H26 V Berth leak: anchor locker, drain or worse?

Jul 31, 2017
47
Hunter 26 TBD
Found 2 gallons of water in my v berth the other day. Trying to pinpoint:
  • Did not have this last season
  • it does freeze here for several months
  • We have had some torrential rain this year
  • We had 8 people at the table a few weeks ago
  • our water ballast tower is always full to the brim/ almost overflowing
  • We already repaired the underwater transom before it started leaking
  • We recently re sealed the thru hull sensors with 4200
  • the cabin floor, and bilge, and rear are all bone dry
  • we are fresh water so can't test for salt vs fresh
  • The compression pole (under the mast) tower looks dry and has a lot of sealant on it.
  • We have a portable toilet, not a head
  • There is no fresh water tank up front, and we do not use water on the boat anyways.
I "Feel" like the water is probably leaking in from the anchor locker drain thru hull, back into the very tip of the boat which is glassed in, and there are some small holes at the bottom that would let water leak from there into the v berth. It also ended up in front of the v berth under the seats, where there is a diving wall in between that has some water damage and blistered gelcoat.

Questions:
  1. How the heck do you replace the thru hulls for the anchor locker with that plastic liner inside the cabin? Are they the standard 3/4 plastic 90 degree ones?
  2. If your ballast drain and air vent plug are not perfectly tight, will you conceivably take on water with too much weight? our transom is always 2" under water even without anyone on the boat with a heavy honda 9.9 outboard and 2 large batteries in the back.
  3. Where else should i look for a leak?
My next steps are some food coloring or pool dye in the anchor locker plus a few gallons of water, as well as pre-emptively replacing the anchor locker drain if it's a feasible job.
 
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Dec 2, 2003
751
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
Is your water only in the v-birth, under the v-birth or in the area under the front and/or side settees? Is the water clean, somewhat muddy or?

In the past on our 260 water in the area under the v birth has come from 2 sources.

1st was water leaking from fresh water system - once from push in pipe connectors becoming loose/disconnecting and once from a failure in the pressure water pump.

2nd leak was from a failed thruhull valve in the head. sink drain. -water had frozen around ball valve and split outer casting.

In this case water travelled under the port settee to under the central settee and into the v birth area.

Given what you said about the number of guests aboard though I would likely look at the area at the base of the compression post as it has also been known to leak when forced below the water line due to loading. Assuming you have the cover still in place there, lift it, place some tissue paper around the tower, then get your friends to come back aboard for a bit, see if they remain dry.

Drain and vent area could also be a possibility - again a bit of tissue and have your friends back.

The last spot I would check would likely be the hull/deck connection by the rudder. This area has also been known to fail in some boats. Talcum powder or tissues spread out in the area behind the aft bulkhead will help. Indicate if this was the area leaking.

I would consider the hull/deck joint unlikely unless you are getting the water in when going out more lightly loaded or it is leaking on a more regular basis.
 
Jul 31, 2017
47
Hunter 26 TBD
Thanks @twalker H260
  • The 26 doesn't have fresh water in the v berth, just tiny fresh water tanks under each sink
  • We do not use the fresh water system at all, and have a portable toilet
  • the water was murky brown, there is mud/dirt in the anchor locker, but it could pass for lake water too
  • I did check around the compression post and it looked dry at the bottom with a good amount of newer sealant all around, I will try the tissue trick
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
My next steps are some food coloring or pool dye in the anchor locker plus a few gallons of water, as well as pre-emptively replacing the anchor locker drain if it's a feasible job.
That is a good idea.

Water leaks are tough to find. The water can be getting in just about anyplace and then traveling a ways behind the liner before exiting.
 
Dec 2, 2003
751
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
Not sure if you can get access to an inspection camera -if you can, you can look forwards along the top of the ballast tank from the access hatches under the aft birth. This might help in tracking the location a bit.

You mention new sealant at base of compression post. Does it attempt to seal the base of the tower to the floor liner or is it open between the two? Crazy Dave has talked about how to properly seal this area in the past.

If sealed floor to tower you may not get an indication with the tissues but could still be getting water coming in below.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Your idea of dye is good. Might want to put dye in your ballast tank also
 
Jul 31, 2017
47
Hunter 26 TBD
@twalker H260 the sealant is all over the metal plat at the bottom of the compression post onto the top of the tower. I can lift the wood cover and see underneath the floor around the post tower.

Thanks for all the replies.

If anyone knows how to replace the anchor locker thru hulls which seem to be behind/above the plastic ceiling let me know!
 
Dec 2, 2003
751
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
Not sure on the 26 but on the 260 I believe the anchor locker fittings are behind the small wood panel right at the bow of the vberth.

I’ll try to get you a photo in a bit.
 
Jul 31, 2017
47
Hunter 26 TBD
@twalker H260 those are both excellent links thanks. I did not see any visible way to remove that "forward V Berth cover plate " as @Crazy Dave Condon mentioned, but will take another look.

We are using dock lines to the bow eye vs. bow cleats for our foreward dock lines so maybe that is ill advised as well.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Hatch access on the 260:

Assuming yours is similar there should be one screw in each of the lower corners - remove them slide bottom up and out. (One is just visible in lower left. Vberth mattress does need to be removed.
The 26 is the same.
 

BrianW

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Jan 7, 2005
843
Hunter 26 Guntersville Lake, (AL)
My 1994 H26 had a fresh water tank in the compartment below the V-berth that leaked. When it leaked, it collected in the port compartment under the seat. I removed the tank because of the leak and the water always smelled dank. Also, I discovered a leak from my anchor locker. Debris in my anchor locked clogged up the drain. In a downpour, the anchor locker would fill and leaked through an access plate located higher up on the “wall” of the locker. The water ended up in the port seat compartment. Once I cleared the clogged anchor locker drain and removed my leaking water tank, the water problems were resolved.

While I was troubleshooting these leaks, I removed the wooden plate mentioned in a comment above to inspect the space behind it. From this access point, you can inspect the flexible hose connecting the anchor locker drain to the thru hull drain. You also can access the bow eye and bow cleat(s) backing plates and bolt/nuts and the bow navigation light wiring.
 
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Jul 31, 2017
47
Hunter 26 TBD
@BrianW thanks! can you recall if the anchor locker drain uses 2 of the 90 degree 3/4" thru hulls? a 90 in the bottom of the locker and another 90 on the side of the boat? it's the only "compatible part" in the store and i was thinking of just getting 2.
 

BrianW

.
Jan 7, 2005
843
Hunter 26 Guntersville Lake, (AL)
I’m pretty sure the anchor locker only uses one of the thru hulls. BrianW
 
Apr 11, 2014
97
Hunter 260 Lake Lanier
I had a leak in my anchor locker drain earlier this year. As the boat sat on the trailer, it had a slight up pitch. The water would collect in the anchor locker and leak at the thru hull. It would then gather in, what I later learned to be, the cockpit table holder recess in the bow there at the V-berth. It was even leaking so bad that it would overfill and run into the galley area.

I disassembled the thru hull and used Butyl tape around the thru hull on the locker side. Tightened it up and leak checked with a few buckets of water.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,026
-na -NA Anywhere USA
When you take off that forward V Berth cover you will find it to be tight. Suggest trimming a little very little so it will not be so tight going back in