Mystery Mastic

[JamesG161]

Your Locker.jpg above has a hole that does need big time repair. This is probably the source of your V-Berth stain.

To me, that picture is what I would also call your anchor chain/rode locker.

This is where your hatch, over that Locker, would drain rain water overboard, via the Clam shell outlet.
____
@Scott T-Bird , yes, to the size of a Locker. My boat has 250 feet of chain plus 200 feet of rode, to allow our boat to anchor in ≈200+ feet of water.
In addition, I have two anchors, second anchor had rode only. This was the Deluxe Anchor package bought by the original owner of our boat.
Jim...

PS: @Tom J beat me to my similar answer by a few seconds.

 

[jdrutten]

Here's from above the locker taken just prior to putting on the winter cover, and another from in the v-berth. The IMG-2040 photo is just below the pillows. The wood panel is aft of the anchor locker.

 

[Tom J]

Here's from above the locker taken just prior to putting on the winter cover, and another from in the v-berth. The IMG-2040 photo is just below the pillows. The wood panel is aft of the anchor locker.

Thanks. Looks similar to the setup on my boat. Pretty sure, then, that your anchor locker does not drain into the bilge.

 

[JamesG161]

Here's from above the locker taken just prior to putting on the winter cover

Yes, picture 61880 shows the anchor locker hatch cover, with the port side hinges and lift handle on the Starboard side. [Just like mine]

I suspect that PVC pipe was an attempt to stop the flooding of the locker, with that hole inside.
If that PVC pipe is still there, you have another problem on your hands.
There should be zero holes in that hatch.

Temporary fix is to cut off the pipe low and put a PVC cap on it. Then you can open that hatch easily. Still no issue later.
Jim...

 

[Tom J]

I suspect that PVC pipe was an attempt to stop the flooding of the locker, with that hole inside.

I assumed that pipe is a support for the winter cover about to go on. It will be interesting to see what the OP says about it. The snorkel concept worked well for WWII submarines, but I don't see the need to prevent the anchor locker from flooding.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

That boat looks like it is in very nice condition and I doubt you have any serious problems with it. My interpretation is that you were able to smooth out that ugly looking repair and you can simply cover it with bottom paint. As for the anchor locker, it looks a little small to me for your boat, but that may not be an issue. It seems that the bottom comes to a point, almost like an inverted pyramid. The first picture (with the daylight showing) seemed to show a flat bottom, but now I can see that it is more or less a bulkhead separating the locker from the v-berth. With all the dirt on the walls of the locker, it is difficult to see the condition of everything. It would help to see it cleaned off. I can't imagine that you have any real damage on those walls. The daylight looks like it comes from the inverted point of the pyramid ... therefore, I assume that there is a drainage hose leading to the clam shell, which is on the stbd topside. Perhaps the light is bright enough to follow the hose, or the opening is in a relatively direct angle with the sun.

You should be able to verify all of these suppositions. Plug the drain, fill the locker with water and watch for any sign of a leak underneath the v-berth. It will certainly follow the centerline, so if there is a leak, it will be very easy to detect. Then, when you unplug the drain inside the locker, if there is just a trickle of water, you may need to clear the hose with a flexible wire or something that will clean it. Obviously, you don't want to puncture anything you can't see. You should have a healthy flow of water out that drain. The stain you see under the clam shell could be from a slow trickle because the drains is clogged with mud ... a very common occurrance.

There is no reason to worry about the stains, I think. I guess it is very odd that it seems to be a sort of soft caulk material (you indicate it is flexible?). That doesn't make any sense to me. Anyway, your locker needs to drain and it is perfectly ok for water to come in at the chain opening and exit at the drain. That would be normal, except that you would have to be out in some really uncomfortable weather to see waves coming over the bow regularly! .

That limber hole underneath the v-berth is necessary so as not to trap water. I think it is insurance against water entering at stanchion bolts or the hull to deck joint and needing an exit. I wouldn't worry about the stain if you can clean it off. It is probably a very rare occasion that water finds its way into that void in front of that bulkhead.

