[C320-list] packing gland & listing to port

[Adam Weiner]

Bob, if I wrote your second sentence about "Spend more time. . . " I
would be given a lot of poop on this list.  I agree with you and hope
the same thing doesn't happen to you.

Adam

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Robert Seastream
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2007 7:58 AM
To: C320-List
Subject: Re: [C320-list] packing gland & listing to port


"pull my speed transducer after
each sail to avoid barnacles."

Simple, clean it annually  haulout!  Spend more time sailing and less 
time dithering.

Bob
Intuition # 906
On Oct 20, 2007, at 9:11 AM, Chris Burti wrote:

> Yes... I really am considering adding ballast. It just kills me that I

> can't point the same on both tacks. As we haven't loaded Commitment 
> down with junk, she shows a couple inches of bottom paint below the 
> design waterline and I can afford the weight if I stick it midships.
>
> But, I am intrigued by Jeff's assertion that the mast is not centered 
> if the shrouds are equal in length. Since most mastheads are 
> symmetrical this is how you plumb the mast after verifying that the 
> base is centered. Now, if the base of a deck stepped mast is not 
> centered (something you should check because, surprisingly, it appears

> to occur often enough) then you do have to make an adjustment as Jeff 
> suggested, I have measured the base and it is centered, I have plumbed

> my mast in the traditional way and I still have a list. Now, if there 
> is something funky about the masthead...inquiring minds want to know.
>
> Oh, add me to the GFX packing group also...three years and loving it.
>
> Got a couple of comments on the mechanical dripless seal concept...I 
> know it is debating religion, but it is Saturday and I am obviously 
> not sailing. I am of the school that thinks it it imprudent to trust 
> rubber for birth control or keeping your boat afloat. I already have 
> some down there (intake hoses, shaft log, etc.) and don't care to add 
> more.
>
> If the bellows fails, your boat will sink unless you can get your rag 
> and bucket working fairly quickly. The assertion that there has never 
> been a documented "catastrophic" failure may be true but, is also 
> unprovable BS. All that it means to me is that the owners got the leak

> stopped in time or they haven't had one sink at the dock or where they

> could recover the hull and blame it on a burst bellows.
>
> My belief is that the most likely time one of these things would fail 
> is while the engine is in operation and shaft is turning. Given the 
> the high quality of the components, the most likely cause would seem 
> be some improperly stored something tangling the shaft in heavy seas 
> and damaging the bellows (of course from 'statistical' viewpoint that 
> sinking wouldn't be 'caused' by the seal, it would be 'caused' by the 
> skipper's 'negligence', heheheh).Too many boats go down taking water 
> for "unknown reasons" off shore in just these conditions and the hulls

> are never recovered. Some of those must have had dripless seals. It 
> used to be that a selling point was the fact the Coasites used them...

> News Flash..they are now going to GFX as well.
>
> Note that these seals are a proven product and I doubt that if I 
> bought a boat with one installed that I would be very concerned about 
> removing it, but I can't see me spending the money installing one 
> where $10 worth of GFX (in my case it was free...better yet) provides 
> the same results and no concerns.
>
> I have a dry bilge generally but haven't figured out how to keep from 
> adding about a quart of water when I pull my speed transducer after 
> each sail to avoid barnacles.
>
> On 10/19/07, Orlando.Duran at averydennison.com 
> <Orlando.Duran at averydennison.com> wrote:
>> Please tell me you're kidding about putting in 300lbs of stainless
>> steel to level out the boat!!
>>
>> A good place to store a 1-2gal gas container is in the anchor locker,
>> it has an 'exhaust' hole..
>> ----------------------------------
>> Regards,
>> OD
>>
>> Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Chris Burti" [clburti at gmail.com]
>> Sent: 10/19/2007 12:54 PM
>> To: C320-List <c320-list at catalina320.com>
>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] packing gland & listing to port
>>
>> Yes...the [port list is 'normal'. On my "to do" list is scrounging 
>> about 300 pounds of stainless scrap to level it out.
>>
>> Don't leave the gasoline on the boat as a precaution. I only carry it

>> aboard when I leave on a cruise intending to take the dinghy. Not 
>> only is it a bit safer, it is always fresh. I recommend the anchor 
>> locker, it is vented better top and bottom.
>>
>> On 10/19/07, Moondancer5 at comcast.net <Moondancer5 at comcast.net> wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> Now that I've had the boat back for a bit, and the weather has been
>>> highly cooperative, I have a couple of questions on what's normal. 
>>> Thanks in advance for all advice!
>>>
>>> Not having had a cruiser before, we did not realize the amount of
>>> leaking from the packing gland was abnormal, until we were splashed 
>>> this spring and the bilge pump wasn't working... after our marina 
>>> adjusted it, we had our little incident with the powerboat wake and 
>>> the whole engine had to be reset on the mounts and the shaft 
>>> re-aligned, and at the dealer the bilge was dry. After the boat was 
>>> delivered back to us there was quite a bit of water in the bilge 
>>> (and the auto pump hadn't been left on). Now we see that after every

>>> afternoon of sailing, the shaft still drips after the engine has 
>>> been shut off. I don't imagine that adjusting the d**n thing after 
>>> each sail is normal, I had heard it should do is shed a drop of 
>>> water every minute while the engine is running, and none after it's 
>>> shut off. What's normal?
>>>
>>> And, I notice (and noticed before the accident) a slight (but
>>> distinct) list to port. Is THAT normal?
>>>
>>> One more while I'm here: Where do you store your gasoline tank for
>>> the dinghy when it's not in use? When at our marina in the slip, we 
>>> put the Zodiac on a rack and the outboard on the rail (which has 
>>> totally messed up the nice little slot there where we had the 
>>> Lifesling mounted, now it won't fit in there with the outboard on 
>>> the bracket). We are putting the gas tank in the starboard stern 
>>> locker, I believe the a/c compressor is in that area too. is that 
>>> safe?
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> Susan
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Chris Burti
>> Farmville, NC
>>
>>
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>
>
> --
> Chris Burti
> Farmville, NC
>