I am looking for Hunter 36 or 356 and last 3 boats I looked at all have some amount of water in main bilge: where most of keel bolts are located. About 3-4 inches. Is this normal? One of the brokers said that water possibly came from main lazarette, but it is quite a way back and I thought there is another bilge on the way. All boats are plugged in so bilge pumps should be operational, at least powerwise.
Hunter 36: water in bilges - is it normal?
- Thread starter Alex126
- Start date
I think I remember on my 356 the bilge was rarely if ever bone dry - maybe when on the hard. I'm thinking less than an inch, 'though. The electric bilge pump could get it pretty dry but water would drain back into the bilge from the hose when the pump shut off. There are suggestions to use a check valve to stop that but this has been a subject for discussion here. Search the archives.
I had a packing gland so there was some drippage from that. I don't believe the keel bolts or keel/sump joint was leaking. Some may have been from the shower sump if it got clogged (After season 1 I was pretty diligent about keeping it from clogging). On some Hunters the anchor windlass can let rain water or spray through.
And finally does anyone think boats are water tight with all of the penetrations of the deck and hull that exist?
What does you surveyor say?
I had a packing gland so there was some drippage from that. I don't believe the keel bolts or keel/sump joint was leaking. Some may have been from the shower sump if it got clogged (After season 1 I was pretty diligent about keeping it from clogging). On some Hunters the anchor windlass can let rain water or spray through.
And finally does anyone think boats are water tight with all of the penetrations of the deck and hull that exist?
What does you surveyor say?
My 356 is dry after sponging out what the pump leaves. Three or four inches would indicate to me that the pump isn't working or installed properly. The fridge does drain into the bilge if I use ice to start the cooling process.
Do you see a float switch in the bilge? Tilting the float switch up should give some indication as to whether it and the pump are working properly. 3-4 inches is a bit more than I’d expect but not crazy. I’d lift the float switch to make sure the pump comes on, then see how much water gets pumped out before the pump starts pulling air, and how much backflow there is after the pump stops. If the boats have traditional stuffing box prop shaft seals that are a bit out of adjustment that could contribute some water. Any small rain leaks could too.
Not only is it common to see water in the bilge, but it is also likely that there are many gallons of water trapped in the hull stringers below the sole. Some of this trapped water gets released into the bilge when the boat gets in motion only to be replaced by a rain leak, a boat wash down, wet bathing suits or sea spray. These trapped water is usually fouled by bacteria and may give some foul smell when released. Some suck the water out of the bilge and swear their boat is dry, I just wonder how frequently they use the boat in sea conditions.
Perhaps. Different model boat, but I empty the shower/fridge/freezer sump and bilge after every cruise, which remains dry until the next cruise. Some small amount of sea water bypasses the stuffing box during normal engine operation, but stops when the shaft stops spinning.
If the boats had air conditioning, the factory install drains condensate into the bilge. One common modification is to run a hose to the shower sump.