Hunter 23

[abutkus03@sbcglobal.net]

I just bought a Hunter 23 with a wing keel. I put it in the water for the first time this weekend and it appears to be leaking water through the holes that connect the keel to the boat. Is it possible to reseal this unit?

 

[Jim Kolstoe]

short answer:yes

But don't leave it in the water until you're done. No boats, including the wing keel h23s, should have any water coming up through the keel bolts. (A book I got my daughter Kara stated that the first and most important task of a sailor was to keep the water outside the boat - everything else was secondary). If you are sure that it is not water coming from other areas of your boat (there are small holes that allow limited motion of water in the "bilges" of the structural pan that supports the keel), then you need to get the leak taken care of ASAP. Discussions of identifiying and fixing leaks from the keel are common on this site and a visit to the archives will help you understand the nature and risks of the problem, as well as approaches for determining the extent of the problem and appropriate fixes. I (knock on wood, throw salt over my shoulder, grab a 4-leaf clover and a rabbit's foot, etc.) have not had this problem, so I can't advise you from personal experience.
Good luck to you. Once the leak problem is resolved, I think you will find the h23 a fun, family friendly and reasonably fast boat.
Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo

 

[RobertG-NJ]

Are you sure it isn't coming from the weepholes near the keelbolts? That water comes from other sources. Check the small boat forum for similar posts on water in the H23. Often it is from rain water from around various hardware or a leaking cockpit drain hose. Since you just put it in it might be a leak at the scupper hose connection or might have been hiding elsewhere (under the cockpit) if the boat wasnt level. Ive had mine on a trailerand still have water and have been running down the above usual suspects and rebedding hardware. If the bolts were really loose enough for water to leak around I would worry about losing the keel.