Hunter 40.5 keel to stub joint

Jun 3, 2009
19
Hunter 40.5 Stamford CT
Hi All,

My keel on my 1997 40.5 has a moisture line where the stub meets the bulb on the bottom. I ground it out and it looks like the fairing has cracked most likely from flexing. I want to get thoughts from other 40.5 owners as I think it's a common issue that just needs to be recaulked or faired again.
Also there is a section of delam that I am getting repaired. Looks like this happennd in the bad winter we had as it was not there last year. Pics attached.
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,075
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
We used to have a 40.5. As I recall, the aft portion of the stub is hollow and there should be a drain hole in it near the bulb which, if plugged with paint, won't drain that portion. From the pictures, it's difficult to discern but the damage certainly looks like trapped water froze in there.
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,917
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
I also have a 1997 h40.5 but I have not observed any evidence on the outside at the stub-keel-joint. Do you also have weeping inside the stub? The aft part of the stub is hollow as Don claims and there is a weep hole that allows any water inside to drain.
Looking back through my pictures, I think there are drain holes on port & stbd at the bottom and a vent hole on the stbd top of the stub. I can't see a vent hole on the port side top of the stub. See attached. You definitely want to make sure these are not filled with paint so that trapped water does not freeze and damage the stub.
I have a weeping issue inside the stub that I need to investigate this Spring before launch, but I am hoping that the source is a leaking vent on the engine raw water loop.
2004_1031_104455AA.JPG 2004_1031_105010AA.JPG
 
Jun 3, 2009
19
Hunter 40.5 Stamford CT
I don't think it's weeping inside. I think the long section is cracked fairing at the bottom that accumulated water then froze / thawed. I didn't see weep holes so I will have to look and see if I can find for the aft section. I have a glass guy looking at it this weekend and will hopefully get a better picture when we expose it. If they were clogged it would make sense as to why the delam cracked in that aft section.

By the way, how do you guys keep the main part of the deep bilge clean and bone dry? Did you setup a seperate pump that can suck the last inch up? Or do you wet vac it? And then painting it, its probably impossible... Its the hardest bilge I ever had to deal with.
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,917
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
A couple inches of water in the bilge doesn't bother me. There are too many sources to stop them all- stuffing box, refrigerator condensate, and most of all the speed transducer swap. I do wet vac it out at winter storage to minimize the moisture inside over the winter.
 
Jun 3, 2009
19
Hunter 40.5 Stamford CT
Ok. I was worried that I was the only one with a bit of water in there as I have about the same during the season.

Do you guys paint the bilge with a bilgekote type of epoxy paint every so many years, or have you just left original gelcoat? It looks like quite a hard job to do given the access and depth.
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,917
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Never painted. Original. I do try to scrub it out with hot water and soap and a long handle with a ball-shaped brush on the end. It helps keep it looking reasonable.
 
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Jun 3, 2009
19
Hunter 40.5 Stamford CT
Thanks guys. Really appreciate the help and perspective. This forum is great.
 
Jul 19, 2007
262
-Hunter 1995-40.5 Hunter Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada
We have a 1995 - 40.5 and as Rich says a bit of water during the season is not an issue with me but what has become and issue is going back to the boat in the spring after completely vacuuming it dry in the fall and finding a large amount of water in the bilge. The boat is completely tarped for the winter so no snow, ice, etc. ever makes it to the deck,the tanks are all drained so where am I getting all this water from that ends up in the bilge.
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,917
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
We have a 1995 - 40.5 and as Rich says a bit of water during the season is not an issue with me but what has become and issue is going back to the boat in the spring after completely vacuuming it dry in the fall and finding a large amount of water in the bilge. The boat is completely tarped for the winter so no snow, ice, etc. ever makes it to the deck,the tanks are all drained so where am I getting all this water from that ends up in the bilge.
Well that is not my experience at all. Can you quantify this? How much spring water? 1"? 2"? Do you vacuum out all three sections of the deep bilge? Is there any section that the tarp does not cover? Are you sure that all water and snow is shed off completely? There are only a few areas that can drain into the bilge that I know of, and I can't think of any of them contributing a "large" amount of water in the off season.
 
