Just purchased a 1984 H-31 and new to it's quirks. There is a small bilge under the companion-way grate with a small drain hole in it, but it does not drain! Why is there a grate over this area and not the teak and holly door as on the main bilge? I was told the drain from the engine sump drains into this area? The shower bilge has a small drain [ inadequate ] which always leaves an inch of water in it because the drain does not have enough drop to completely drain the shower area, which also leaves water over the depth finder transducer. Has anyone improved on these problems?
- Status
That's life.
Oh yes, they knocked themselves out. Looks like one person design the front and someone else the back. If you get enough water in the middle pan it will eventually drain into the bilge. The middle pan collects the water that come in from rain water when the hatch leaks. Many of the Hunters do not have the hole in the compartment from the engine so all the water from the cutlass bearing ends up on the teak floor (so don't complain they did not get to the H'31). We don't use our shower so we have not bothered to worry about it, but I think that I would get a dremmel tool and ream them out and put a larger piece of hose between the shower and the main bilge. Our depth finder is mounted up under the v-berth and is just epoxied into place (no thru hull penetration). Some weird stuff but you can live with it other have. Overall it's a great boat. You forgot to mention that the reefer does not have a hose that goes into the bilge, it just drains into the liner.
Oh yes, they knocked themselves out. Looks like one person design the front and someone else the back. If you get enough water in the middle pan it will eventually drain into the bilge. The middle pan collects the water that come in from rain water when the hatch leaks. Many of the Hunters do not have the hole in the compartment from the engine so all the water from the cutlass bearing ends up on the teak floor (so don't complain they did not get to the H'31). We don't use our shower so we have not bothered to worry about it, but I think that I would get a dremmel tool and ream them out and put a larger piece of hose between the shower and the main bilge. Our depth finder is mounted up under the v-berth and is just epoxied into place (no thru hull penetration). Some weird stuff but you can live with it other have. Overall it's a great boat. You forgot to mention that the reefer does not have a hose that goes into the bilge, it just drains into the liner.
BIGGER DRAIN
Jim: I've owned my '85 H31 for almost 15 years and only a few weeks ago, finally got fed up with the inadequate drain from the head pan into the bilge. Don't forget that if your knotmeter thruhull is located in the head drain pan, water which gets into the boat when you swap the paddlewheel goes into that pan and then into the bilge, so ou don't have to use the shower to get water in there. I used my Dremel tool and ground out the bottom of the drain hole to get it close to flush with the upper part of the bilge pan. I bet at least a quart of "water" flowed from the hole after the work! Wish I'd done it years ago. No telling what damage standing water may have done over the years. As Steve said, while there are a number of "quirks" with the H31, it is a good boat for the price and over time you will learn to live with them or (as I continue to do even now) fix them when they get too bothersome to live with! Smooth sailing! Tim ("TIDE")
Jim: I've owned my '85 H31 for almost 15 years and only a few weeks ago, finally got fed up with the inadequate drain from the head pan into the bilge. Don't forget that if your knotmeter thruhull is located in the head drain pan, water which gets into the boat when you swap the paddlewheel goes into that pan and then into the bilge, so ou don't have to use the shower to get water in there. I used my Dremel tool and ground out the bottom of the drain hole to get it close to flush with the upper part of the bilge pan. I bet at least a quart of "water" flowed from the hole after the work! Wish I'd done it years ago. No telling what damage standing water may have done over the years. As Steve said, while there are a number of "quirks" with the H31, it is a good boat for the price and over time you will learn to live with them or (as I continue to do even now) fix them when they get too bothersome to live with! Smooth sailing! Tim ("TIDE")
More to it ..
You will learn the quirck. I sealed up the drains from the shower, otherwise soapy water and gunk goes into the bilge, but only after it spends time traveling through the liner. Water under the grate at the companionway will eventually get to the bilge, but not before it becomes stagnant. I keep a small wet vac nearby and just vaccuum it up each visit. Also, I've been flooding my bilge from under the v-berth every few weekends to flush all the gunk out. Really helps the smell, etc. Unlike Steve's H31, mine (1984) does have a drain hose from the icebox to the bilge. But the problem is water sits in it, the really stinks up the icebox. I'm not sure which is better. Lots of little problems but darn good boat for the money. I just spent 3 days on a long sail and it's a very good boat for the price.
You will learn the quirck. I sealed up the drains from the shower, otherwise soapy water and gunk goes into the bilge, but only after it spends time traveling through the liner. Water under the grate at the companionway will eventually get to the bilge, but not before it becomes stagnant. I keep a small wet vac nearby and just vaccuum it up each visit. Also, I've been flooding my bilge from under the v-berth every few weekends to flush all the gunk out. Really helps the smell, etc. Unlike Steve's H31, mine (1984) does have a drain hose from the icebox to the bilge. But the problem is water sits in it, the really stinks up the icebox. I'm not sure which is better. Lots of little problems but darn good boat for the money. I just spent 3 days on a long sail and it's a very good boat for the price.
Don's Ice Box Drain
Don: Do you actually have a hose that is fed to the bilge? I am sure that I have a hose attached to the drain but cannot see it anywhere.
Don: Do you actually have a hose that is fed to the bilge? I am sure that I have a hose attached to the drain but cannot see it anywhere.
