Indigo

[Dave Neptune]

Of plumbing and boats!

Shawn, you really have had a runaround on this one. I have a rule at our house and that is "I don't do house". I have the ability just not the experience & patience so here comes the plumbing part~~if I am fixing a faucet or replacing a tank valve I almost always finish in the street or everything I touch leads me closer to the shut off. I work on our cars boats and anything that goes "put-put-put" or fits in the garage as those are my strengths.
At least you are more experienced with your boat now and hopefully you can apply that knowledge to future boating needs. The more you understand about your boat the safer and more secure your friends and family will feel, because the Captain is confident. It sounds as if you have done well on this adventurous upgrade.
I wish you no leaks, fair winds and clean fuel!!!

Dave Neptune _/) _/) _/)
(\_ (\_

[ndutton]

CSI - Solomons

Shawn,
After you remove the stuffing box could you please post some pictures of the crack?
How long ago did Pops repair it? How was it repaired?

[sastanley]

leaky shaft tubes

Neil,
So far this is the only pic I have..it is a repost from a discussion we had regarding stuffing box nut locations from last spring and how they vary in C-30s. I think we had that discussion on the Yahoo group.

It is a bad cell phone pic, but you can see aft of the hose is a Marine Tex repair job. I have no idea how long ago this was done...but like everything else, probably many years ago. Where I think it is leaking is at the aft end (underneath) of the shaft log hose, down where you can't get your finger. I tightened up the clamp as much as I dare without completely crushing the old hose and really causing a problem...it may be a crack in the hose? It is an ever so slight trickle...it saturates a folded up paper towel in about 15 minutes, which is what I used to confirm it was leaking from there and not the stuffing box nut.

I've already said this, but I should have hauled the boat earlier and just popped the coupler off and done all this anyway when I decided to change the prop. What is unknown is if this would have been an issue had I not messed with the prop shaft in the first place, or if my messing with it aggravated (or accelerated) the problem, etc.. It obviously leaked before somewhere and was 'fixed' by Pops. Maybe the marine tex bond broke with the glass underneath while hanging in the slings and it would have happened anyway out in the middle of the Bay somewhere

Since it is not a catastrophic leak yet, what I hope to do is put the boat in the slings and pull the clamps off and see what's up with it still in the water...they may give us a better idea of what's going on and whether it is 34 year old hose failing, or a true crack in the GRP, etc..

So today we are off on the Internet shopping for stuffing boxes & over at the C-30 Yahoo group reading about past experiences with prop shaft removal.

[ndutton]

Shawn,
A very quick suggestion regarding shaft removal: dish soap on the cutlass bearing and the shaft ahead of it.

[sastanley]

Roger, thanks, Neil. Been reading up over at the Yahoo group. dishsoap everywhere!

Also, I forgot this little detail. I have some engine oil at the coupling...I need to get a mirror under there and some light to see if it is coming from the seal or somewhere else..I know that is the lowest part of the engine so it may be running to there from up on the motor.

I figure if it is the rear seal, might as well do it while I have the coupler/shaft off...if I can get it off!

[hanleyclifford]

Shaft log problem

Shawn - I have studied the picture you posted and it reveals several things. First of all what you did with your shaft alignment and prop replacement has nothing to do with the problem. Second, there is probably nothing wrong with your stuffing box. The problem is the shaft log itself. The picture clearly shows the repair and considerable flaking damage to the hull material adjacent. First try to determine exactly what the log is made of so you can plan your repair. Marine tex is just epoxy, but West System is better. This repair is going to involve drying out the log and adjacent hull area. For this reason I suggest that you tolerate the leak for the time being, unless it gets worse. Focus instead on getting your shaft alignment as perfect as you can so as to eliminate the "whipping" and give this log rest from the stress it has obviously been receiving for many years. If you solve the engine mounts/alignment issue it is likely the leak will not get any worse in the short term. the Force be with you. Regards, Hanley

[sastanley]

Hanley, I agree with you...the real question remains is what's under that repair that is already there. I'll take a better picture when I remember to take the camera down to the boat, but all the motivation I had has suddenly gone out the window. - I don't want to poke & prod at it too much while in the water either, which may necessitate the need for ahem... a swift run to the travel lift!

The P.O. loved Marine Tex..the only thing good about it was that it was white to match the boat. I found dried up containers of it everywhere! I threw it all away and use West System for just about everything.

more later..thanks for the encouraging words. Oh..I am going sailing tonight. With this latest big boat development, when I got home last night I dragged my Laser out of the woods and will go dinghy racing tonight. This boat is old too, a 1980 hull..I've had it since I was about 14.

[keelcooler]

GRP shaft tubes mostly fail from clamp crushing and or miss targeting of the shaft in the tube. Off center shaft problems can sometimes chafe completely through the tube.
Proper fix is a bear, removing the tube, glassing in new. Looks like no room for a glass tape wrap repair.

[sastanley]

keel cooler,

I have too much invested in the boat to quit now.

A shaft log repair/replace would be par for the course with this boat

I am chatting with my yard guy about a 'leisurely' haul out coming up..and they thought they were rid of me when they splashed me last week, HA!

[keelcooler]

You can do it. Let me know if you need help.

[hanleyclifford]

Go Sailing!

Shawn - That's the spirit! Don't let this issue get bigger in your mind than it really is. Have an enjoyable sailing evening. I'll be thinking about it because I know your area very well (I had a fun time dodging your shoal one night, but that's another story). Regards, Hanley

[Dave Neptune]

Time out

Shawn, it's time to wear something out by using the boat. The shaft can be fixed later or the leak may be able to be TEMPORARILY patched with underwater epoxy putty. You can do a propper repair later, enjoy the boat and "dunworrie".

Dave Neptune

[ndutton]

Wow, Dave, I wish I could relax like that.

When I know something with the boat is in need of attention - on a sliding scale of importance of course - with something like a compromised shaft log/stuffing box I could never get it out of my mind until it was thoroughly resolved or at least evaluated as to it's severity. My guests would have a great time but I'd be headed for a psychiatrist by the end of the day (or the bartender).

It's not knowing that would gnaw away at me.

[sastanley]

Neil,
I am with you. We are considering a 6 mile excursion up the Patuxent this weekend with no waves or severe weather (skinny river) only to get some satisfaction in all of the work we've put in the boat, now that we are not doing 40 mile days for the next week. But even as much as I like to drink beer on the boat & relax, I'd probably drive my wife crazy and be checking the damn thing in the middle of the night and every hour while sailing, anchored, tied up, etc.etc..

I guess I am too anal as well. i am struggling with meeting up with other friends up the river right now!

[ndutton]

Easy Shawn, no need to lose any intoxicant-driven sleep. When I finished building my Westsail in the 80's, I was advised by experienced boating friends to sleep with my feet in the bilge the first night after launching. Anything I missed would make itself readily apparent.