Great content. One note: Always use the right tool for the job. Only exception is during an emergency when the proper tool isn't availible. Pipe wrenches and Channel Locks should never be used on nuts. They are designed to grip smooth pipes, and will chew-up and damage the nut, especially the soft bronze ones used on your stuffing box. Get a couple of adjustable crescent type wrenches, and keep that lock-nut, shaft threads, and stuffing box clean so the wrenches don't slip. Use a wire brush and an acidic cleaner like Navel Jelly (phosphoric acid) to clean the blue corrosion off, (wear gloves and eye protection) you can nuetralize it with baking soda after a few minutes, and rinse it off. Lubricate the clean threaded shaft with a good anti-sieze / anti corrosive grease like Lanicote (lanolin from sheep's wool - it's awesome, but gets stiff in cold weather) or similar. Use 60 or 80 grit sandpaper or a flat-file to remove the burrs those nasty pipe wrenches created on your nuts. The goal is to keep every nut and bolt and turnbuckle on your boat clean, free of corrosion, and able to turn freely. A properly lubricated and torqued bolt or nut should not back off by itself. Galling and siezing can be just as big of a problem depending on the fitting. Try to remeber to use anti-sieze compound on all fasteners. Especially on exterior and stainless steel fittings. You'll be glad you did next time you try to diassemble it. Wire critical rigging and shackles with safety wire. Use red locktight and proper torque on critical bolts or nuts not drilled for safety wire - it will act as both an anti-sieze and as insurance against working loose. Inspect all rigging and other critical fasteners on a regular basis - at least annually, preferablly every day if offshore. Watch for chafe on running rigging and sails too. It sneaks up on you! Fair winds!
Thanks for this timely video. I’m about to look at mine (C & C 26) as I noticed some water under it for the first time yesterday. Your video was very helpful in explaining what to do.
When you get a chance, adjust it with the shaft spinning, then re-adjust it under load at sea. We once had ours overheat so much than within an hour the steam pressure blew the packing hardware out of the hose. An old salt told me that adjusting it in gear alongside creates way less load and heat, so always double check at sea.
@@BlueMoonLife apologies for butting in, but with every respect to Dana, I would be *very* wary of making that adjustment under way. In fact, for your safety my strong advice would be never to attempt to adjust the stuffing box while running the engine in gear, or when the shaft is turning. Thank you.
I recently did the same repair to my 38 foot Morgan Catalina but eventually replaced the packing and replaced all the hose clamps on the bellow (hose). The work allowed me to control the drip from the stuffing box it also stopped the flood from my failing bellow. Now onto my rudder which also has a packing nut/stuffing box that is leaking. Oh yeah I tightened two through holes that were leaking so zI might finally (after one year) get a dry bilge! Best to you love your channel!
Is there anything about fixing things on a boat that scares you? You are amazing- first research then get to it. You are amazing and so interesting to watch as you approach your various projects. PS - you have a wonderful brother by the way.
I had my Catalina pulled out to do a bottom paint job and had a mechanic replace the the stuffing box, tubing and all components involved. That gave us a chance to inspect the area on the prop shaft where the box is situated for excessive wear or scarring from overheating. Checked out fine, Thank the Good Lord!! I have no idea when your CAT will need bottom paint but when it does and your boat is on the hard, change out the stuffing box nd you'll be good for the next 20 years or so!
You are one awesome young woman Gillian, no tantrum, just get on with the job. Need help, call brother, do whats needed and move on to the next project. Love to watch you at work, looking forward to seeing you cutting through the waves, going to new places.
smart + crafty and super attractive, perfect! Your videos are pleasure to watch...I'm looking at buying a 30ft boat in the mid-term..your vids are helpful to help me orient myself in some aspects of boat life. tks
When it comes to finding leaks, cleaning is your friend, clean clean clean clean. This will show you were it is coming from. Also as old as that rubber hose is, I would suspect the hose first this is because as rubber ages, it dries out, once it dries out, it cracks, once it cracks it will start to leak, and if that hose fails, you will have a big leak on your hands so best not to screw with it in the water. I would highly recommend hauling her and replacing the hose. That one looks like it was old 10 years ago. While you are at it check the cutlass bearing and if it is at all loose replace that too.
