water inthe bilge of a hunter 22 centerboard model

[hellerjo]

In my last post I forgot to mention that my H22 is the centerboard model.
I noticed water on the cabin sole next to the centerboard table. I lifted the floor and found fresh water up to the floorboards. I pumped out as much as I could (not much) and then did the same thing on the other side of the floor. I then crawled into the stbd aft berth and found under the cockpit floor a large amount of water. I pumped it all out. But I am sure that is not the deepest part of the bilge.
On my way out I discovered the source of the water. There is a thru-hull fitting in the deck to catch rain water and direct it out to the stbd side of the topside. there was a hole in the plastic hose. I cut the hose where the hole was and reconnected it eliminating the hole.
I would like to install a bilge pump, where do I put it to go into the deepest part of the blge?
Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Joe

 

[inarathree]

The bilge pumps that I have seen posted here are usually mounted in the opening just under the companionway stairs. The hose is then run either to the thru hull used by the sink, or to a new thru hull put in the transom (this is where I am going to mount mine, when i get around to it). Mounting here is not the lowest part of the bilge though. I have seen a posting where someone cut out a bit of the lead ballast on the starboard side of the keel trunk by the keel bolts an ran the host to the straight to a starboard side thru hull. He also had to cut out a bit of the wood floor. But this does place the pump at the lowest point.

 

[Benny]

If I were you rather than worrying about where to install a bilge pump I would replace all hoses and clamps and check through the hull valves. Proper preventive maintenance has saved more boats than any bilge pump ever will. Most are mainly used as a convenience item to automatically empty the collector. If you do not have a bilge or the bilge is too shallow I woould consider it foolhardy to cut a hole in the floor boards. If your boat is left unattended for long periods of time and you would still feel better if you installed a pump then look for a location out of the way but yet accesible for servicing even though it may not be at the exact low point of the hull. A boat can float very well with a couple of inches of water inside the cabin and hopefully a pump can help prevent the water level from rising beyond that.

 

[SeaTR]

'HEAR HEAR' to "bennny".

A COMPLETE replacement of ALL overboard hoses (including the deck drains to the port and starboard gun'l) is warranted, if you or the PO haven't replaced them yourself in recent memory. It's low cost insurance to the challenge to your bilge pump(s). SS clamps should be doubled on all below waterline connections.

Your Hunter 22' (similar to my '81) has TWO 'main' bilges. The one that straddles the centerboard and has access just under the companionway ladder has been discussed in your thread so far and recieves leakage from the swing keel bolts and the cabin in general. The second bilge is outboard and aft of the first, typically with the bilge pump mounted below the stbd quarterberth. This one is connected to the aft area under the cockpit and receives leakage from the cockpit drain / hoses and the galley sink overboard drain line also beneath the starboard quarterberth. I have two bilge pumps....one for each area in the accessway beneath the companionway ladder and under the stbd quarterberth, respectively, sized at no less than 1500 gph capacity.

there IS a third bilge...all the way forward in the V-berth, which collects leakage from the fwd anchor locker / bow eye and is very small with no connection to the other two bilges...I usually just sponge clean this one.

Your teak and holly floor boards will eventually delaminate and degrade over time, IF you do NOT keep up with the in-leakage. ( the lowest spot in the swiing keel bilge IS on either side of the centerboard housing...to install a pump there is up to you...modification to the floorboard may be necessary...recommend the stbd side also as it is out of the main passageway / traffic.

 

[mel22]

I also have leakage around the keel bolts. Has any one ever removed one nut at a time and put new sealant between washer and hull.

 

[SeaTR]

There are a couple of options that I use to address leakage reduction while in the water.

1) use a two-part epoxy putty that can be used under water (it can be found in any hardware store or even Walmart--it's a blue and white roll that is mushed together until an even color is obtained...working time is only 5 minutes ! ... it is great for emergency repairs at sea, BUT is permanent, unless you want to grind it out and repair differently on the hard),

2) one bolt at a time: insert a gasket, which could be self-made from a 1/4" (rubber) gasket sheet (typically used in ventilation ducting joints) to allow good compression... or

3) a bathroom faucet gasket (neoprene) of the proper hole size for the bolts (and 1/4"...to allow good compression) .

One must be very carefull using either of these last two methods as the bolt could be lost out the hole to Davy Jones's Locker and now you're left with plugging the ~1/4" hole and/or having to haul out to replace/repair. I've used pointed nose vise grips to hold the bolt while removing and reinstalling the gasket, washer and lock nut being careful not to gaul the threads in the process by inserting some of the gasket material between the jaws of the vise grips and the bolt. Note that the surface of the hull should be as flat as possible for a good seating surface for the washer.

Any leakage that still remains is taken up by the bilge pump and acceptable, or not acceptable and the boat is hauled out for repairs.

Now, I know there are other 'at sea' repair methods out there, does someone have other methods to offer?

 

[inarathree]

Someone on the forum actuall replaced his keel while in the water. He had divers do it while tied up at a dock, so I imagine one bolt at a time shouldnt be too big a deal. My friend at work use to swap out depth and speed transponders while boats were in the water, he said you would be suprised but you dont get a big fountain of water when doing it. I will take his word for it... When I lost my keel, all i had were the bolts going through the hull, it leaked, but nothing that i couldnt keep up with on a weekly visit. And as Benny pointed out your boat will still float with a couple inches. I can vouch for at least 4 inches above the cabin floor, and mine was still floating. SeaTR's method sounds reasonable.

 

[mel22]

Thanks SeaTR and inarathree,

The bolts being able to drop out was my main concern, sounds as if they could if not carefull.

I can live with the slow seepage for now and will have to get trailor to lake one day for a quick pick up.Then I can do a fix without worry. Some friends at dock say not to worry, given time the mudd in the lake water will seal the leaks.

 

[SeaTR]

Mel22,
The "Someone on the forum actuall replaced his keel while in the water. He had divers do it while tied up at a dock.." that Inarathree talks about, was me. See the "Need Swing Keel and Rudder Dimensions" thread in this (smaller boats) forum.