Take a look at the photo associated with this article. After cutting away fiberglass laminate from the plywood bulkhead that separates the main cabin from the under-lazarette bilge, I found 3 holes. Previously I used a straw through a limber hole near the keel bolts in the main cabin and a wet-vac to extract the water from between the hull and sole-liner. But no more. The manufacturer recommends that these "weep holes" be left open.
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HAH!
Wonderfull! My 1985 does not have these holes at all but I will look to add them soon. My rear bilge is completely sealed from the cabin area. http://www.teamseacats.com/hunter/
Wonderfull! My 1985 does not have these holes at all but I will look to add them soon. My rear bilge is completely sealed from the cabin area. http://www.teamseacats.com/hunter/
What year is your H23?
my boat is an 86. i am about to go the same place. my issue is water in the back keelbolt area which is obviously coming up from between the double hulls. i am reasonably sure that my keel/hull joint is sealed. but, i do have some pre existing damage in this bulkhead laserette area, (rot), that i want to take care of. its not terminal looking but if left unattended will become that way. i am very curious about the double hull construction layout. for instance, since i seem to only get water in the back keelbolt area, not the middle or front areas, are there bulkheads under the sole between the inner and outer hulls that possibly seperate these 3 keelbolt areas? if so, and there is water here, that's not good. my laserette itself stays bone dry. have you figured-out the construction details under the sole? in my case, since the bulkhead damage doesn't look too serious i was considering using some "get rot" and then reglassing the joint. then to then keep the area between the hulls dry i was thinking small bilge pump mounted between the hull and sole back near the rear bulkhead. i think a 3 1/2" rule would fit between the hulls and then cover and gasket the hole i cut to install it. i was planning on running the output side of the small pump about where the middle hole in your picture is and from there out the transom....or maybe just "T-ing" into the pre existing hose i already have running from my rule 1500 which is already mounted in the laserette just aft of our bulkhead and plumbed out the transom. (drilling here and finding a pre existing "pipe" would be an interesting situation!). if there are bulkheads under the sole a pump back here would only take care of the back area. have you per chance tried to run a long rod up the holes to see how far they go or what you run into? kudos for your persistance.... william
my boat is an 86. i am about to go the same place. my issue is water in the back keelbolt area which is obviously coming up from between the double hulls. i am reasonably sure that my keel/hull joint is sealed. but, i do have some pre existing damage in this bulkhead laserette area, (rot), that i want to take care of. its not terminal looking but if left unattended will become that way. i am very curious about the double hull construction layout. for instance, since i seem to only get water in the back keelbolt area, not the middle or front areas, are there bulkheads under the sole between the inner and outer hulls that possibly seperate these 3 keelbolt areas? if so, and there is water here, that's not good. my laserette itself stays bone dry. have you figured-out the construction details under the sole? in my case, since the bulkhead damage doesn't look too serious i was considering using some "get rot" and then reglassing the joint. then to then keep the area between the hulls dry i was thinking small bilge pump mounted between the hull and sole back near the rear bulkhead. i think a 3 1/2" rule would fit between the hulls and then cover and gasket the hole i cut to install it. i was planning on running the output side of the small pump about where the middle hole in your picture is and from there out the transom....or maybe just "T-ing" into the pre existing hose i already have running from my rule 1500 which is already mounted in the laserette just aft of our bulkhead and plumbed out the transom. (drilling here and finding a pre existing "pipe" would be an interesting situation!). if there are bulkheads under the sole a pump back here would only take care of the back area. have you per chance tried to run a long rod up the holes to see how far they go or what you run into? kudos for your persistance.... william
Hmm!
I have a 1985 also and have not seen these "weep holes". I have water re-apearing in the aftmost depresion and the forward most depresion. The forward location has a hole forward. Is this water from the anchor locker area?
I have a 1985 also and have not seen these "weep holes". I have water re-apearing in the aftmost depresion and the forward most depresion. The forward location has a hole forward. Is this water from the anchor locker area?
Reply to Larry and William
My H23 is the 1985 model year. The holes are not attached to pipes. I have run a 3-foot rod through the holes to check for obstructions and additional bulkheads between the soleliner and hull. I'll reply again after checking for obstructions all the way to the foremost set of keel bolts. With the weepholes opened up, I think a single water pump located near the holes will effectively remove water from the bilge area, including under the sole. Because of how the H23 is constructed, I don't think water leaking from the anchor locker will reach the bilge area under the sole. This water should be trapped from reaching the bilge area under the sole. Open the hatch on the vee-birth and take a good look and you should see why. The most likely source of water entering the bilge area between the soleliner and hull is the keel-to-hull seal. As I have stated in previous posts to the Hunter 23 thread, all boats leak. (We H23 owners are just a little bit nutty about chasing down and sealing all points of possible water intrusion! But then, an H23 is just a oversized dinghy with a keel, and how many dinghies have you seen with through-hulls?) A little "weeping" around the keel-to-hull seal detected near the keel bolt area is not a problem. With respect to repairs, using "Git Rot" is one possibility. It's main ingredient is epoxy. At least one other epoxy resin manufacturer suggests that their epoxy resin can also be used to repair rotted wood and gives explicit directions for using their product, which incidently is less expensive than "Git Rot."
