V Berth Leak

[Bob13754]

During a heavy rain, water leaks down the right forward side of the V berth wall. The water tank fill cap and the windlass foot switches are in the area just above. I have sealed around all three and still have the leak. I have not seen any place in the anchor/rode storage area that could be the culprit. Has anyone experienced a leak in this area and found a source ? Or a suggestion on how to find it ?

The boat is a Hunter 2003 model 386.

Bob, aabobjudy@aol.com

 

[Steve Dion]

Sealed around? This could be the problem. I suggest that you remove the item and thourly clean both surfaces. Use a quality caulking material like Life Caulk, 4200 or even butyl tape. If these are the problem it should cure the leak.

 

[Bob13754]

Thank you for your quick reply. I will give that a try. Today I used a hose to flood the area for 15-20 minutes and it didn't leak so I am a little concerned that this is the area that is giving the problem.

 

[navigator97]

aabob, I have a 1990 Hunter 33.5 and also had/have a leak somewhere in the veeberth area. Could not see where from inside, but I would collect water in the forwardmost bow compartment under the veeberth. (It has no limber holes by design to protect from flooding if bow is crushed.) I have significantly reduced the leak but not completely eliminated it. It is also "directional", in that there is little leaking when on the mooring (facing into wind during rain), but more leaking when "on the hard". I did find that there are 2 glassed in square tubes that are the "chases" for the wiring for the Port & Starboard nav lights. I stuffed some small pieces of cloth in them around the wires and then put silicone around the top. I, too, sealed around the water fill fitting (but didn't lift it to re-bed under it). I don't have a windless, so thats not a source. I also sealed around the anchor rode u-bolt in the anchor locker. I also removed and re-bedded all of the stantion bases. Significantly less leaking, but still some. Good luck. Dick, S/V Puffin

 

[cbsailor]

I have had two boats that had leaks down the side of the vberth. In both cases the bedding of the pulpit thru-bolts was the problem. Removing the pulpit and old bedding material and rebedding with Boat Life took care of the leaks.

 

[Allan Frey]

>During a heavy rain, water leaks down the right forward side of the V berth wall.

My 376 had the same problem develop when it was a year old. It came from the hatch above the v. When the hatch frame was removed we found that Hunter drove the screws on one side into a void. Thus, after the hatch had been opened a few times the flexing had broken the caulk seal and the water leaked in. The hatch was removed, fiberglass added to the deck under the frame area and the screws driven into the fiberglass with new caulk. No leaks in 10 years.

Allan

 

[Andreas7699]

Be patient.

I have had some leacks lately in my H36 2008. I get paranoid when I cant find it. My adwice is to use a hose until you are absolutely shure where the leak is. Sprinckle one part you suspect at the time starting from the lowest point and work your way up. Be shure you dont work to quick so you are shure the water has come all the way trough.

My leac wat in the chainplates and under the grey fender list and in a hach at the transom. But the water seemd to come from all other places.

Now it is dry in the bilge.

Regards
Andreas

 

[luvitt]

my vberth in h40 had a leak too. the culprit was the anchor locker. the drain got clogged with leaves and when i cleared it, the standing water drained and the leak stopped.

 

[cmtaylor3]

During a heavy rain, water leaks down the right forward side of the V berth wall. The water tank fill cap and the windlass foot switches are in the area just above. I have sealed around all three and still have the leak. I have not seen any place in the anchor/rode storage area that could be the culprit. Has anyone experienced a leak in this area and found a source ? Or a suggestion on how to find it ?

The boat is a Hunter 2003 model 386.

Bob, aabobjudy@aol.com

Check the windlass. My 356 leaks through the windlass drum down onto the hard overhead and then down the soft sides. It is likely that a shaft seal has gone bad. They can be repaired, but I just place a waterproof cover (dry bag) over the windlass and fasten it with a bungee cord.

Good luck,
Chuck Taylor

 

[Ivan]

In my 356 there was a small leak in the V berth also. I eventually found it to be lack of factory applied sealant around the wires that go through the deck and into and through the aft starboard mounting flange of the bow pulpit and emerge through a hole drilled in the side of that mounting tube, and then run to the running lights mounted on the bow pulpit. The hole in side of the tubing was not sealed, and water seeped along the wires and into the forward cabin area under the wooden covering at the head of the V berth. One has to be a real sleuth in some of these leak cases!!

 

[Bob13754]

Check the windlass. My 356 leaks through the windlass drum down onto the hard overhead and then down the soft sides. It is likely that a shaft seal has gone bad. They can be repaired, but I just place a waterproof cover (dry bag) over the windlass and fasten it with a bungee cord.

Good luck,
Chuck Taylor

Chuck,

Thanks for the great suggestion. I'll try that. I'm also going to re-bed the bow pulpit stantions where they meet the deck. Someone has suggested doing that as the seal around the cable where the nav light wires go thru the hull may be bad.
Thanks again, Bob

 

[sailcrouch]

I struggled with this for several years on my 37.5. I removed and resealed the trhough hull for the fresh water and a shelf I had installed fot my anchor windlass. This year I noticed that the deck to hull joint had a large gap which I filled with polyurethane sealant and solved my leak. I had to stick my head in to see the gap. It seems there are several possible explanations for leaks in the anchor locker.

Steve Crouch

 

[Bob13754]

Steve, thanks so much for the input. I've re-bedded all of the bow pulpit stantions but have not been able to see if it has fixed it yet. I'll take a look at the windlass and deck to hull next. When I try to use a water hose on each suspected culprit, I have not been able to make it leak yet so I am going on a process of elimination tack at this point.

Bob

 

[Jeff Bacon]

One more place to check...

Also check the anchor locker lid LATCH. The latch slides into a hole drilled into the hull in order to lock. On occassion, a lazy Hunter worker will drill this hole all the way through the hull and into the cabin. Actually, I imagine this is pretty easy to do. Check from the inside to see if this is the case, then, it becomes an easy fix.

If I have not described this adequatly, let me know and I can post a picture

Jeff

 

[waternwaves]

my vberth in h40 had a leak too, locker cover hinge screws were loose, but the big source of water was the small hole the anchor locker latch slid into. Tough to fill that one.