HUNTER 20 centerboard trunk leak

[Annie]

I am purchasing a 1983 Hunter 20 that has been in storage the last 12 years or more. It will be a fixer-upper and this will be my first sailboat purchase although I am not new to sailing or sailboats. The file that was kept on the boat indicated that it had a small leak in the centerboard trunk, but nobody could figure out where it was coming from. I am wondering if there is anyone out there that could shed some light. Perhaps it is an inherent problem?? Where should I start my search? Can anyone recommend a book on surveying old fiberglass boats? What other things should I look for?

 

[Roundaboat]

Known Issue, but fixable

Anne, I bought my h20 (1984) a couple f years ago and the previous owner had a leak as well. His was caused by the boat being moved by marina staff while the keel was down and the lake was in a low water state. The keel hit bottom and stuck while the boat was being towed backwards. The boat was hauled out and the entire keel assembly was taken out (not a DYI job 400 lbs of iron!) and the cracks in the box repaired. I have had no trouble in my two seasons with the boat. I have read other postings over the past two years on this topic. As I inspect the joint between the keel mounts and teh hull there is a substantial amount of caulk sealing it. I expect that the the joint may need to be recaulked and the bolts tighted every few years, depending on use and amount of trailering. If you do drop the keel, you'll want to replace the rope/cable that winches the keel up and down. It is difficult to do with the keel in place. Good luck.Chip-

 

[Bohdan18025]

I hope you're lucky

I had a trunk leak on a H20 that I purchased, that had been sitting in a boat yard for a couple of years. It turns out, my repair guy says, that it had an "event" which damaged the structure. Fixed now, $1,200 later.