Billage water

[Chiriqui]

Bilge water

It's become apparent that the 1996 Hunter I purchased in November 2009 is taking on a bit of water and I don't know where it's getting in.
My observations seem to indicate it's taking on the water only after a sail or motoring trip. I only recently had the boat in the water over night for a three nights and I didn't notice any water accumulating over night.

Knowing now that I have this problem I have to find where the transducer is located on the boat. My first thought is that if it is a through the haul installation that maybe that is where it could be leaking in. Other than this possibility I'm not aware of any other haul openings on a H26.

I've run the bilge pump, but it doesn't remove all the water. I've removed about 1/2 a gallon out with a sponge with the boat on the ramp as we pull her out of the water. Even then some is trapped still under the rear wood floor plate.

If it's not the transducer where else can I likely find a leak. Could it be getting in from the water ballast tank? Could it be from the center board.

At worst I've found some water in the cabinets under the sink.

open to suggestions

thank you

 

[Steve Dion]

Assuming you have an inboard engine. Check the packing gland. You can also check it by starting your engine and putting it in gear at the dock. Normal drip can be up to 4-6 drip per minute.

 

[Chiriqui]

Nope it's an outboard motor for this boat

 

[inarathree]

Check around the keel bolts, thru-hulls, and transducers. If you say that this is only leaking when used, then pay special attention to sea-cocks and hoses that are opened only when using the boat, but shut while at port.

 

[Charlie13958]

Maybe getting some water out of the top of the ballast tank, especially when heeled. If your CB uphaul line goes through tubing, you may have a poor seal at the base.

 

[Alan]

To check your ballast water add a good concentration of vegetable dye to the water If it shows up in your bilge you've found your leak.

 

[Chiriqui]

Hum.. so the ballast could be flowing into the billage.. gees.. I thought of maybe sailing with less than a full ballast to see if that made a difference. I like the idea of using a dye. CB tubing wonder how one fixes that if it's responsible

 

[Don12364]

Dip your finger in and taste if it is salty. Otherwise it could be rain or from your fresh water tank.

 

[Chiriqui]

oh it's salt alright

 

[JoeWhite]

I had this same problem. Sometimes more water than other times. I found a broken screw ring around the transducer that was letting water into the boat. It leaked only when it was over stressed by heeling at high winds. You can wrap a paper towel arround whatever through-hulls you have and see which one is wet after a sail.

 

[Bill Roosa]

toe rail??

Did you dip the toe rail while sailing? could be leaking from the deck to hull joint. this can also leak water during a rain but you said the water was salty.
I'm with the other posters, thru-hulls, transducers, keel bolts or deck-2-hull joint
To track it down dry out the bilge and then sprinkle talc powder into the bilge to give you something to see. The talc will wash away from the water entering. then just follow it "upstream" till you find the culperat. You may have to watch carefully if it is a keel bolt right after you dry the bilge. Use a strong light.

 

[Chiriqui]

Keel bolt? Does a Hunter 26 with a Center Board have a "keel bolt/'s "? That could be a challenge getting all the water out of the billage. I'll have to dig around and locate portals giving me fuller access to the bilge. The pump doesn't remove all the water.

 

[Benny]

Not a good idea to sail with a partially full ballast tank. You do not want your ballast weight shifting and causing havoc with the boats balance.

 

[Deucer]

I have exactly the same problem. I"ve got it narrowed down to either a leak from the ballast tank, or from the keelboard (but don't think so). To get all the water out of the bilge, you probably have water underneath the sole. If you bounce up and down on the sole, you may hear water. I use a transfer pump I bought at Harbor Freight for about $7. You can worm the intake underneath the sole through the rear bunk's starboard forward access hatch. That should get all the water out.

I'm debating about VERY carefully putting an access hatch in the sole by the galley. That would also give me a way to visually inspect the top of the ballast tank. Either way, I'm probably going to ask for one of the video inspection cameras you can get at Harbor Freight (on sale for $99) to inspect areas you can't get your head into.

Also, as an interim, I know I get water coming out into the lazerrates from the front of the salon (theres an opening at the very front). I'm thinking about putting in a dam to keep the water from getting into the storage areas. I'll take pictures once I complete the project.

 

[Bill Jones]

With the water ballasted boats, it seems there are only four possible ways water can enter the hull. 1) damage to the hull (appears this has not happened), 2) transducer leak, 3) problem with the water ballast, 4) centerboard problem.
Bill Jones

 

[Chiriqui]

Yes there's water under the "soles" the one at the base of the kitchen console. In fact I tried pulling one up and discovered it's glued down. Looks like I've got a lot of ripping up to find the source of this leak.

I've noticed some water, probably not the bulk of it splashing up out of the ballast tank where either the plug has come out or not secured. This well under the step is not holding the water so it must contribute to the what I'm finding in the bilge.

Humm $7 at Hardware Freight adds up to $27 or more to get it here in Panama. Maybe I'll be lucky and find one here somewhere.

You know, now that I think of it "I'm still working on getting mental picture of all of the features of this boat", there is a plug right next to this sole at the foot of the steps. Maybe once I sponge out what I find in there I'll have a dry bilge.

If the leak is not a gasket but a "crack" of some sort what's the technique for fixing it. A patch of fiber glass?

If this is a center board problem does this call for jacking the boat up somehow to work on it? There are no crane lifts at this marina

 

[Deucer]

You can use any small transfer pump that you can put a small line on the intake. I originally used a motor oil pump (like you'd use to put oil in a differential. The Harbor Freight pump just works better.

 

[John23883]

Possible leak location

Do not ever sail with the ballast tank less than completly full!

I had a leak through the stern joint where the deck and hull are joined. The glue had hardened and cracked but was invisible from the outside. Water would come in only when the boat was healed and the joint was stressed. I had someone laying in the stern bunk and they saw the water coming in while sailing. Once at home I took the air gun from the compressor and pushed air into openings in the glass while laying on the stern bed. Water came out of the joint in a 3 foot area. I had to remove and reglue over four feet of the joint. I used bondo/glass and it has not been a problem since.

 

[Chiriqui]

I've only motored with the ballast empty.. going up an estuary or inland water way fishing for pargo which is red snapper.

I hope by next week to be back to the marina to start working on this problem, now that I've got a list of possibilities to consider.

I'm betting on the problem being either what ever this seal in the CB location is or the transducer. The previous owner tells me via the marina spokesman who serviced the boat that they never had water in the bilge. My bet is that on the small lake they sailed they never had swells and waves like I experience.

 

[BobSail]

Deucer, great idea about the pump. Is it the bulb-style hand pump they have listed, or is there an electric version? I''ve been trying to find an electric one so I can move the intake hose around while it is running.

Our leak is now producing several gallons per sail. It seems to originate on top of the ballast tank and then migrates to the aft bilge and galley (via electrical line holes) when heeling. Based on the shape of the recessed ballast tank top, I believe water is either entering from the centerboard/compression post trunk area or near the tank fill area. We have confirmed it's not rain water, and it doesn't have the odor of ballast tank water. I believe it is somehow being forced up through the centerboard cavity and then intrudes around the compression post fitting. Can't see there because the PO/Factory loaded the area with sealant and adhesive. Also thinking about the remote camera.

Around 2004, I saw somewhere on the internet where someone cut through the sole and installed an inspection port so they could get to the recessed area on top of the tank. They also glued a second electric bilge pump on top of the tank. There were pictures posted of the project. Don't know if it was on this site or somewhere else, but haven't been able to find it again. Would rather try and fix the leak if possible, but it would be nice to have a pump in that area.