No Room for Stuffing Box Service

[Hiker_00]

Coupler cutoff

The angle grinder cutoff the flange, the dremel split the coupler, the cold chisel broke the seal. I did this never-ending work with the leaking steel gas tank out of the boat. It made working in such cramped conditions tolerable.

Tim

[ndutton]

I did this never-ending work with the leaking steel gas tank out of the boat. It made working in such cramped conditions tolerable.

On behalf of an industry I loved dearly, I apologize. It seems most boats were designed and built without the slightest consideration of how maintenance would be accomplished.

You can be assured the factory installed the engine, shaft, stuffing box and packing before the deck was mated to the hull.

[Hiker_00]

Look at the 'old' photo carefully. I never noticed until it was all disassembled but the the shaft log is 1.25 water hose. There's a tight fit and only enough purchase for one hose clamp in my setup. I did all of this work whilst sitting astride the shaft. This is only possible with the tank out.

Otherwise your are upside-down-a$$-first down the sail locker doing all of this with your hands over your head and the tool you need out of reach.

This is one of my favorite pics from the whole nasty job.

Tim

[sastanley]

hiker...i have a nice new bulk algonquin stuffing box too. I was amazed in the difference between their hose and the "water hose" I removed.

[wagner]

Bigeye still on here?

Out of curiosity, Bigeye, are you still around on the forum? I think I own the Sabre 28 previously known as Morningstar, and I suspect that it hasn't had the stuffing box redone in some time....the photos look awfully familiar...