@Renegade Show Don't forget to let the Blue Moon Life crew know that prior to three years ago you've never sailed a boat before in your life, and that even now, you've never done an overnighter, or have ventured outside the protected waters of Puget Sound. You're a day sailor at best, all verifiable on your own TH-cam channel. So Blue Moon Life crew, take whatever this charlatan says with a grain of salt. He spends a lot of time perusing the comment section of TH-cam sailing vlogs acting as if he's been cruising for a 100 years.
Thank you both! I currently have my C30 on the hard and need to inspect/replace all the above. I’m quite new to this so I appreciate you pioneering the way!
So many great comments. I agree with the remove sunglasses comment. If you haven't hauled the boat and removed the hose from the shaft housing going through the boat. consider doing that soon. IF it is a crack in the fiberglass you want to get that fixed sooner than later. Definitely get a wire (brass or SS to) clean the threads and use WD 40 to get them good and clean. The bilge in the area needs a good clean too. I'd look into where all that gunk is coming from if it's getting dirty quickly. Good Luck on a Catalina 30. Small boat to live on for sure.
Get some normal WD40, and always keep some on the boat. Whenever you change anything the WD40 will help loosen it, but also when you fit something new like those hose clamps give them a coating of WD40 and it will help slow down future corrosion. Oh and you have beautiful eyes.
And every time you check the oil before you leave/once a week when you check the fluid levels, spray the parts of the eng. that have a tendency to corrode. Remember this "Cleanliness is next to godliness"!!!! Few things in life are better dirty then when clean!! LOL
Gillian, get yourself Nigel Calders book on boat maintenance. Is there a second hand shop in Vancouver that sells tools rather than expensive brand new wrenches? The right tool is best on soft metals like bronze. Also smear some grease or Vaseline on the nuts to slow that petina corrosion.
Good job paying attention to your boat! So many people aren't aware of what's going on in their surroundings! For the stuffing box more than anything I would want to use higher quality hose clamps than you did. The embossed thread style (no holes in the band) in all 316 stainless are recommended over the perforated (threads have holes in the band) (search up BoatUS hose clamp myths, you'll find a great article on them). A popular brand is AWAB. If you upgrade the hose clamps, you can use a small mirror to look under the hose to see if there are any cracks while the clamp is off. At your next haul out, I'd plan to replace that hose and either service, clean up and repack the stuffing box or replace it with a dripless seal. Buck Algonquin makes stuffing box hose which is about the heaviest duty hose you'll find anywhere.
This is an example of when one needs the right tool for the job: you can get stuffing box wrenches from Catalina Direct - measure your packing and lock nuts carefully - you may need two sizes (I needed a 1 7/8" wrench and a 2" one for a different boat with the same engine)
BTW - you have about the best access to the stuffing box I've seen in a long time. Try putting a piece of paper towel under the stuffing box to monitor/count drips.
Tip for anyone tackling this job, it helps to use a little Naval Jelly and a wire brush to remove the corrosion, particularly on the exposed threads next to the lock nut. It makes getting the lock nut loose a little easier. After I was done I put some lanolin on the stuffing box in hopes of preventing more corrosion. Hope that helps.
Thats a good job looking after your home/boat! Just a couple of things: get the right wrenches for the packing gland and lock nut. Those pipe wrenches will eventually make those fittings unusable and you'll end up having to replace the whole thing which is a major project. 2nd: replace the hose. This will probably stop the leak. Use good, strong stainless hose clamps. 3rd: use WD40 on all metal parts. It will save you lots of grief! Great video! Good attention to your yacht and remember, any work with the words boat, yacht, marine, etc just takes longer!👏👍👌⛵🌏😊
A GOOD TIP IF YOU HAVE TO MUCH WATER COMING IN THE BOAT; Roll up a cigar size with play doh, then roll it with saran rap. Go in the water and stuff it between the shaft and the inlet of the opening. That will slow down the water from coming in the boat.
I have a 1978 26' Paceship. I just recently replaced the stuffing box, shaft, and shaft bearing. My confidence in the system is ten fold. Don't skimp, do the whole thing you won't be sorry. We used teflon and it did not work. We went back to flax with no problems in two years. It's hard to believe we still use the same material they used to build sails out of in the six, and seventeenth centuries!
