Finally stopped the leaking!

Apr 11, 2020
708
MacGregor 26s Scott's Landing, Grapevine TX
Since I bought my Hunter 170 ('98 model) at the end of March 2020, I have been plagued by an excessive amount of water finding its way into the hull. On average, I was taking on about a gallon of water for every hour sailed. I tried sealing all the easy spots: rub rail, bilge plug mount, motor mount, rudder mount, etc. all to no avail. I sealed up the bottom seam and fore and aft seams in the centerboard trunk. Didn't help.

Finally, I started working on the gap between the hull and the deck inside the centerboard trunk. For some reason, the deck is not sealed to the hull in this area. Water splashes up into this area while sailing, and a significant (to me) amount of water finds its way into the hull. I started by sealing the most obvious gap at the uppermost aft section of the trunk, but the boat still took on water. I then worked on sealing the top of the trunk (where it meets the deck) all the way forward to the centerboard opening. When I tested it by spraying water up into the trunk from beneath, it was still getting in. Third time was a charm, though. I used a piece of 1" PVC pipe to apply silicon sealant, one large dab at a time, to the joint where the trunk meets the deck. I did it until I could visually confirm that all I was seeing was sealant without any gap.

After a four-hour excursion on a pretty windy day, I was pleased to find I had taken on only about a quart of water. That I can live with.
 
Apr 11, 2020
708
MacGregor 26s Scott's Landing, Grapevine TX
I did the Google search suggested. Didn't find anything relevant to the Hunter 170. I browsed through the links presented, but did not find anything that could apply to my situation.

"keel trunk gasket hunter 170" yielded no relevant results either.

Even were I able to find a gasket to go between the hull and the deck for the Hunter 170, short of cutting the deck free, how would one install it? Accessing that area is extremely difficult.

I offered my post as a solution that worked for me, and that might work for others experiencing the same problem. If you know of a better fix, please share the details. Maybe it would save someone else the trouble I went through to finally resolve the problem.