[C320-list] packing gland and winter

[wflowe3 at aim.com]

I visited the boat the other day for the first time (I'm about 60 miles away) this winter. I have always had a dry bilge but there was water in it that day.  The boat is in the water with an over-the rail winter cover so snow /rain was not the problem but I traced the trail of water to the packing gland.  I have never had much water dripping even when motoring but this drip has started with the boat winterized and just bobbing in the slip. The marina places pumps under the slips to keep ice from forming around the hull so I assume that water temps below the waterline inside the boat are above freezing.

The leak is  a couple of drips a minute and because of the cold temps I didn't want to try and tighten the nut for fear of making things worse.

I have new batteries and the charger is plugged into shore power so I'm not too concerned about keeping water in the bilge under control but it is rather disconcerting to know that I have a "leak".

Has anyone else had cold water effect their packing material?

Bill
#1146