[C320-list] Stuffing box drips

[Chris Burti]

Traditional packing should be adjusted to drip 1-2
drops per minute at rest. The water serves as a
lubricant to prefent friction wear and overheating. At
rest, this will usually dry before it gets to the
bilge, but will result in water when mooring because
the flow increases when the shaft is turning.

It is fairly common to require adjustment over time
and almost always after being hauled.

Last year I replaced the packing with the goretex
impregnated kind. It can be adjusted to not drip and
yet not overheat as tradtional packing because it is
self-lubricating. Cost-less than $10 at an industrial
supply, slightly more at a marine supply.

Now the only water in my bilge comes from over-filling
the water tanks. I put teflon plumbing tape around the
inspection ports which helps unless I try to fill to
the top and create pressure.

--- Jeffrey Hare <catalina at thehares.com> wrote:

> Hi David,
> 
>   Nigel's probably correct here.  Note that even
> once you get the packing
> seal adjusted properly, don't be surprised if you
> notice water in the bilge
> after a sail.  There is an area of the bilge *below*
> the engine pan that can
> hold quite a bit of the water that dripped from the
> shaft seal.  This has a
> tendency to slosh forward and make its way to the
> bilge for quite a while
> afterwords.  If you get 7 or 8 people and have a
> party on the bow of the
> boat, it'll move into the bilge more quickly.. :)
> 
> -Jeff
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nigel Price [mailto:nigel.price at bigpond.com] 
> Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2006 5:36 AM
> To: C320-List
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] (no subject)
> 
>   David,
>   I've been in a mild panic since I bought hull
> #1061 new, six months ago, 
> because of exactly the problem you describe. I have
> come to the conclusion 
> that the egress is through the stern gland, which
> accounts for the rising 
> level when under power. I tightened the gland to the
> point that it was dry 
> when the engine was idle and the bilges remain
> dry.....until the shaft 
> rotates. Guess the water has to go somewhere if it's
> coming through the 
> stern gland.
>   Cheers,
>   Nigel
>   Sydney, Australia.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: "David Nolte" <dcnolte at mac.com>
>   To: "C320-List" <C320-List at catalina320.com>
>   Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2006 4:28 AM
>   Subject: [C320-list] (no subject)
> 
> 
>   > Got out (finally!) for the first time this
> season over the weekend.
>   >
>   > When I left, all sections of the bilge under the
> main salon were bone
>   > dry. When I'm not on the boat I leave the floor
> section bilge covers
>   > off and I have a solar fan in the main cabin
> hatch that keeps the
>   > bilge dry.
>   >
>   > After sailing and then motoring for about 2
> hours we anchored and I
>   > checked the bilge and found 1" - 3" of water in
> all sections under
>   > the main salon. I noticed while we were at
> anchor that the float
>   > switch was activated at least once and moved
> some water out.
>   >
>   > When I retuned home the next day, I hand pumped
> and emptied 5 buckets
>   > of water out of the bilge. Water seemed to be
> seeping in from the aft-
>   > most opening, around (but not through) the tube
> which I believe
>   > drains the reefer.
>   >
>   > I've checked all through-hulls and inspected
> everywhere I could think
>   > of. Everywhere is bone dry. No moisture around
> or below the engine or
>   > the shaft. I just took the boat out and motored
> around for about half
>   > an hour.  A couple times I noticed a tiny bit of
> wetness coming in
>   > around that aft hole.
>   >
>   > Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any ideas
> where water could be
>   > coming from that would drain into the bilge from
> that opening?
>   >
>   > BTW, This will be our second full season with
> the boat. We love it.
>   > And this list is great. We keep the boat in
> Cattail Creek, on the
>   > Magothy River, which is on the Chesapeake, one
> river north of
>   > Annapolis. We're in the same community as Scott
> Thompson (Surprise
>   > #653), whose boat is about 100 yards from us.
>   >
>   > David Nolte
>   > Beach House #4
>   > (the oldest boat I've seen on this list!)
>   >
>   >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


Chris Burti
"Commitment"
Catalina 320, #867, 
Farmville, NC

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com