Help with a leak

[Hunter 290 by Bruce]

I own a 2000 Hunter 290 on which I have a leak that I cannot identify. Have checked all thru hulls and stuffing box, nothing there I can see. The water fills the box stringer that goes across the beam just under the steps at the forward part of the engine compartment. The boat collects about 2 to 3 gallons of water in a 24 hour period. The boat has never been grounded.

Does anyone else have a similar experience and what did you do?

Thanks for any help.

Bruce

 

[Mark Ferrick]

Talcum power

I am not sure what it could be, not knowing your boat, but I have read that you can sprinkle talcum power ( or line chalk but that is harder to clean) and the water should leave a trail leading you to the source ( thats the plan anyway ). 2-3 Gallons/24 hours should not be too hard to spot.

 

[Don12364]

2-3 gals per 24 hrs is a serious amount of water ingress so you should be able to see where it is entering the boat. The only place you might not spot the hole is if it is actually under where the water gathers. Suggest bailing it dry and then drying the remainder with a sponge and then a rag and then watching carefully.
Mark F's talcum test is the usual recommendation.
Fresh Water or salt? Test by dipping finger in and tasting! Unlikely to be fresh unless it rains a lot in your area but this should give a clue to where to look.

Consider also the leak might not be continuous but only when something else is going on - like engine running (or pumping toilet -ugghhh.)

 

[timvg]

The talcum powder works great. By using powder, I once found a leak in in my aft hatch area that was coming in thru where the deck and hull are joined at the end of the boat.

In the meantime, I would recommend that you close all of your thru-hulls. Water could be leaking from a hose or fitting after it passes the thru-hull. If that stops the leak, open one thru-hull at a time and continue exploring. Considering where you find the water, I would suggest taking a close look at the raw water cooling systema, anti-siphon valve/pipe, raw water strainer, and associated hoses.

 

[timvg]

One more thing. Does this happen when you are sailing or motoring, or does it happen at the dock.

 

[jtm]

In my marina a fellow was resealing the toerail all around on his Newport - because the toerail was rubbing on the post and it opened up the seam between the cabin mold and the hull. He was surprised how much rainwater he had accumulated. Sounds like something you should checkout.