Water Ballast Leak

[Kelly Fitzgibbon]

Water Ballast LeakWe have had a '94 Hunter 26 for 2 1/2 yrs. It always seems to have water under the sink areas and in the bilge area after sailing when the boat has heeled hard. I just took a cruise from Portland OR to Astoria, OR. After arriving we had water in the seat bins around the table, under the sinks, in the bilge. I had to stay awake all night bailing water, since the crappy bilge pump was to weak to pump the water up the hose and the water kept coming in. I must have dumped 30 to 40 buckets. I put the boat in the Ilwaco boatyard. Repaired the ballast valve gasket that was shot. Made sure the ballast tank was empty, then I shut the valve tight and filled the ballast tank from the inside of the boat with a garden hose. As soon as the tank was almost full water started showing up in the seat bins and also running down the side of the hull somewhere into the bilge area. There is no access to the area under the floor that I can find. We had to trailer the boat home. I hope someone can give me some ideas on what to do. Thanks,Hazel Dell Kelly

 

[alan]

Well, sounds like you found where the leak is from

I am assuming that the boat was hauled when you filled the tank. One person found that screws into the cabin sole had punctured the tank. You can see the top of the tank under the sinks and under the table. Other than that try buying an inspection mirror. Otherwise I believe that the only other way is to cut out the cabin sole. Good luck and let us know. alan

 

[Pat Hooyman]

Similar Problem

I had a leak 2 years ago after moving the boat from Colorado to Texas and Salt water. I bought the boat new in April 1998. I kept it at a mooring in Colorado fresh water with no leaks and also trailered to a lake Michigan Cruise of two weeks with no leaks as well. I had left the boat on the trailer for months moved to Texas in late 1999 relaunched and had a slow leak of 2-5 gallons a day. I worked with Hunter and determined the leak was from the ballast tank by using dye. The leak went on for several weeks and we could not find it. I went to the boat every other day and bailed(I bought a hand piston type bilge pump and put the outlet hose in the galley sink - used the access hole to the bilge in galley floor) Checked the screws in the head, made an access hole to look under the porta potti but never saw any leak. This slow leak is under an area that cannot be viewed. Hunter was stumped and offered to have me return the boat to the factory to figure this out. Of course this is a 1200+ mile trailer job taking a week or more of my time so I was wanted to fix it here. In desperation, I put two pounds of ground pepper in the ballast tank and the leak stopped within a week! The boat stayed in the slip for six months and never leaked. I hauled it out and put it on a trailer for around six months. In April 2001 I relaunched and put her in the slip she is in now. Again I had a leak of 2-3 gallons per day. I put in a pound of ground pepper and the leak stopped and has not returned after a year and four months in the water and lots of sailing, waves and heeling. In fact after she sits I sometimes get pressure in the ballast tank shown by a whoosh of air when I remove the vent plug so she is not leaking under pressure even - bone dry. The leak must be very small and not structural.Let me know where you find your leak and how you think it was caused. I wonder if storage over winter in freezing conditions can do this if the fiberglass retains water or if it is related to stresses while trailering. If you want to talk in more detail my email is hooyman@slb.com.

 

[Frank Ladd]

My 23.5 leaked

It removed the potipotti screws and worked 5200 into the holes and repaced the screws. I crawed on my belly like a reptile to the back of the boat and sealed every bolt I could reach with 3M 5200. It turned out the the rudder bolts did not have washers or nuts inside! I put washers and nuts wherever they were missing. My mast crutch rests on a plasic disk that was bolted through the lip of the hull. I removed the bolt and glommed in 5200. I also made certain the motor bracked bolt were sealed. Since then no more salt water has entered the boat and I am keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Sean Coerse]

Why Pepper

I dont understand how the pepper stopped the leak. Am I missing something.

 

[Pat Hooyman]

Pepper is an old radiator stop leak treatment

Pepper is an old radiator stop leak treatment - I said I was desperate. In a radiator it is forced out of the hole by pressure and gradually builds up (if the hole is a pin hole) and plugs the leak. I figured it is environmentally friendly(we eat it) and could not hurt anything so it was worth a try. I think the leak must be small and gets plugged by the pepper the same way.