My H23 is the 1985 model year. The holes are not attached to pipes. I have run a 3-foot rod through the holes to check for obstructions and additional bulkheads between the soleliner and hull. I'll reply again after checking for obstructions all the way to the foremost set of keel bolts. With the weepholes opened up, I think a single water pump located near the holes will effectively remove water from the bilge area, including under the sole. Because of how the H23 is constructed, I don't think water leaking from the anchor locker will reach the bilge area under the sole. This water should be trapped from reaching the bilge area under the sole. Open the hatch on the vee-birth and take a good look and you should see why. The most likely source of water entering the bilge area between the soleliner and hull is the keel-to-hull seal. As I have stated in previous posts to the Hunter 23 thread, all boats leak. (We H23 owners are just a little bit nutty about chasing down and sealing all points of possible water intrusion! But then, an H23 is just a oversized dinghy with a keel, and how many dinghies have you seen with through-hulls?) A little "weeping" around the keel-to-hull seal detected near the keel bolt area is not a problem. With respect to repairs, using "Git Rot" is one possibility. It's main ingredient is epoxy. At least one other epoxy resin manufacturer suggests that their epoxy resin can also be used to repair rotted wood and gives explicit directions for using their product, which incidently is less expensive than "Git Rot."
Thanks Kevin
it would seem logical to me for hunter to have put some form of support, (bulkheads), between the inner and outer hulls under the sole to support weight. it too would seem logical to put limber holes in these seperating bulkheads....but then, it would have also have seemed logical to me for hunter to have left the holes you found to the laserette open,(a convenient place to remove any water from), and not glassed over. (i find no holes there either on my 86 so its apparantly not an "aftermarket" glassing you found). i'm anxious to hear what you find with a longer probe under the sole. i would like to hear that you can feel all the way to the v berth. right now i am in the process of removing my keel bolts one at a time, cleaning the remains of what lookes to have once been a paper gasket off the glass of the inner hull, and replacing with new ss washers and some sealant. (i haven't decieded what to use for sealant yet but i'm leaning toward a thin coat of blue rtv. i'll tighten one up and let it set overnight and then torque to 50ft/lb and do another. when they're all done i'll finish torqueing to 55ft/lb as per hunter specs. i only started last weekend so i just now have the first nut and washers off and need to drill out the washers for a 1/2" stud...(size/diameter of the old washers dictated that i could not use a 1/2" fender washer, but have to drill-out some 3/8" fender washers to fit the same old washer footprint. you're right about us 23 owners being a little anal about a bit of water. either other size boats don't leak or we are just a finnicky lot
. to me its like a faucet dripping. while not life or death, "it just ain't supposed to be that way"! truthfully, resealing my keelbolts won't satisfy me either. its a band-aid. inside will stay dry but i won't rest till i know that between the hulls is dry and i don't have sole supports/bulkheads rotting because water is sitting between them. appreciate your help. maybe i'll get out the digital camera and document some of what i do too for future 23 owners. btw, the "Get rot" that i use is finish resin cut about 6:1, (and last coat 4:1), w/ acetone. regards~ william
it would seem logical to me for hunter to have put some form of support, (bulkheads), between the inner and outer hulls under the sole to support weight. it too would seem logical to put limber holes in these seperating bulkheads....but then, it would have also have seemed logical to me for hunter to have left the holes you found to the laserette open,(a convenient place to remove any water from), and not glassed over. (i find no holes there either on my 86 so its apparantly not an "aftermarket" glassing you found). i'm anxious to hear what you find with a longer probe under the sole. i would like to hear that you can feel all the way to the v berth. right now i am in the process of removing my keel bolts one at a time, cleaning the remains of what lookes to have once been a paper gasket off the glass of the inner hull, and replacing with new ss washers and some sealant. (i haven't decieded what to use for sealant yet but i'm leaning toward a thin coat of blue rtv. i'll tighten one up and let it set overnight and then torque to 50ft/lb and do another. when they're all done i'll finish torqueing to 55ft/lb as per hunter specs. i only started last weekend so i just now have the first nut and washers off and need to drill out the washers for a 1/2" stud...(size/diameter of the old washers dictated that i could not use a 1/2" fender washer, but have to drill-out some 3/8" fender washers to fit the same old washer footprint. you're right about us 23 owners being a little anal about a bit of water. either other size boats don't leak or we are just a finnicky lot
. to me its like a faucet dripping. while not life or death, "it just ain't supposed to be that way"! truthfully, resealing my keelbolts won't satisfy me either. its a band-aid. inside will stay dry but i won't rest till i know that between the hulls is dry and i don't have sole supports/bulkheads rotting because water is sitting between them. appreciate your help. maybe i'll get out the digital camera and document some of what i do too for future 23 owners. btw, the "Get rot" that i use is finish resin cut about 6:1, (and last coat 4:1), w/ acetone. regards~ william- Status