H34 water below v-berth

[Charlie98117]

I apparently have a leak somewhere forward and was hoping someone could save me some time searching and point me towards likely suspects.

Was checking the in the hatch below the v-berth and noticed water in there. It wasn't salt water and it's at a higher elevation than the fresh water tanks so I'm guessing it has to be rainwater getting in somehow. It's not much water and thinking back I recall I had to dry it out a year and a half ago when I replaced the transducer located there. I've never noticed wetness at the v-berth ceiling or walls. Is there any experience out there with anchor locker problems or a hull joint?

 

[Allan12210]

A few of the possible sources:

The bow light wiring emerges from the pulpit port side and goes through a hole drilled into the deck.

The anchor locker latch pin slides into a hole in the deck. Water can leak in there.

The anchor locker drain hose is cracked.

 

[Charlie98117]

Thanks Alan. I knew some of you guys would have ideas.

I have no sealant at the bow light wire hole so that is a likely suspect and an easy fix, I'll have to take care of that. But as you see in the photo, the anchor latch pin is really bad, I was wondering where that open cavity would drain. I've been thinking I want to cut it out, fill it with epoxy and start over, guess I should get that done this summer.

 

[BigEasy]

Charlie, I had a 1988 Hunter 33.5; not the same as a H34, but many similarities. There was a small compartment forward of the water tank that always retained water. Was there when I bought the boat & surveyor said that it was likely rain water leaking from above. There was a enough of a retaining wall in front of the water tank that prevented ingress of water into the water tank compartment and bilge. Apparently the fiberglass had delaminated at the anchor locker drain on the stem very close to the water line. Might have been damaged by previous owner collision?? The delamination was actually inside the drain hole at the lower border, so it was just about impossible to to see. In fact it took me about a year before I finally found it!! Was a simple repair to reglass the delamination.

 

[Allan12210]

Charlie, that anchor latch looks like mine did. I had one of these plastic plugs laying around. It was just the right length. I just pumped a bunch of sealant into that hole after drilling it out a little more and inserted the plug. Now the anchor lock goes into it and there is no leak.

Good luck.

Allan

 

[kloudie1]

I had and fixed all three problems that Allan mentioned.. My anchor locker drain hose was not cracked but the thru-hull itself cracked at a thread root

 

[Dreamcatcher67]

I pulled everything out of the V berth last spring and when I say everything every last piece of wood,tank,headliner,closets,
i mean right to the hull. After I was done I was wondering where the water was coming from to rot all the wood, looking around I noticed a beam of light shining in I traced it to the anchor locker latch, hunter just drilled a hole into the boat compromising the water tight integrity of its own product. On another note on my boats maiden voyage after working on the boat for months 10 min. into the cruise there was an inch of water on the floor in the V berth I was in a panic but thank goodness i was with a guy with a lot of time on a sailboat. I mopped up and a couple of rolls of paper towels seamed to cure the problem. Come to find out the Ice chest drain hose was not hooked up and as we got under way the water from the ice chest that i had stocked the day before all ran up to the V berth probably cause I had just filled the water tank under the V berth with 70 gallons of water.

 

[Fast Ed]

I had some water under my V-berth a couple of years ago, and it turned a nice greenish color. Turns out that it was condensation. We have a lot of humidity here, and sometimes it rains inside the boat. Put in a dehumidifier!

 

[Puesta del sol]

I had a leak a few years Ago. Took out most of the items in the vberth. I sat in side with a bright light. I had my son slowly work a hose for stern to bow (starting where the vberth started). As he moved forward we found the leak. In my old 91 passage the original roller furling system went below deck. It had been replaced however the hardware had not and was leaking around one of the screws.