Comparison shopping
Huntress is a 1984 H 31. Like Don, my ice box drains via hose to the bilge. However, I didn't like that arrangement, as I have a bone-dry bilge and like to keep it that way so I can see any problems developing. I sealed a cork in the bottom of the icebox, and I use a little $1.50 hand pump (like you use for kerosene) to drain the icebox of excess water. That way I can control how dry everything stays. I found a long time ago that the little bilge between the engine compartment and main bilge mainly collected water when the stuffing box dripped so much that the engine compartment filled and then overflowed down below to the little bilge. Timely adjustments to the stuffing box have kept that little bilge under the companionway steps dry as a bone, like the rest of the bilge... I would like to figure out a way to use the shower without flooding the main bilge. I could seal off the connection to the bilge and re-route the water to a sump pump, but there's no good place to put one that I can find. Fortunately, I'm not usually gone from home so long that I can't keep clean by swimming, or sink baths or marina shower. BTW, my depthfinder and speedo are under the v-berth also. Does this help any? Shambie
Huntress is a 1984 H 31. Like Don, my ice box drains via hose to the bilge. However, I didn't like that arrangement, as I have a bone-dry bilge and like to keep it that way so I can see any problems developing. I sealed a cork in the bottom of the icebox, and I use a little $1.50 hand pump (like you use for kerosene) to drain the icebox of excess water. That way I can control how dry everything stays. I found a long time ago that the little bilge between the engine compartment and main bilge mainly collected water when the stuffing box dripped so much that the engine compartment filled and then overflowed down below to the little bilge. Timely adjustments to the stuffing box have kept that little bilge under the companionway steps dry as a bone, like the rest of the bilge... I would like to figure out a way to use the shower without flooding the main bilge. I could seal off the connection to the bilge and re-route the water to a sump pump, but there's no good place to put one that I can find. Fortunately, I'm not usually gone from home so long that I can't keep clean by swimming, or sink baths or marina shower. BTW, my depthfinder and speedo are under the v-berth also. Does this help any? Shambie
Have a hose.
I have a hose that drains from the ice box directly to the bilge. Was there when I bought the boat 10 years ago.
I have a hose that drains from the ice box directly to the bilge. Was there when I bought the boat 10 years ago.
Bilge Rats
I've owned my Hunter '31 since I bought it new in 1985. One of the biggest engineering problems with this model is the pan/liner/bilge drainage. It takes forever for fluids to drain into the bilge. Therefore, I've adapted the boat to make some modifications. 1. PSS dripless packing gland, so no more water flowing under the engine into that little hole which goes into the liner. 2. Plug up the icebox hole and pump out the compartment with a hand pump. Nothing gets as skanky as water and food stuffs in the liner and hose. Yuk. 3. Nobody uses the shower in the head. There are plenty of other places to get wet. Excess hair and detergent go nowhere fast in the bilge system on the H '31. 4. Ream out the weep holes into the bilge to help migrating fluids find the escape hatch. 5. Aim for a dry bilge every day.
I've owned my Hunter '31 since I bought it new in 1985. One of the biggest engineering problems with this model is the pan/liner/bilge drainage. It takes forever for fluids to drain into the bilge. Therefore, I've adapted the boat to make some modifications. 1. PSS dripless packing gland, so no more water flowing under the engine into that little hole which goes into the liner. 2. Plug up the icebox hole and pump out the compartment with a hand pump. Nothing gets as skanky as water and food stuffs in the liner and hose. Yuk. 3. Nobody uses the shower in the head. There are plenty of other places to get wet. Excess hair and detergent go nowhere fast in the bilge system on the H '31. 4. Ream out the weep holes into the bilge to help migrating fluids find the escape hatch. 5. Aim for a dry bilge every day.
In Summary...
...Dremmel the holes down to liner level, it helps. Don't shower unless you stink more than the bilge.
Don't use the icebox. (Steve, my H31 has the hose also, but the end of the hose is not IN the bilge, it's to the starboard side...had to look under the cabin sole to find it.) Don't use the motor (This way you can remove the shaft and therefore have no need for a stuffing box.) Keep your boat on the hard and covered with a tarp so no water can enter the boat from anywhere. Just kidding. (Except for the Dremmel...it really helps.) Use your boat, have fun, take nice long hot showers (as I do) and clean the entire liner/hull/bilge monthly. The routine has been going on for about four months now and the boat still smells spiffy, bristol, or whatever. Gotten good at the procedure, now only takes about 15 minutes to do the whole boat. Well worth the comfort of using all the amenities available on a nice 31 footer.
...Dremmel the holes down to liner level, it helps. Don't shower unless you stink more than the bilge.
Don't use the icebox. (Steve, my H31 has the hose also, but the end of the hose is not IN the bilge, it's to the starboard side...had to look under the cabin sole to find it.) Don't use the motor (This way you can remove the shaft and therefore have no need for a stuffing box.) Keep your boat on the hard and covered with a tarp so no water can enter the boat from anywhere. Just kidding. (Except for the Dremmel...it really helps.) Use your boat, have fun, take nice long hot showers (as I do) and clean the entire liner/hull/bilge monthly. The routine has been going on for about four months now and the boat still smells spiffy, bristol, or whatever. Gotten good at the procedure, now only takes about 15 minutes to do the whole boat. Well worth the comfort of using all the amenities available on a nice 31 footer.- Status