Water leak into aft cabin

TXBay

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Dec 6, 2013
1
Hunter 376 Clear Lake
I have a water leak into my aft cabin that gets the lower aft shelving and underneath the bed area wet. I was told leaks from the cockpit lockers are common but didn't see anything on this site about it. Someone suggested putting a self made gasket out of weather stripping on the lockers. Has anyone had this before and remedied it?

Cheers.
 
May 28, 2009
764
Hunter 376 Pensacola, FL
This type of leak on this type of boat can sometimes be due to leaks in the hull-to-deck joint under the rubrail. Water runs off the deck during a rain, runs out the drain channels and onto the rubrail, then heads aft, getting underneath the rubrail in the process. There's a hole under the rubrail every six to eight inches that has a bolt through it to hold the deck to the hull, and it's not unusual for some of them to leak. We had a similar aft cabin leak (our boat's smaller, but built basically the same way as yours), and I cured it (it's not fixed, I've just treated the symptoms) by running a bead of caulk along the top of the rubrail from approximately the midship cleat to the stern. Now the water that runs off the deck continues along and over the rubrail without getting underneath it, and our leak is gone.
 
Jul 27, 2013
298
Hunter 37.5 1065 Rock Hall, MD
I had this problem, too. I used a socket wrench, and tightened all of the nuts holding the toe rail to the hull to deck joint. Because the boat heats and cools, the nuts and bolts back out over time. Since they are carriage bolts that hold the rail down, just lay on the deck and use a socket to tighten all the nuts. In some parts, I could put two or three turns on each nut. After I did that....viola! No more leak.

Ben
1990 hunter legend 37.5
 
May 28, 2009
764
Hunter 376 Pensacola, FL
Mid 90's Hunters like the 376 don't have a bolt on aluminum toerail like your 37.5.
 
Jul 27, 2013
298
Hunter 37.5 1065 Rock Hall, MD
Oh. I wasn't aware of that. Sorry for the wrong advice, but thank you for letting me know.
 
Jan 12, 2011
930
Hunter 410 full time cruiser
I had a leak on my 410 this year that would end with some water on the headboard shelf in the aft berth. It turned out to just be that the engine instrument panel in the cockpit was a little loose and all that was needed was 1/4 turn of a couple of mounting screws.