Water in Bilge

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Neil King

I took my '94 Hunter 26 out for my first sail on Lake Michigan last week. After sailing for about 3-1/2 hours, I found about 2/3 cup of clear water in the bilge. I sopped it out with a paper towel. Is this from condensation? The air temp. was in the high 70's with water temp. around 60. I have two through-hulls: one for depth sensor and the other for speed indicator. Is it common for a Hunter 26 water ballast stored on land to have a small amount of water in the bilge after a launch and 3-hour sail? Thanks again for your assistance.
 
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Steve Dion

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Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
What about your ice box?

Neil: Was the water there before you started? Has it rained? Do you have an icebox? Was there ice in it? If you do, that is probably where the water came from.
 
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Bill O'Donovan

Icebox

Steve is right, it's probably from the icebox. To keep my bilge dry, I solved the problem during daysails by using only those dry ice things that come enclosed in plastic. That way there's no leaking. On longer trips, I'm resigned to the blocks of ice melting into the bilge. Eventually I pump it all out. Hunter should tell us all someday the logic behind draining the sink out the bottom but the icebox into the bilge. Makes no sense.
 
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Steve Dion

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Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
Unfortunately Bill, I think I can answer that....

question. It is the lowest point on the boat and it is not worth it for them to put in a sump. On our H'31 it would be very difficult to add a sump. On many of the new/larger boats they come with refrigeration in them. Anything that spills goes in the bilge and they just assume that it will be pumped overboard by the bilge pump. I suppose if we were all diligent we would keep our bilges clean and this would not be a problem <wrong>.
 
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Joe

Only water I've found...

in the bilge came from "gurgleing" out before I got the valve and vent plug shut when the ballast tank got full. A little water can also seep out of the tank vent when the boat is pitching hard. Greg at Hunter also tells me that the boat can take on a little water around the center board pivot if it is overloaded or pounding into heavy seas. Also one time I opened the ballast tank valve after I got the boat a little up the ramp. A little water had seeped out with the tank full and sitting "up hill" I have also found that with the bilge pump not at the low point it will leave a good bit of water in the bilge that it can't pump out. Hope this helps, Joe C. in NC '01 H260 Windward Passage
 
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Ken. Shubert

Possible the Bilge Pump Loop ?

I've managed to "gulp" some water back through the bilge pump when sailing with wave pounding the port side. Mostly when we're sailing hard and dipping the rail in the water. The loop from the bilge pump to the thru-hul is as high as possible but could be replaced with a backflow valve if the problem is serious. Ken S/V WouffHong
 
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