Water between hull and interior shell

[RonRelyea]

I've got a 1990 Hunter Vision that is on the hard for winter. When I left it a few weeks ago, I had cleaned and dried the bilges.

Coming back after two weeks, I found a couple of quarts of tea colored water in the main bilge area. I had the boat covered with a tarp except for the very tip of the bow and the swim transom. It did rain during the period.

It's a new boat to me this season, and I wouldn't have noticed if this was happening during the season since I was using the shower which drains into the bilge - so there was always water there.

Question - could the water have come from some other part of the boat where it took time for the water to accumulate since I dried the bilge already?

I'm guessing there is also the possibility that there is more water now, between the actual hull of the boat and the plastic (or whatever) shell that acts as the interior of the boat..
Question 2 - if there is water between these layers, do I need to worry about it ? With the boat on the hard, it is tilted to the aft, so that the bilge is no longer the lowest part of the boat. I'm up north where the temps get below 0. Could this water be contributing to the blistering I'm getting on the hull?

Thanks for any insight into this!

 

[Steve Dion]

You mast is keel stepped. These boats do not have a traditional hull/liner like many of the other Hunters.

I suspect that you are getting water down your mast. You could have had some water that collected in another area that worked it's way to the bilge too.

 

[Stu Jackson]

You can always buy a shower sump system and stop pouring shower water into your bilge. http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...eId=10001&Ntk=Primary+Search&ddkey=SiteSearch

Most older C30s came with shower bilge thingies, and many owners upgraded. Shower material in the bilge can make it smell worse than normal.

Our mast is keel stepped too and we always get water down below when it rains.

 

[RonRelyea]

Thanks

Steve and Stu ... thanks for the quick replies ..

do you think I need to worry about freezing or blisters?? there doesn't seem to be a way to get the water out at this point....

Stu ... the shower sump is definitely on my to-do list ...

 

[alexco38]

Use a handpump, e.g. motor oil change pump to suck as much water out as possible and then pour in a gallon of RV antifreeze.

In the winter I always put RV antifreeze in the bilge just in case something leaked.

No water in the bilge won't cause blisters. They are caused by water absorbed into the hull due to pressure differential and reacted with certain resin to form acid. It than freeze and push the skin out. That's why blister always smells.

 

[Steve Dion]

It is not going to hurt to pour some of that RV antifreeze in the bilge. I would just do it as a llittle insurance if there is any change of a hard/prolonged freeze in your part of the world.

Where is New Hamburg?

 

[Fairwind]

Would it be possible to to install a standard drain plug in your bilge that drains outside the hull? All boats should have them..Also, you will regret having the shower drain into the bilge..Clean that up as soon as you can..

 

[RonRelyea]

Where is New Hamburg?

41.589119,-73.950466

it Is Not Going To Hurt To Pour Some Of That Rv Antifreeze In The Bilge. I Would Just Do It As A Llittle Insurance If There Is Any Change Of A Hard/prolonged Freeze In Your Part Of The World.

Where Is New Hamburg?

 

[higgs]

Use a shop vac to get the water out. I would, if possible, keep an eye on the weather to see when your in for a hard freeze, try to keep the bilge dry until then and then add the anti freeze. Many people add a gal to the bilge every year, but I think it is better to have a dry bilge, but that is not always possible. Next spring you can get a better handle on the problem.

 

[Warren Milberg]

I think that most boats with hull liners, like my 1986 H28.5, are going to have water accumulating between the hull and the hull liner. It is probably impossible to prevent. But I would guess that your boat, like mine, also has some limber holes or small access points that can be used to pump such water out. On my boat, and perhaps yours too, if I pull up a panel in the cabin sole it exposes the aft keel bolts which come through the hull liner. I can slide a small diameter hand pump tube (same one I use to change the engine oil) into a limber hole on either side of the midline of my boat. By moving the tube around, I can usually suck out any water between the hull the and the liner. Investigate your boat thoroughly and you may find the same sort of arrangement.

 

[higgs]

Nothing will suck a bilge dry like a shop vac with a crevice tool.