Considering a Hunter-23

[grindz145]

These pictures and your post have me confused. When I lift the wooden floor boards on my H23, I see keel bolts in a slightly recessed well. I always assumed that if I were to drill a hole there (which I have no intention of doing) I would come through the hull to the outside of the boat, or possibly into the top of the iron keel. Are you guys saying there is a fiberglass structure under there and there is a gap between that structure and my floor??

In short, yes. Theres a plastic/wood/fiberflass floor, which has a space. Think about it. How else does water get into the bilge underneath the floorboards? There are small holes on either end, underneath the floorboards, where the water filters in through. Kind of a bad design to leave that area inaccessible, but I don't imagine it's as much of an issue when it's not on the trailer, but we'll see.

 

[isaksp00]

There's a flat floor area aft of the aft-most wooden floor insert, and it looks like it is that flat glass area that was cut out in the photos, not the area under the floorboards that has the keel bolts. I assume that is the hull itself in those areas. If that's what your question meant...

 

[Paladin27]

So, just as an update. I went out and unwrapped my H23 over the weekend to prep for spring. I took a good look under the floor boards. There is a small hole that is drilled between the keel area and that under floor area below the cabin step. I believe that is supposed to release any water that might have collected under the floor in that region. So, unless the hole is plugged... I don't see any reason to cut into the floor.

 

[grindz145]

So, just as an update. I went out and unwrapped my H23 over the weekend to prep for spring. I took a good look under the floor boards. There is a small hole that is drilled between the keel area and that under floor area below the cabin step. I believe that is supposed to release any water that might have collected under the floor in that region. So, unless the hole is plugged... I don't see any reason to cut into the floor.

My boat has that same hole, but because it's so small, and it's only in the middle, there was still a ton of water in there. My problem was that I could dry out the bilge area, but then there would be water in it again 30 minutes later. I cut the hole and sucked the water out of that area and now the bilge is 100% dry.

If the bilge area is complete dry on your boat, it probably doesn't matter anyway, but if there's always a little bit of water in there, it means there is ALOT more water somewhere else.

Alternatively, you might want to consider drilling that hole out larger, so that more of the water in the interstitial space drains into the bilge.