Hunter 40.5 water in bilge - source

Capt jgw · Apr 11, 2016

If its a lot of water, check the cockpit drains. Not uncommon for a hose to come off or a fitting to freeze and split and that's a big area to catch water. Check those before launching, that could sink you.
Other than that, any hatch, window, or deck fitting could need rebedding. That usually is not that much water though.
Companionway sliders can let in quite a bit but you see it on the cabin sole first.

kloudie1 · Apr 11, 2016

Welcome aboard..
yes, EVERY fitting on deck is suspect until you can narrow down where the rain water is coming in. Ports are always suspects.. they allow the rain to get between the exterior and the interior shells and travel a ways sometimes before going to the bilge.. usually these are larger leaks.. then every bolt and screw in the outside fittings are suspect as well .. harder to trace..One way to trace is to get aboard when a shower is happening and start looking at the bilges first to see if you can find a direction that the water is coming from.. then go from there..
Look at MaineSail's "How To" pages on rebedding deck hardware and ports.. http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/boat_projects
Great info.. lots of good info on site here too.. the "Search" function is your friend ! Prepare to become one with the butyl !

Ted · Apr 11, 2016

If you have a keel stepped mast, that is the most likely source of the water in your bilge. Rainwater is entering your mast through various openings such as standing rigging, halyard exits and the masthead fitting and is working its way down the mast and entering your bilge. It is very common and nothing to worry about unless so much water accumulates that it reaches the underside of your cabin sole. In which case you may have delamination issues if the underside is not sealed.

Benny17441 · Apr 11, 2016

Yes all the deck fixtures are suspect for water leaks. These include the pulpits and the stanchions. As most leaks hide behind cabinetry they are hard to locate. Go around on deck and inspect all the fixtures, some times you can detect dry and cracked sealants and others you may find loose fittings that need to re-sealed and tightened. Some lay talcum powder inside the hull and then inspect the area after some rain to try and determine the direction of the source. Check the scupper hoses on deck and in the cockpit, inside the anchor locker and all porthole seals. Realize that you are probably looking at the tip of the iceberg as there are likely many gallons of water still trapped in the stringers under the sole. Right after you place the boat in the water you will see that you will dry the bilge and a couple of hours latter it might be full again as some of this trapped water gets dislodged into the bilge from boat motion. This is common and you can't ever get rid of all of it. You could also use a water hose to selectively wet different sections of the boat to try and determine the area where most of the leaks on deck could be coming from.

Bill Roosa · Apr 11, 2016

Hey prmcrosta
I have a 93 40.5 and feel your pain. First don't worry about the mast step. There is a cover around the mast support (holds up the salon table) if the mast is leaking it will show up on the table. There are easy fixes for this also. You will want to explore the 4 access panels fore and aft of the salon hull port lights. About 4"x6" panels over each hanging locker in the salon. You can access the deck to hull connection and determine of water is coming in through a deck fitting. That may help identify which side of the boat to focus on. Dry them out if needed and use a helper with a hose to wet down each potential leak source.

Don S/V ILLusion · Apr 11, 2016

There are no cockpit drains so not a source of water inside. The most common cause on the 40.5 is water coming down the mast. The deck step plate does not prevent water access nor does it divert water onto the table unless the leak is huge. In fact, the hole in the step through which the wires pass is large and actually channels water down the post and into the bilge.

The fix involves properly sealing the wires as they access the deck plate, form a drip loop above the plate inside the mast and make sure all step drain holes are open and clear of debris or sealant.

This isn't to dismiss other sources such as hatches, Windows and deck fittings but any leaks frm these sources should be immediately obvious.

Bill Roosa · Apr 11, 2016

The proper fix for a mast tabernacle leak is a PVC pipe that sticks up above the deck an allows the tabernacle drains to actually work. Does not require unsteping the mast but is a real PITA as you have to keep control of the wires while inserting the PVC pipe from the salon. The tabernacle has 2mmX2mm square holes fore, aft, port and starboard molded into the bottom of the tabernacle. They get clogged with bird skeletons (you'll see if you unstep the mast) and such. Just take a thin stiff wire and clean them out.
To check the mast base and tabernacle take off the inspection port around the mast support in the salon.

artboas · Apr 11, 2016

pmcrosta said:
Hello!
I am the proud new owner of a 1994 Hunter 40.5. I'll probably have many, many questions as the year progresses. But first, she is on the hard right now and after a good rain storm or two, the bilge begins to fill with water. I am curious if there is some fitting on the deck or hull that could result in this water buildup and if this is normal. I expect water to find its way in when at the dock, but I was surprised how much was in there while in the boat yard.

Thanks!

I don't think it's coming in through the mast & compression post, but this is easy enough to determine. Remove the wiring access plate behind the compression post, and then "fire hose" the mast with water.
Here is how the mast on a 40.5 leaks into the boat. First, look at the base of the mast on deck. If there isn't a drainage hole in the mast where it meets the step, drill one. If water pools inside the mast at the bottom, it will fill up, and eventually pour into the wiring hole. The factory originally installed a small pvc pipe that needs to be at least 1" proud of the mast step inside the mast. It must be sealed in well, and well affixed.
On my 40.5 I did a neat trick: when my mast was down I installed a small plastic funnel (upside down) that tge wiring Led through. When the mast was stepped, the funnel mouth covered the wiring tube. Never had a drop in the overhead since.
Here is where I think your leak is coming from: the stern. The rub rail to stern joint was prone to leaks.
Crawl in there, and see if water is pooled up. Then flood the transom with a hose.
One good way to track down leaks is with food dye. Put it in certain areas, and wait. When the bilge starts to show that Color, you know you are onto something

Navicula · Apr 11, 2016

do you have a rub rail???....if so run a hose starting from the back to the front very slowly move the hose along every 3 feet and let it sit there for 20 min., its not uncommon to see a leak behind the rub rail where the slings pick up the boat......