H26/H260 water leak

[George H260]

I can't find the source of water leaks in two locations. In the past, never had any water accumulation.1. Under the galley sink. I've capped off the water line but still get standing water. The only place it could be coming from is the thru-hull. Closed the valve & still have an inch of water after a sail. Thru-hull looks dry.2. Bilge. Three possible sources: a. Compression post has a little rust at the base but I've put towel around the post and it is dry after sail. b. Overflow from ballast valve. I've tried to make sure I close/plug the valve but still have water in bilge after sail.c. Deck/hull seam at stern. The area behind the aft wall always appears dry but a couple of inches of water always in bilge after sail. At the dock this seam is only an inch or so above water. This seam is under water most of the time we're sailing and I've always assumed this is normal.Any suggestions or experience with leaks from H26/260 owners will be appreciated.

 

[John Baumgartner]

heres an idea

A couple of things to check. Make sure the sink drains thru hull and hose are tight and in one piece and the loop in the hose is in place. The thru hull does degrade after awhile because of ultra-violet and ozone. Second unscrew the 4 very small screws that hold down the inspection 2 piece cover over the center board trunk and see if any water or signs of any water came up thru there. I have also taken off the gray rubber strip and the aluminum and re 3M5200ed the deck to hull joint back aft. MY $.02 worth. A Hunter 260 with a dry bilge owner. Baums Rush, John

 

[Tom2909]

H260 - check stern light wire...

George,I had a problem on my H260 (1999) where the stern light wire passes through the deck under the helm seat. The caulk had pulled away and water washing up from astern could find its way into the bilge. Heeled to starboard, the water would find its way into the aft bunk.It took a while to trace it down and I eventually identified the problem with a garden hose dousing all the potential water entry points, and looking inside to see when water appeared. Spreading old towels around suspected areas helps to identify where water is coming from.I've read about stern area hull to deck joint problem on the H260, and took the rub rail off to check mine out, but it looked OK.Another leakey spot is where the centerboard control line passes through under the mast to enter the compression post. The problem is actually the seal between the centerpost and the deck. If the original caulk has seperated, which mine did after about 3 years, then you start to get water inside the headliner during a rain. From there is tends to leak into the light above the table and onto the table itself. It probably has a tendancy to run forward, too. It is really hard to caulk back behind the centerboard line turning block.Hope this helps...Tom

 

[sailrj]

Check under deck/hull joint at hull

I had a similar problem after a good days sail, especially if we had our 1999 H260 heeled hard and was loaded. The aft bunk would be wet on the sides and there would be water up to the bilge pump. I looked for the source for two years with no luck and Hunter had no idea (or they would not tell me). Finally with the boat on the trailer and the stern rub rail off, I saw a hair line crack on the bottom side of the joint all the way across the stern and up the port and starboard. As a temporary fix, I cleaned the crack and sealed it with 3M 5200 all the way across the stern and above the water line on both sides. So far, there has not been any more water in the bilge. I plan on a more permanent fix when I take it out of the water this winter.