We have a 1994 Hunter 26. When sitting in the water in our slip, the boat doesn't take on any water. However, sailed recently and water filled up in both side lockers and spewed out of where the bilge pump is located under the bed. No idea where water is coming in. Has anyone ever had this problem?
Hunter 26 taking on water
- Thread starter American Girl
- Start date
Lots of possibilities. There are a number of common leak points on the 26 & 260 and some not so common.
As mentioned above - thru hulls and hoses for galley and head sinks
Water ballast vent stopper not sealing or not inserted.
Seal around ballast fill valve rod - is wing nut securely tightened?
Have you had any rain recently? Water can enter around the mast step and run down the compression pole.
At the base of the table where the compression pole attaches to the plate supporting the centreboard bracket. - particularly if there are a few more guest aboard for the sail.
Fresh water tankage and lines.
Thru hulls for instruments leaking?
Hull joint at stern. - may be above water at the dock but often submerges under sail or power.
For several of the above water will accumulate on the top of the ballast tank and will then find its way to the areas under the galley, into settees, under head sink and into aft bilge area when under motion.
Talcum powder and paper towels strategically located can help you locate the source of the leak, as can dye placed into the ballast tank or fresh water tanks.
As mentioned above - thru hulls and hoses for galley and head sinks
Water ballast vent stopper not sealing or not inserted.
Seal around ballast fill valve rod - is wing nut securely tightened?
Have you had any rain recently? Water can enter around the mast step and run down the compression pole.
At the base of the table where the compression pole attaches to the plate supporting the centreboard bracket. - particularly if there are a few more guest aboard for the sail.
Fresh water tankage and lines.
Thru hulls for instruments leaking?
Hull joint at stern. - may be above water at the dock but often submerges under sail or power.
For several of the above water will accumulate on the top of the ballast tank and will then find its way to the areas under the galley, into settees, under head sink and into aft bilge area when under motion.
Talcum powder and paper towels strategically located can help you locate the source of the leak, as can dye placed into the ballast tank or fresh water tanks.
Our mystery, high volume leak under weigh was the cockpit drain hoses. On our boat, the stern wave near hull speed is above the level of the cockpit, and the drain hoses leaked.
How high above the water line is the bilge thru hull located? I ask because on my h30, if I heel over too far on my port, sea water will run back into my bilge through the hose flooding the bilge. Yea, I know I should have an anti siphon spliced in.
Thank you for all of the suggestions. It has come to our attention that there may be a crack in the swing keel housing. Or, the water is coming up through the keel assembly. We never see where the water is coming in, but it runs under the floor board toward the stern and pushes up into the cabin through where the bilge pump is. That is how we get water into the main cabin area. Also affected, are the two lockers on each side of the table. Does anyone have any experience with this?
Unlikely to be a crack in the centreboard housing causing the issue as this is surrounded by the water ballast tank. It could however be a poor seal at the base of the compression post or the bolt that holds the centreboard bracket in place. If it is leaking from this area you should be able to see where the water is entering by removing the cover off the pedestal under the table.
Strategically placed Kleenex or paper towels will help identify if it is coming from this area.
How many people are aboard when you are going out? This area is normally above the water line.
This site may also help (a former member). The 260 and 26 are very similar.
It is a fairly common occurrence for water leaks around the bolt and at the base of the compression pole. In some cases the bolt has corroded which prevents the bolt from being fully tightened or sealing properly. Do not remove the bolt while in the water as the bracket and centreboard can be lost to the depths. In some cases there are screw holes into the compression pole through the bracket that need additional sealant as well.
A search of the forums on h26 centreboard leak or compression post leak will give you additional info.
You may have a crack in the ballast tank. To determine if this is the issue food colouring (or KoolAide - Per Crazy Dave) at the ballast fill valve vent.
Strategically placed Kleenex or paper towels will help identify if it is coming from this area.
How many people are aboard when you are going out? This area is normally above the water line.
This site may also help (a former member). The 260 and 26 are very similar.
It is a fairly common occurrence for water leaks around the bolt and at the base of the compression pole. In some cases the bolt has corroded which prevents the bolt from being fully tightened or sealing properly. Do not remove the bolt while in the water as the bracket and centreboard can be lost to the depths. In some cases there are screw holes into the compression pole through the bracket that need additional sealant as well.
A search of the forums on h26 centreboard leak or compression post leak will give you additional info.
You may have a crack in the ballast tank. To determine if this is the issue food colouring (or KoolAide - Per Crazy Dave) at the ballast fill valve vent.
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That's good information. Thank you! On the day that we took on water, we did have 6 adults on board. When the boat is just floating in the slip, no water enters.
Ding, Ding, Ding, there's the best clue
Check the vent plug actually it's old and cheap replace it. Next check the seals on the ballast tank valve
Take it out by yourself or one other person and try to keep an eye on those things to see if that is the culprit.
how long have you owned this boat?
first, any thru hulls open without the transducers inserted?
Second under the bottom step going into the cabin you will see a wing nut; is it closed? To the port side of the wing nut is a vent for air to be vented when filling the tank; is it closed off with drain bail plug?
how fast did the water fill up the area under the rear berth?
first, any thru hulls open without the transducers inserted?
