H260 sole softness

[MikeH]

I stepped into the salon today and the section of the sole in front of the head squished slightly, like there was a thin, wet sponge below it. No water came out, there is no evidence of delamination or spotting, and all other parts of the sole seem solid. I checked the bilge and there is about an inch of water (less than activates my relocated-lower bilge pump) - but I've had an inch of water before and never gotten this condition.Being a DIY guy, my first urge is to cut the black caulk from around the sole and lift it out to see what's happening down there. I've checked the archives and found all sorts of posts on this, and now I'm worried that it might be fastened with adhesive other than just what is around the edges - giving me the chance to damage it beyond repair when I lift it.The sole is not screwed down. Has anyone successfully removed a H260 sole that was purely glued down, and how?

 

[soling42]

Hatch leak?

I've also seen a mystery leak and have just about exhausted all the leads in the Knowledge base. Being optimistic, yours sound like leakage from the hatch. I'm pretty sure the only thing under the sole at that point is the top of the ballast tank or maybe just a recess in the floor liner for the sole material. I'll be watching to see if there's more to your issue(sure hope not).I'd also be curious about relocating the bilge pump as you mentioned. There's very little that could be accomplished by moving mine but I'm open to any ideas. What year was your 260?Michael

 

[George]

H260 Sole

Are you the first owner? The caulk on my H260 is white - probably 3M 4200 or 5200. Maybe the PO had fixed a leak in that area?I agree with Michael that I'd make sure you were not getting water from some other place. I had a couple of small leaks but now the boat is dry. My guess is you are getting water from the hatch above or water sloshed out from the tank vent hole. One possibility is that you've poked a hole in the top of the tank. I scratched the floor under the sink with a screwdriver and that eventually resulted in a leak.Tips on finding leaks go to this link:http://kobernus.com/hunter260/H260_leaks.htmlLet us know what you find so we can add this one to the database.

 

[MikeH]

H260 sole

Michael, mine is a 1998 model H260. It's had two PO's, both originally on Long Island. She's now on Lake Erie, and I've replaced several salt-corroded items. I've checked hose clamps and thru-hulls, and tightened everything.I've also had a couple hatch leaks. However, at rest the boat is slightly stern-heavy because I have my house batteries in the aft behind the berth. When it rains and if I get a hatch leak (occasionally), the water pools around the foot of the companionway stairs and near the galley - both areas are fiberglass before they join with the sole. Usually any leaked water doesn't reach the sole. The softness is 2-3 ft forward of that area.As to my bilge pump, mine was originally mounted on small riser under the aft berth - a thicker section of fiberglass. That section is about 2" higher than a lower point about 1 foot forward, just behind the rear of the water ballast tank. I relocated the pump to that lower section, just as a precaution, and then used the thick section to drill through and mount my speed & depth sensors. (If I do remove the sole, and find room, I'll consider relocating it again to under the sole with a custom access cover.)George, if you just scratched the top of the WB tank and eventually got a leak, then I'm going to check my fresh water pump in the bow. I secured that to the top of the WB tank in front of the reservoir, and I'm sure I scratched the surface with tools doing so.I'll let you know what I find, and I promise that if I do resort to removing the sole to inspect under it I'll take pictures and post them. Wish me luck.

 

[soling42]

could it have frozen with ballast water in it?

Just a wild guess from a guy who, in his 49+/-yrs, has never seen a hard snow, much less a frozen lake. Although I have left a cold brew in the freezer too long with unhappy consequences. I would hope that this would not be your problem(frozen ballast that is). Maybe a driving rain from the stern has blown water through the companionway slats, into the boat. I actually had that happen to ours when it was on a lift. Lots more water than I'd have imagined. Hope you figure it out soon. Michael

 

[MikeH]

No frozen ballast

Michael, your idea makes me smile and hurts at the same time. I can't imagine not having winter without snow and ice - although I'd love to try it at least once! Every fall we're very careful to get the ballast drained and the boat stored level so no residual water remains.Hunter Service emailed me back again this morning (they are great people) and said the area under the sole is just like the rest of the fiberglass pan, and when they install the floor they just run beads of caulk randomly across the pan and set the floor in place. I had thought that it was a lattice or honeycomb supporting the sole around the WB tank, but I guess not.Therefore I'm concluding that the squishiness must be coming from above. I have solar vents in the boat that run constantly when I'm away, and it has been both rainy and hot here, so my theory is that I got a leak from the hatchway, some of the water soaked into the sole, the rest of the puddle evaporated and I found the sole in its condition before it dried out.Next I'll do a close examination of the sole and edge caulk to see if I can locate a place where the water might be soaking into the wood.Thanks guys, you're great sources of ideas!

 

[Ashley]

Hey Mike

When we bought our 260(used) 3 1/2 years ago, our floor had the same issues. The PO didn't have a companionway cover and I assumed (right or wrong) that the water was coming in through the notorious companionway leak and somehow making its way under the floor where it had no way to exit. Floor insert squished when you walked on it and I seem to remember you could see some bubbles around the edges. We bought our boat brokered through a hunter dealer who voluntarily replaced the floor with a new one. He cut the caulk, removed the floor, dried the pan out and put down a new floor. He used 2 large batteries to weigh the floor down until the caulk dried. The first thing I did after closing on the boat was install a companionway cover. We haven't had any issues with the floor since, although occasionaly I can see where a small amount of water pools in the corner of the floor where the galley meets the rear bunk. Its a very small amount and only seems to appear after a really heavy rain. The cover is not completely waterproof is my guess. Hope you get it fixed. Ashley

 

[MikeH]

That's an idea

Thanks Ashley. We might have to invest in a companionway cover. I was washing the boat down yesterday, doing some serious scrubbing and spraying with everything closed up, and when I opened I saw water in all sorts of little spatters on the floor - not just dribbled into the galley corner. The hatch already has the snaps for the pop-top cover, so maybe I can buy or make a cover to protect from the water. Everything else I've checked comes up null, so maybe the hatchway is the culprit.Thanks everyone!