Hunter 22

[Jamason]

Just bought a H22. Have not sailed her yet. I've noticed she takes on water when I'm on it all day cleaning but takes on nun when I gone. I know cause I have to manually pump the bilge out. Do you think it could be coming from around my center board? She's my first sailboat. So I want her to be right...

 

[Benny17441]

Check the likely possibility that you may have water pooled in other sides of the hull and then when you are aboard perhaps rocking the boat back and forth it prompts that water to flow into the bilge. It looks like you are in a lake so that does not help to determine if the water may be coming in from a leak in the hull or a rain leak from the deck or cockpit. It is not easy to find water leaks in a boat as they may originate in one place but not show up till another. A trick used by some is to lay talcum powder around suspected places in trying to identify the source. What is really important is the volume of water that you find, I would not concern myself with a trickle but if you are talking 1/2 a gallon or more every time you visit the boat then there would be a need to find and repair that leak.

 

[Jamason]

Thank you Benny. The first part made since. Only been on the boat two different days. The first day I had to pump her out three times and the hatches weren't shut good. So I'm hoping there was water in places I didn't notice that sloshed out. The second time I was on her for a day was four days later and she was still dry. At the end of that day I pumped out maybe a gallon. So maybe that was all it was. Thank you for the reply.

 

[inarathree]

Can you please identify the year of your H22? There are two models - one from the mid-80s and one from the 2Ks.

 

[Jamason]

My H22 is a 1982 model.

 

[Chief RA]

Could be from you using the sink and the sink is running into your bilge. Check the drain hose and be sure it is hooked up properly. Chief

 

[Kermit]

Try peeing *off* the boat.

 

[JamesO256]

My 83 had a leak 1 of them was the y where the cockpit drains come to gather.
Outlet was partly stopped up, I ended up changing all the drain hoses and the through haul valve.

 

[Jamason]

@ Chief RA. I haven't used the sink yet but when I do I'll keep an eye on it. Thank you
@ Kermit. That's what the empty bleach jugs are for.
@ James0256. I think all my plumbing is good so far. Thanks.

I think it was just water that built up in places and when the boat got to moving around with me on it. It went to the bulge. Haven't had no more problems yet..

 

[Jamason]

Bilge

 

[SeaTR]

Jamason,
Do you still have "water in the bilge" ongoing?
Have you located the source of your water intake?
There are only a few locations below the waterline from which the leak can be coming:
--cockpit drain lines
--sink drain line / seacock
--underwater log fitting, if you still have it installed from OE configuration (located inside the port forward salon seat compartment)
--swing keel bolts (4 ea)
The "I've noticed she takes on water when I'm on it all day cleaning but takes on nun when I gone." comment throws a twist into the symptoms. Coincidence or happenstance ??

I have a 1981 H22 swing keel, and the only source of my water ingress for the past 7 years has been from the swing keel bolts.

 

[inarathree]

Agreed. I would suspect its the keel bolts. When you are on the boat and moving around the boat is swaying too. This can cause the keel to "wiggle" around too. If the keel bolts are not tight and sealed, you will get water ingress there. Replacing them in the water is a PIA, but can be done. At next haul out, replace them with new bolts, nuts, washers, and rubber rings.