water in lockers

[Dennis Bidney]

1980 H25 and I always have some small water in the cabin lockers and can't for the life of me figure out how it is getting in. Sort of makes them not the best spots for storage. There are 2 other H25's at my home port and they also have a similar situation. Is this just something with this model? Anyone out there that has seen a similar thing and were you able to track it down?Thanks,Dennis

 

[Jude Dippold]

Locker Water

Dennis,I have a similar problem with my Hunter 26.5. I would bet that on days when there is little or no wind that you'll find there is little or no water. You're taking on water only when you are heeled over smartly. There are two possibilities: 1) the through hull fittings and their associated hoses; and 2) the deck-hull connection. The through hull fittings are easy to check out. Send someone below when you are heeled over and have them check the fittings or wrap some tissue paper or paper towels around the fitting and check to see if they are wet when you are done. If you eliminate the fittings, then the deck-hull connection is the culprit. Finding the exact location of the leak is a real chore. I take on less than a gallon in a hard day of sailing, so I'm not too concerned. Once I have the boat out of the water, I intend to recaulk the joints under the rub rail.

 

[Dennis Bidney]

thanks

Jude, thanks for the response. I'll keep looking

 

[Dr. R. A. Brown]

No water in lockers!

I had the most distressing similar problem after I bought my H25 Box Top in 1982 (the last of the series). I tried tightening the keel bolts, recaulked the toe rail, etc., all to no avail. I finally realized that the hand bilge pump yard had installed when the boat was new WAS INSTALLED BACKWARD! So every time the outlet in the transom was submerged in a short chop, the water would back-siphon into the bilge. Not likely in every boat, but still a possibility. In the right weather conditions (freeze-thaw) the rubber water tank can act like a cold drink and cause condensation in the bilge, too, although this has only occurred once in 20 years. Otherwise my boat has stayed dusty dry for 20 years.