Second under the bottom step going into the cabin you will see a wing nut; is it closed? To the port side of the wing nut is a vent for air to be vented when filling the tank; is it closed off with drain bail plug?
how fast did the water fill up the area under the rear berth?
Hi Crazy Dave,
We purchased the boat May 2021 and sailed it all last summer and fall with no problems. It was drained and stored in the yard through the winter. We (just my husband and I) moved it to the slip where is stayed for a few weeks and then sailed it once. It was a very windy day with strong gusts of wind and the boat heeled over very far. We decided it was too windy for us and motored the boat back to the slip where it sat for a week. We then took it out with 6 adults (low wind day) and within 20 minutes noticed water spewing from the rear berth. There was also considerable water in both side lockers beside table, under kitchen sink and under head sink. We recently put the boat back in the water for about an hour, put the keel down, and didn't notice any water. We pulled the boat back out and drained the ballast. 24 hours later, there is a steady drip from the centerboard pivot pin area. The water never seemed to be coming from the ballast wing nut or air vent plug.
We purchased the boat May 2021 and sailed it all last summer and fall with no problems. It was drained and stored in the yard through the winter. We (just my husband and I) moved it to the slip where is stayed for a few weeks and then sailed it once. It was a very windy day with strong gusts of wind and the boat heeled over very far. We decided it was too windy for us and motored the boat back to the slip where it sat for a week. We then took it out with 6 adults (low wind day) and within 20 minutes noticed water spewing from the rear berth. There was also considerable water in both side lockers beside table, under kitchen sink and under head sink. We recently put the boat back in the water for about an hour, put the keel down, and didn't notice any water. We pulled the boat back out and drained the ballast. 24 hours later, there is a steady drip from the centerboard pivot pin area. The water never seemed to be coming from the ballast wing nut or air vent plug.
At the base of the compression post is a two part beige cover plate held in place with silicon. Cut the silicon and remove the plate. You will see a large bolt. Where the ss compression post sits there should be a #10 bolt in the receiver of the compression post and one on the backside as well
advise if two #10 bolts are in. Make sure that the bolt is tight using a 1 1/8 inch Is there any caulk around the bolt.
Advise
advise if two #10 bolts are in. Make sure that the bolt is tight using a 1 1/8 inch Is there any caulk around the bolt.
Advise
At the base of the compression post, we see the bolt and it is very tight. However, how do you see the backside to locate the other bolt? Also, we did check this area before and the visible top part of this area has remained dry. Could there possibly be a crack in the area where the centerboard pivots? Could the pivot pin crack the hull?
Crazy Dave and all -- Our Hunter 26 has been out of the water now for a week sitting on the trailer. Last Sunday, we put the boat in the water to see if we could find any leaks on the inside. Saw nothing. However, right below the centerboard pin on the bottom of the hull, there is a small crack where water has been dripping every day for the past 7 days. About 8 to 10 seconds between drips. I raised the bow with the trailer winch about 8" causing it to tilt toward the stern. The water that was dripping stopped as the water in the boat was displaced toward the stern, however, no water has showed up around the bilge pump as before, so there must not be much water left.
After seeing pictures of the ballast being installed, I cannot tell if the water coming in from the crack in the hull then travels under the ballast, or, in addition, we have a leak in the ballast. How does the water distribute once inside the boat to other areas, such as the side lockers and the bilge area? If the crack in the hull is the only entry point, I have seasoned "glass" guys at the sailing club that will patch the affected area. Here is a picture of the drip location:
After seeing pictures of the ballast being installed, I cannot tell if the water coming in from the crack in the hull then travels under the ballast, or, in addition, we have a leak in the ballast. How does the water distribute once inside the boat to other areas, such as the side lockers and the bilge area? If the crack in the hull is the only entry point, I have seasoned "glass" guys at the sailing club that will patch the affected area. Here is a picture of the drip location:
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In order to find the leak you will likely need to recreate the conditions in which you found the water coming in. Ie, get 6- adults to come aboard and see if you can see where the water is entering. Use flour, talc, Kleenex or paper towel to trace around the likely candidates for leaking - base of compression post, around the top of the ballast vent/nut area under the wooden step, around all thru hulls etc.
Have you had any rain in the last week? Water at the location you have indicated could be coming from a saturated centreboard, water accumulating in the compression post from the mast step area as well as from the ballast tank. You could place dye in the ballast tank and fill with water from a garden hose to see if it is the source of the drip.
If water as getting in from the top of the ballast tank you would likely be seeing large amounts of water entering pretty much all the time. If water is entering the hull below the ballast tank and the tank is still fully sealed on top it wouldn’t likely be detrimental unless it’s a very large leak which would allow the ballast to escape when the boat was healed.
Have you had any rain in the last week? Water at the location you have indicated could be coming from a saturated centreboard, water accumulating in the compression post from the mast step area as well as from the ballast tank. You could place dye in the ballast tank and fill with water from a garden hose to see if it is the source of the drip.
If water as getting in from the top of the ballast tank you would likely be seeing large amounts of water entering pretty much all the time. If water is entering the hull below the ballast tank and the tank is still fully sealed on top it wouldn’t likely be detrimental unless it’s a very large leak which would allow the ballast to escape when the boat was healed.