 

[jdrutten]

Anchor locker snorkel! Might not be a bad idea. But yes, the PVC was my shotgun effort at building something for the cover to hang from two weeks after buying the boat. And I gotta say, the cover is still snug as a bug, so that's something at least. And just to be clear, the photo of the anchor locker with the massive ugly hole was from the previous owner before it was fixed. As it stands now the anchor locker just has the happy little sunlit drain. I kind of assumed all anchor lockers were built that way, but as I'm finding out it seems that some lockers drain into the bilge!

Flooding the locker sounds like a good idea. Then I'll know exactly what's up. As I think about it, I can imagine that the anchor locker started with a small leak which then found its path through the v-berth limber hole over the course of months or years while it stained the v-berth compartment. Then in a desperate attempt to fix it they dumped a bunch of hot glue/epoxy in the hopes of plugging it up before finally biting the bullet and rebuilding the fiberglass. I just can't imagine why they wouldn't clean up the ugly streaks afterwards.

 

[jssailem]

I just can't imagine why they wouldn't clean up the ugly streaks afterwards.

Maybe the wind was starting to blow and the sailing looked good. They had been working on the boat for too long and just got tired of the repair. The thinking usually goes... "Well that is good enough for now. Let's get out on the water before sunset and have sail."

 

[jssailem]

As I look at your pictures, I sense the goop you started this discussion with is likely beneath the V-Berth up forward, under the anchor locker, on the boat's hull. Looks like there would be a void between the hull and the bottom of the anchor locker. Only access I can guess at is under the V-Berth. That is where, from your outside picture, any damage inside the hull would show up.

 

[jdrutten]

Looks like there would be a void between the hull and the bottom of the anchor locker. Only access I can guess at is under the V-Berth.

And apart from slicing through the floor of the v-berth (of which there is a 0% chance of me attempting) there’s really no way of inspecting the inside part of that “repair.” In which case I suppose I will test flood the anchor locker, paint the bottom, and say a prayer to Neptune or any other gods of the Mississippi to keep them happy.

 

[jssailem]

If you remove the pillows, mattress and blankets the base of the V-berth is solid? Man that is too bad. The V-berth on my boat is a great storage area.

 

[Kings Gambit]

And apart from slicing through the floor of the v-berth (of which there is a 0% chance of me attempting) there’s really no way of inspecting the inside part of that “repair.”

In that case, I doubt that “Mighty Putty” (post #14 above) was used. One would have to have working access to the hole to apply it.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

@jdrutten Ha! You keep adding pieces to the puzzle! Why didn't you state from the start, or at least when you posted that picture of the anchor locker, that the massive hole in the wall of the locker was repaired before you obtained the boat! I can't even imagine the cause of that hole so I assumed that it was an optical illusion caused by dirt. Otherwise, why wouldn't you say something about it? How in the world did somebody cause that hole. Anchor lockers usually absorb a fair amount of abuse and merely shrug it off. That had to have been a drop of a hunk of iron from some distance!

In any case, that certainly explains the presence of previous repair materials of various sorts. It also explains the stains in the limber hole, if that hole in the locker was unattended for a long time and a lot of water over time escaped the locker, and was funneled thru the limber hole.

Just shaking my head at the sequence of information.

 

[jdrutten]

In that case, I doubt that “Mighty Putty” (post #14 above) was used. One would have to have working access to the hole to apply it.

I did a quick search for "Mighty Putty" and came across J-B Weld WaterWeld which seems like it would be able to set up on the exterior of hull while in the water. Couldn't see any obvious damage/issue when I sanded it down and still can't imagine why it was there.

Just shaking my head at the sequence of information.

Mea Culpa Scott T-Bird! Sorry for the confusion. I didn't originally see the connection between the goop at the bottom of the bow with whatever the previous owner did to the locker. I'm still a bit confused obviously, but will take all your points to heart and proceed with cleaning up and getting some bottom paint before getting back in the water in a few weeks. Thanks for the help!

