Hidden Bilge?

[margaritaville]

I have recently purchased an '84 hunter 31. When checking out the sink and preparing to replace the faucet I found some sort of a water holding area under the bottom shelf under the sink. Can anyone tell me were this should drain too? It is holding water. I sponged it out dried it and sprayed to bleach into the area to kill any bat smells. What drains into it and is it suppose to drain into the main bilge? Also what is this hidden bilge I heard about?Paul

 

[Gary]

Mine has a hole drilled....

in the lowest corner and drains under the grate at the companionway, (a hole drilled there too) which really serves no purpose cause water still won't make it to the bilge for pump out. Did you spill water while working on the faucet/sink? If not, what you should worry about is the source of a leak. More than likely, you have a leak in some nearby fresh water plumbing or your water heater. If your water heater is original, it's way past its life span.

 

[Ron Vanderveer]

Similar Problem

PaulI may have had a similar problem to yours, although my boat is a 1982 27. But it sounds like the same thing I wrestled with. I was getting a small pool of water under the galley sink, below the two drawers that are there. It is a closed space under there, so the water pools, and then eventually I think it spills into the bilge or something. The thing was that the leak was intermittent. Finally, I figured out that it was related to rainfall days, and then I sprinkled some baby powder all in the area under the sink, and then up into the locker going aft, and finally saw the path of the leak.I was finally able to trace the leak to where the backstay attaches to the rear starboard rub rail. The rigging guy apparently didn't caulk it well enough during our rigging job a few months ago. I did a quicky caulking job and it may have helped. But the bottom line is you do have a leak and it may be coming from a variety of sources. But it's not supposed to be there, that is not a bilge area. I would get into the big lazerette and really look around for signs of water intrusion.Good luck,Ron

 

[Paul I]

I had a leak there once in my H31

Turned out it was the sea cock (water valve)for the galley sink drain that was leaking at the handle seal. You might try checking that.Paul I

 

[SeaRanch (Bill)]

Hidden Spaces (not Bilge)

The Hunter 31 has "spaces" under the interliner. There is usually a hole drilled to let those spaces drain to the bilge. The area under my sink does not have a drain hole and since my through hull does not leak, I do not plan on drilling a hole into the space between the interliner and the hull. In the H31 there are some of these spaces that will never drain to the bilge and will stay moist till they air dry. Ever take out your speed wheel and wonder where that small amount of water goes? I purchased a devise that contractors use to look into walls, it has a 3ft flexable tube that I use to look in those spaces that can not be seen before I drill holes or run hoses or wire. You probably have a leak in the through hull under the sink if the water tastes like salt or the sink drain or hot water heater if the water does not taste like salt.