Hunter 356 Aft Cabin water infiltration

Jan 19, 2022
7
Hunter 356 Plattsbburg
Hello,
I am interested in a Hunter 356, 2002. The boat will be surveyed in march but I noticed signs of water infiltration in the Aft cabin. I read in this forum that this leak could come from different places. Is it possible during the survey to identify the cause? What do you think it could be based on the picture?
- Rub Rail leaks.
- Leak near the Wheel Pedestal.
- Leak from the Cokpit Shower.
Humidité.jpg
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Probably will be time consuming to find the leak source.

if water is available during the survey, you could try spraying down suspect areas and have someone wait and watch the aft cabin…but probably not practical during a survey.

A deck leak, pedestal leak, cockpit drain leak, etc are probably not deal breakers (at least not for me)…a nuisance to be sure, but part of boat ownership. Once you own her, then you can hang out on her in a rain storm and find all of the leaks ;-)

Greg
 
May 27, 2004
1,964
Hunter 30_74-83 Ponce Inlet FL
The water staining I see in your pic doesn't seem to be catastrophic in terms of permanent damage. But, IF you decide to buy this boat, be aware that sitting in the rear cabin with water showering the deck will do little to isolate the source of the leak.
Water moves in strange ways and can travel great distances behind bulkhead panels, along wires and past overhead coverings. The only sure way of remediation is to remove as much of them as possible, then run the sprinkler test.
This work is time consuming and can be frustrating for many. But, if you plan on keeping the boat for a while and don't want to suffer the irritations of cabin leaks, it's necessary.
 
Mar 20, 2004
1,729
Hunter 356 and 216 Portland, ME
ditto on above, but two other possibilities are the sealing of the arch base and , IMHO, one that's common and easy to fix - and the source is right above that spot. The rear panel of the cockpit sole, right behind the wheel, is held down by 4 screws. If you remove the screws, the whole panel slides out aft - fairly heavy, do this on land or backed up to a dock. look down the port side of the now uncovered steering well and you'll see a wire bundle coming from the pedestal that runs aft and enters the hull. Add-on instruments, etc. connect result in wires added to the basic factory bundle. If that opening isn't properly resealed water will flow off the cockpit and into the hull where you've got your leak. There's usually a piece of conduit in the hole that makes it even worse. clean up the whole area, spread the wires and pack with caulk. then bundle together and fill the hole with caulk. Be sure to get below the bundle, too. Once cured, reinstall the panel - be sure to caulk the screw holes, too. I didn't find this until I rewired the pedestal on Escape. problem solved
 

BrianH

.
Feb 14, 2005
102
Hunter 44 LaSalle, MI
ditto on above, but two other possibilities are the sealing of the arch base and , IMHO, one that's common and easy to fix - and the source is right above that spot. The rear panel of the cockpit sole, right behind the wheel, is held down by 4 screws. If you remove the screws, the whole panel slides out aft - fairly heavy, do this on land or backed up to a dock. look down the port side of the now uncovered steering well and you'll see a wire bundle coming from the pedestal that runs aft and enters the hull. Add-on instruments, etc. connect result in wires added to the basic factory bundle. If that opening isn't properly resealed water will flow off the cockpit and into the hull where you've got your leak. There's usually a piece of conduit in the hole that makes it even worse. clean up the whole area, spread the wires and pack with caulk. then bundle together and fill the hole with caulk. Be sure to get below the bundle, too. Once cured, reinstall the panel - be sure to caulk the screw holes, too. I didn't find this until I rewired the pedestal on Escape. problem solved
I had a very similar issue with my brand new at the time 44ac. The dealer installed autohelm wiring was the culprit.
 
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Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
you'll see a wire bundle coming from the pedestal that runs aft and enters the hull. Add-on instruments, etc. connect result in wires added to the basic factory bundle. If that opening isn't properly resealed water will flow off the cockpit and into the hull where you've got your leak. There's usually a piece of conduit in the hole that makes it even worse. clean up the whole area, spread the wires and pack with caulk. then bundle together and fill the hole with caulk. Be sure to get below the bundle, too. Once cured, reinstall the panel - be sure to caulk the screw holes, too. I didn't find this until I rewired the pedestal on Escape. problem solved
I had that exact source of leak and fixed it the same way. It was PIA to pack in the sealant, expecially from the back side, but it worked and that source of leak was stopped.
 
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Sep 26, 2008
546
Hunter 340 0 Wickford, RI
Can you get into the boat during a rain storm? And remove all the overhead access panels in the cabin. All the access panels in the boat. Some will have many screws 15 - 20 in some cases.
Then just watch. That’s what I did on my 2000 340 and how I found a drip at the hull joint in the aft cabin. It took a long time to find it, as was stated by another, because water will travel great distances to find its final resting place.
I was lucky, somewhat, mine was a hull deck joint above the aft cabin fixed port. But it took waiting for the rain to travel the distance of the boat to that point. So be patient. And you may have to remove the wood upright panels for further investigation.
Yours look to be a decent amount over a long period of time. Is there any delaminating of the wood underneath? Could be removeable deck screws that have dried out sealant.
Probably not what you wanted to read today but it’s the the best way to go in my opinion.
 
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Likes: ggrizzard
Jan 19, 2022
7
Hunter 356 Plattsbburg
Thank you for your replies, this information will be very useful to fing the source of the leak.