We have blisters on our '81 27 for the second time in 5 yrs. 1st time yard used VC-Tar, so am assuming the moisture came from the inside. The bilge is almost never dry. Even on the hard (and covered) water is geting in. Have checked all possibilities and am pretty sure it is coming from leak in starboard cockpit scupper connection, (from holes in cover where backstay goes thru) but there could be other sources. Another pain is the bilge area that is under the floor liner "ribs" between the two regular (shallow) bilges, that can only be accessed with a manual pump. Any other suggestions on where water could be coming from. What have others done in this situation?
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
B
Been there
How to get a dry bilge. Problem for Hunters.
It's not that hard to make a boat tight and dry. Water gets in from three places: (a) underwater fittings, and (b) leaks above the waterline. The first kind of leak, from throughhulls, usually is visible. If your bilge is dry when you splash down, and gets wet in the next hour, you know its coming from an underwater fitting. Inspect all the through-hulls, or follow the water trail from the bilge to the one that is the culprit. The second kind of leak is easiest to find from inside the boat when it rains. After an hour of good, steady rain, look for water coming in by runing your finger along the hull-deck joint, under all ports, around hatches, and under the partners (if your mast is keel-stepped). Wet is pretty obvious. The problem with many Hunters is that most of the places where you might have a leak are impossible to reach from the inside, the extensive pan makes it impossible to trace the water trail, and it also holds water trapped until the boat heels. People have suggested turning the boat into a pressure chamber and looking for bubbles from the outside, but that is a lot of trouble, and I doubt it will find all leaks. Others have suggested sealing arbitrary outside fittings until the leak seems to go away. The number of posts on this BB about mysterious and recurring leaks suggests that Hunter has not thought much about this problem. You're on the right track. Good luck.
It's not that hard to make a boat tight and dry. Water gets in from three places: (a) underwater fittings, and (b) leaks above the waterline. The first kind of leak, from throughhulls, usually is visible. If your bilge is dry when you splash down, and gets wet in the next hour, you know its coming from an underwater fitting. Inspect all the through-hulls, or follow the water trail from the bilge to the one that is the culprit. The second kind of leak is easiest to find from inside the boat when it rains. After an hour of good, steady rain, look for water coming in by runing your finger along the hull-deck joint, under all ports, around hatches, and under the partners (if your mast is keel-stepped). Wet is pretty obvious. The problem with many Hunters is that most of the places where you might have a leak are impossible to reach from the inside, the extensive pan makes it impossible to trace the water trail, and it also holds water trapped until the boat heels. People have suggested turning the boat into a pressure chamber and looking for bubbles from the outside, but that is a lot of trouble, and I doubt it will find all leaks. Others have suggested sealing arbitrary outside fittings until the leak seems to go away. The number of posts on this BB about mysterious and recurring leaks suggests that Hunter has not thought much about this problem. You're on the right track. Good luck.
M
Mark Johnson
I don't agree...
with "Been There". I think that Hunter HAS thought about the problem of leaks and has done something about it. I have had three boats (none were Hunters)prior to the purchase of my current boat (It's a Hunter). My current boat (A Hunter) is the only boat out of the 4 I have owned that DOES NOT LEAK. It's my opinion that Hunter listens to it's owners...that's one reason I bought one. Mark Johnson
with "Been There". I think that Hunter HAS thought about the problem of leaks and has done something about it. I have had three boats (none were Hunters)prior to the purchase of my current boat (It's a Hunter). My current boat (A Hunter) is the only boat out of the 4 I have owned that DOES NOT LEAK. It's my opinion that Hunter listens to it's owners...that's one reason I bought one. Mark Johnson
B
Been there
That would be more persuasive IF ..
You had a good explanation of what to do about leaks when they develop, rather than the fortune to have a boat that hasn't developed any. Yet. That you know about. Many boats DO develop leaks. The LARGE number of posts on this bulletin board about leaks suggest that Hunters are no better in than other brands in this regard. If you're suggesting otherwise on the basis of your experience with ONE boat, you might want to review the archives to open your eyes to the broader experience. You'll find that even NEW Hunters have problems with leaks. There have been threads about leaks in 460s. Personally, I am less concerned about the fact that a boat might develop a leak, than how to fix this when it happens. Do you have a better answer for this than has been offered in the many threads on this topic? Here's my experience. Every boat I have owned has developed leaks. The ONLY one where I could not make the boat tight and dry was a Hunter. (Water came out from under the inner pan, and I never did discover all its sources.)
You had a good explanation of what to do about leaks when they develop, rather than the fortune to have a boat that hasn't developed any. Yet. That you know about. Many boats DO develop leaks. The LARGE number of posts on this bulletin board about leaks suggest that Hunters are no better in than other brands in this regard. If you're suggesting otherwise on the basis of your experience with ONE boat, you might want to review the archives to open your eyes to the broader experience. You'll find that even NEW Hunters have problems with leaks. There have been threads about leaks in 460s. Personally, I am less concerned about the fact that a boat might develop a leak, than how to fix this when it happens. Do you have a better answer for this than has been offered in the many threads on this topic? Here's my experience. Every boat I have owned has developed leaks. The ONLY one where I could not make the boat tight and dry was a Hunter. (Water came out from under the inner pan, and I never did discover all its sources.)
K
k d
dry bilge
Ihave a 79 hunter the bilge is almost always dry just a little seepage around the deck stantions on a really hard rain, you might want to look around the lazerette hatch for holes
Ihave a 79 hunter the bilge is almost always dry just a little seepage around the deck stantions on a really hard rain, you might want to look around the lazerette hatch for holes
J
Jeffrey Kline
There NOW
I have a Hunter 27 with a wet bilge. I have been systematically sealing. I think I may have found it and two weeks later I get more. Some water one can deal with. However I am getting water in the the locker under the port berth. After much investigating, I found that it only got there when heeling to the port. At the end of the seaon I believe I found out what is happening. When heeling to the port side, the bildge water is moving up the port side. Directly under the Navigation table, there is a space where all the wiring goes forward. There is no "seal" there so the bilge water slops into the locker. I plan on sealing it with fiberglass. Any other suggestions appreciated.
I have a Hunter 27 with a wet bilge. I have been systematically sealing. I think I may have found it and two weeks later I get more. Some water one can deal with. However I am getting water in the the locker under the port berth. After much investigating, I found that it only got there when heeling to the port. At the end of the seaon I believe I found out what is happening. When heeling to the port side, the bildge water is moving up the port side. Directly under the Navigation table, there is a space where all the wiring goes forward. There is no "seal" there so the bilge water slops into the locker. I plan on sealing it with fiberglass. Any other suggestions appreciated.
J
Joe
Try Expanding Foam
I had the same problem on the starbord side. A small squirt of insulation form in the hole solved the problem. Unlike fiberglass, it is easily removed if you have to later.
I had the same problem on the starbord side. A small squirt of insulation form in the hole solved the problem. Unlike fiberglass, it is easily removed if you have to later.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.