H26 water from beneath teak sole

[Charles Atnip]

It sounds like I may have a similar problem to Dean from last week. The aft port corner of the teak sole (just outside the head) is quite springy and if enough weight is applied a small amount of water oozes (or even squirts) up from around the edge. It's only at that corner. Does this mean my water ballast tank is leaking and if so what do I have to do? What other damage might be occuring due to this?

 

[Ron Mehringer]

Companionway Hatch?

One of the most common, and easiest to fix, leaks on these boats is the companionway hatch. So before fretting too much about a leaking ballast tank, try to rule out the hatch first. I always found my teak sole was wet after it rained. One day I was on the boat during a downpour and sure enough, there was a steady drip from above. It was coming thru one of the screw holes in the plexiglass companionway hatch at the forward end. Others have had problems where the water simply ran around the wood strip that's on top of the plexi and then in. I removed the hatch, then unscrewed the wood strip. Applied a liberal amount of clear silicone caulk underneath the strip and screwed it back on. Haven't had a single drop since then. Hopefully your cure will be as simple.Good luck.Ron Ms/v Hydro-Therapy

 

[Corky]

Head?

I had water in this area when I had a leak from my head. Might look there.Corky

 

[Dave Condon]

floor

The teak and holly sole floor is glued to a recessed section of the floor pan which has no bearing on the water ballast tank. If water gets on the floor and the seal around the floor is broken, that means you have water trapped between the floor and floor pan.Ron,s suggestion is the probably cause and solution. Thanks Ron.Crazy Dave

 

[Charles Atnip]

Thanks for the help!

Thanks Dave, Corky and Ron. Dave's comments were particularly encouraging. It makes sense because it's not a continual thing. Happy sailing!

 

[Rick Engel]

H26 water from below

I just purchased a 1996 H26, thanks to this website. Everything has been quite astounding, except for the problem you mentioned. We had water in the side-berth compartments, & around the inspection hole across from the head. My first concern was the ballast tank.I phoned a technical rep with Hunters, & he informed me that it would be ok to seal off those storage compartments. I used a 4 inch piece of styrofoam & sylicone. As well, I recocked the area around the pipe (above the table), just below the base of the mast. Finally, we took off the hatch, & cleaned up that little piece of wood underneath the plexiglass. Last night we had a large downpour, & I haven't had a chance to see if my hard work paid off. However, after the last couple of days of sailing, it is clear the water is not from the ballast tank. Without the rain, everything remained dry. The rep also suggested that I place a small amount of food dye in the tank. That would allow me to see if it is rain water or ballast water. If anyone has some other suggestions on keeping these boats relatively waterproof, please let me know!Rick Engel