more cables to go from the mast into the boat.

Now, those 2 1”x 1” openings have a foam sponge-like material stuffed into them. My guess is that was to stop water from getting under the cover.
But it clearly does not work. So I have to clean out and re-caulk periodically to keep water from dripping down into the boat, from that sponge-like material.
In the past, I have taken the cover off, cleaned off the chipped white paint and repainted it. But I haven’t done that in a while. Maybe this year after I get it all cleaned up, re-caulked and looking pretty again I’ll repaint the cover.
If you have one of these, check the ends, and replace the foam. But you have to caulk the openings, don’t trust any foam you use to do the job.
Hope this helps you out of your problem.

 

[Terry Cox]

Then seal the drips with some Silicon.

Nooooooo! Had a similar problem awhile ago. Here is what I did to solve the problem. Hunter 42 Owner Modifications and Upgrades

Also, your mast step likely has a weep hole. Check it out here: Hunter 42 Owner Modifications and Upgrades