Jul 19, 2007
262
-Hunter 1995-40.5 Hunter Saint Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada
To qualify the amount Rich is easy, it's about 12" below the sole or was when I was there taking off the house batteries a week ago (batteries are another story) I vacuumed all three sections out in the fall after pumping them with the manual and electric bilge pumps. The tarp covers the boat from end to end and comes down on the sides at least a couple of feet and is tied tightly under the hull. The tarp is in great condition with the only openings being around the stays and those are closed off with a wide strip of velcro. I've never had an issue with snow or rain collecting on the cover and the deck never show any signs of having ice on them over the winter. I'm at a loss as to where the water is coming from because as I mentioned the tanks are all drained in the fall aside from the fuel and the stuff in the bilge certainly isn't diesel.
 

Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,131
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
We'll that is a mystery indeed. I have never has more than a couple of inches in the bottom of my bilge. The boat stays in the water year round. Twelve inches from the cabin SOLE has to be five or ten gallons. I have no clue where that could be coming from on the hard.
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,917
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
YIKES!! I think Rick D is low-balling it at 5-10 gallons. OK, here is what I would do if you live close to your boat. (I am 150 miles away so this idea wouldn't work for me) Make a visit every 10-15 days and record by measuring and taking pictures of the water depth in the bilge. Keep a record of the weather at the boat for all of the layup season. See if you can determine a correlation between increasing depth and weather events. If you see increases after a rain, then at the next rain, visit and watch for egress. You have a bizarre problem.
Another question: Are you certain that all four of your water tanks are draining properly? I know it sounds stupid, but if one tank was leaking and also had a stuck manifold valve, it could drain into the bilge shortly after covering. Like I said, this is a way-out-there-question.
 
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Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,131
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
Yeah, I think Rich has it. That volume is really large and I certainly low-balled the volume. I'm believing a water tank discharge.
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,075
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
To qualify the amount Rich is easy, it's about 12" below the sole or was when I was there taking off the house batteries a week ago (batteries are another story) I vacuumed all three sections out in the fall after pumping them with the manual and electric bilge pumps. The tarp covers the boat from end to end and comes down on the sides at least a couple of feet and is tied tightly under the hull. The tarp is in great condition with the only openings being around the stays and those are closed off with a wide strip of velcro. I've never had an issue with snow or rain collecting on the cover and the deck never show any signs of having ice on them over the winter. I'm at a loss as to where the water is coming from because as I mentioned the tanks are all drained in the fall aside from the fuel and the stuff in the bilge certainly isn't diesel.
Admittedly, I haven't read all the prior posts but from the above in which you mentioned stays, I infer you have the mast up. If so, it sounds like that's the source.

Our 40.5 used to leak "like a sieve" down the mast through the step and the post.
 
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Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Rich, Thanks for the info on the weep holes! I don't recall seeing any such weep holes on my 40.5 and that is because they were probably painted over? Next time I have the boat hauled I'll have a closer look. I think I saw the lower weep hole you mentioned in one of the pictures. I am assuming there is one on each side. Do you have a picture that shows the "upper vent" holes or weep holes you mentioned? Also, is there any such weep hole on the rudder? Thanks again for the info.

Edit" I saw that you noted the weep holes where you showed the picture were on both sides of the keel and the vent was on the starboard upper. Do you have a picture or a rough measurement of where that vent hole is located.

Dan
 
Last edited:
Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
I used to have a problem with the mast leaking. There is a stub that goes up where the electrical wires pass through and it was leaking around that. When the mast was pulled for some electrical repairs (lightning strike) we resealed this area and that cured that problem. Also, there are "drain holes" at the very bottom of the mast on the deck and those should be cleaned periodically with a small wire or pic to make sure that any water that gets into the mast has someplace to drain out before it goes over the top of the electrical stub. Check that the drain holes are clear.
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,917
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Our 40.5 used to leak "like a sieve" down the mast through the step and the post.
I almost suggested that as a source, but any water coming down the mast should exit the weep holes onthe step at deck level. If those are plugged, then water could rise in the bottom of the mast and then leak down through the cable pass-thru. From there I don't see how the water gets into the compression post to the bilge, but I suppose most anything is possible.
Testing this possibility is easy. Simply pour water into the mast from a halyard exit and watch for water exiting the deck weep holes. If you don't see any you have found one problem- plugged weep holes. Then check the bilge to see if any water is seeping from the bottom of the compression post. You can also pull off the cover plate around the mast on the inside and look for water.
 
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