 

[JamesG161]

Yes, picture 61880 shows the anchor locker hatch cover, with the port side hinges and lift handle on the Starboard side. [Just like mine]

If you look at the pulpit Port Rail you can see a clip on the Railing.
Guess what that clip does?

You clip your Anchor locker hatch OPEN, using the opening lift handle.
Why?

You would find out quickly when the wind slams that hatch on your hand or foot.

On my Anchor Locker hatch inside, it has a clips for the Emergency Windlass winch handle and the Anchor Wash down pump nozzle too.
Jim...

PS: Sorry I miss understood the PVC tent pole. Nice job!

 

[smokey73]

@JamesG161 I am really surprised, actually dubious to say the least, that Hunter would design a boat that drains the anchor locker directly inboard on purpose. Unless your Hunter 430 is significantly different than any other production boat that I have seen, the anchor locker is effectively "open" to not only rain entering, but "green water" getting into the anchor locker during heavy seas. I know on a transit off the coast of New Jersey, we took green water over the bow for a full 12 hours when we pitched down coming off many many big waves and plowed into the oncoming wave . Is your anhcor locker sealed from the elements to prevent water entry from the deck? That is the only way I could see draining the anchor locker to the bilge. As an old Submariner I always strive to "keep the water out of the people tank."

I did have a leak from the bottom drain tube between the anchor locker and the hull that was allowing some water to leak into the space and it eventually found its way to the bilge. I fixed that and posted the repair on this forum.

 

[JamesG161]

I am really surprised, actually dubious to say the least, that Hunter would design a boat that drains the anchor locker directly inboard on purpose.

The only thing that goes into my Anchor Locker, with the Hatch closed and locked down is...
1) Chain
2) Rode

If my hatch drain is open, water goes over board.
Unfortunately that is where the hole was open to the interior of our boat. Right at the hatch drain exit.

How did I find out that the anchor locker drained to the main bilge?
Repairing boat after Hurricane Zeta



This picture was taken by me with the Progressive Insurance Adjuster.
The front of my boat was dunked under water for about 5 minutes.
The windlass survived the dunk. and the contactor still works in UP, but probably the DOWN, 12VDC terminal needs fixing.

That locker was obviously filling with water, before they righted out boat to float.
Jim...

PS: The locker cover access front is behind the front head and was leaking water into the Locker.

 

[smokey73]

@JamesG161 Well you learn something everyday. So with your anchor locker hatch "locked down" there is no way water can enter the anchor locker, like from where the chain enters the hawse pipe? Is there a cover on the hawse pipe?

On my boat, in addition to the hawse pipe (really just an opening in the hatch) the roller furler on my headstay is actually in the anchor locker and there is a sizable hole above it that would let an intolerable amount of water into the anchor locker. Guess you aren't faced with that problem and any water entering the anchor locker (if any) would be inconsequental even in heavy weather and green water coming ove the bow.

 

[jdrutten]

I did have a leak from the bottom drain tube between the anchor locker and the hull that was allowing some water to leak into the space and it eventually found its way to the bilge. I fixed that and posted the repair on this forum.

@smokey73, I just took a look at Hunter 40.5 anchor locker drain leak fix. In my brief time in the water last fall, I did notice large amounts of water intermittently entering the bilge but didn't have quite enough time to start putting the picture together. But now with all my obvious issues surrounding the anchor locker, I'm dying to flood it to see what happens. I'll definitely be referring back to your post if I find something similar.

 

[jdrutten]

Just a quick follow-up from this past weekend. I took a closer look at the starboard side (bottom) anchor locker drain from the inside of the locker (I’ve attached my best attempt at a photo) and as far as I can see it looks good. I also dumped a gallon of water through but didn’t see anything show up in the bilge or elsewhere inside the boat. So I’ve got to think all the oddities were quick fix attempts by the previous owner.