I looked at a 26 today. It's been sitting on the trailer for the past 5 years. The rear hatch leaked and the bathroom walls to the left of the door and adjacent wall are completely rotten. I can tear these out and replace. There is a piece of wood in the aft bilge area that is complete mush. I can't even figure out why it's there. It's aft of the bilge pump and between the decks. Was this just support for the fiberglass? It seems like it should have been glassed in? The rest of the boat all needs work, but it does have an almost new Honda and Edison wheel for $3500. I would love to hear people's opinions... PS love the boat, just don't want to jump in and get into 400 hours of work...lol
Hunter 26 rotten wood?
- Thread starter Chrismck
- Start date
lol, not first boat, first one in 10 years though! I know it's an extreme exaggeration, but sometimes you never know, I can estimate my time and double it and still be off. I'm just not sure of the construction of these. this is my first water ballast boat.
When you say a piece of wood aft of the bilge pump... are you talking about the aft bulkhead that has two hatches on it? If so, the batteries are stored back there. It is easy to remove. I've had mine out when I was running some electrical. There are a few screws and it comes right out. You could easily use the existing one to cut a new template. The head wall is another issue. I don't know how that is attached. But @Crazy Dave Condon on this forum helped design the boat and personally sold over 1/3 of the entire fleet. He will likely chime in with advice.
I'd be more worried about the integrity of the ballast tank. I'd insist on putting it in the water, filling the tank and taking it for a sail. Make sure the tank is still in tact.
I'd be more worried about the integrity of the ballast tank. I'd insist on putting it in the water, filling the tank and taking it for a sail. Make sure the tank is still in tact.
Last edited:
no it's a piece under the floor. it's about a foot behind where the pump sits. I think it may have been glassed in and maybe the current owner just broke the fiberglass off??? The current owner moved the batteries under the cockpit seat.
Oh boy,I found a picture of what that bilge is supposed to look like... This boat does not look like that.. The orange arrow points to the back wall, which is completely missing. Is the area behind that
just an empty cavity the whole way to the back of the boat?
Me too...
So my memory is a bit fuzzy here but I think I am also missing the "back wall" of my bilge. I'm wondering if your P.O. just jammed a piece of wood in there because it was flexing and he wanted to stiffen it up. If that is the case, you could cut a piece of treated 2x4 and repeat and you would be okay for 10 or more years. If you keep the boat dry, it will outlast you.
Or you could do it correctly and glass in a stringer underneath. If you have never done that sort of work, start a new thread. A lot of us (myself included) have experience with glassing stringers.
Regarding the bilge on a H26. It really isn't a true bilge. How much water would you have to have in your boat before it even reaches the bilge? My bilge stays dry and when a little rain does get in the boat, it accumulates against the sink in the head compartment. I sponge it up and squeeze the sponge out in the sink. The H26 bilge is more of an emergency bailing device in the unhappy event that a big swell comes over the transom.
I used to keep a kayak bailing pump on my boat and used that into the sink but I hardly ever needed it and I gave it to my son (who has a kayak).
thank you! I'm guessing water leaked in the back cockpit hatch and has been sitting there for quite a while. it all makes much more sense realizing there isn't a real bilge area. with no below water thru fittings I don't see how anything can get wet.
I picked it up this weekend. I definitely have some work to do on this one. from what I can tell the glass definitely delaminated in the bilge pump area. I think what has happened is the previous owner cut a hatch in the back of the boat to install the Edison steering. that hatch leaked water into the rear area behind the bulkhead enough that it got over the rear lip and under the birth. i can feel all the foam under the rear birth. my question is, do I simply glass this entire area like it was originally or leave it open? if I glass it in, there is still the potential for water to get into the void due to the rear hatch for the Edison wheel cable connection.