Captain Gillian, you and Andrew make a great team. It is so good to see two siblings get along so well. You must have a lovely family. Now when are you going to weigh anchor?
One task at a time may seem like you working forever. That is because you are not looking at all you have done at the same time like we do things that need to be fixed. Like the man said he just finished eating 5 bushels of apples. Yes he ate 2 everyday till he had eaten 5 bushels. You Three are doing great.
The stuffing box hose needs to be replaced (looks really distorted)(think thats the issue not a cracked fiberglass shaft log). When you eventually replace your flax packing look into Gore GFO packing. It's less likely to heat up and ruin your shaft. Wire brushing & lubricating the threads helps get things loosened up.
Nice video. My only advice is more drips are better than fewer. I know of one boat that bend the prop shaft because the stuffing box was over tighten. Also we replaced ours with a dripless one and I don’t think I would do that again. When a dripless one fails it’s a massive problem. Also more drips means the water is the bilge is circulating faster which means it’s cleaner because nothing has time to grow in there. Just my two thoughts and I’m sure others will feel differently.
You need a tooth brush sized wire brush to clean off the corrosion first then WD40 then the wrench job. When finished smear the threads with marine grease. Mo problem next time. Tom
If your alignment is good, 2-3 dips a minute should keep it cool. When you go for a test run touch it to see if it is cool, warm or hot. You could try vinegar and a brush to clean up the nuts and threads. With the nuts free and lubricated you should be able to manage the job with channel locks. Someone noticed the aft clamps seem too far forward and I agree. Can you add a 5th clamp aft of 4 that are there. If counting from the bow it seems like #3 clamp should be behind #4. Fusion tape/rescue tape could probably stop the drip and would be good to have if the hose cracked. Yep new hose and packing would be ideal at the next haul out. You could do it on a tide grid if you get your ducks in a row. Parts are cheap for this job which is a bonus compare to other haul out tasks. It's tough to tell if things can hold together for a few more years or if that hose will crack the next time you are out. Good call on updating the bad clamps.
Good for you noticing the bilge pump cycling and being proactive! A couple of suggestions, in the future before trying to adjust the stuffing and lock nuts, use a wire brush to clean the threads and apply penetrating oil (or WD-40 if you don't have penetrating oil), this will make the adjustment a lot easier. Separately, you might try another hose clamp closer toward the aft end of the hose and as you correctly pointed out, make sure you offset the clamp by 180 degrees.
They make hose clamps that are a T-bolt style, They are about 500% stronger than the style you have on there, It will cost a couple hundred bucks to get enough of em to do your entire boat, I highly recommend going to that style as they are far less prone to failure. A good friend of mine almost sank his boat in the middle of commencement bay when a hose clamp failed him, a fifty cent part damn near sank a 60,000 boat! It did about 4 grand worth of damage as he got about 3000 gallons of water in the boat.
I get a kick out of you two. Really enjoy your channel. As for the packing gland, since you have no idea of the history, you need to change the oakum, or use Teflon rope. Plan on doing it during your next haul out. My father taught me, many years ago, to NEVER use any kind of pliers on a nut. Only as a salvage operation. Find the correct wrench. Channel locks are great but they will slip and round off the nut. Also, there is a front way and a back way to use them. The small jaw points in the direction of the turn. You should have used a wire brush and cleaned the corrosion from the bronze and out of the threads. Sorry to mention it again, but your bilge is a very unhappy bilge. Use a toilet brush, some Pine-sol, and/or dishwasher detergent to clean up that greasy mess. I add Pine-Sol to my bilge several times a year. Keeps it clean and fresh smelling.
Ok the wrenches are the wrong wrenches. They do work really well when facing the correct direction but they will tear up brass or bronze nuts. Anyway I’m guessing you know that by now. What I was very much interested in was, that you replaced your hose clamps on your bellow, (your hose). This is the first video I’ve found on TH-cam that addresses it. Not only are my clamps rusty but the hose became loose and slid towards the transmission which in turn removed it from the fiberglass tube to which it should be clamped. The fact that you changed your hose clamps gave me the courage to loosen then change out my rusty clamps and then slide the bellow back into position, then re-clamp with new hose clamps. I wouldn’t have tried it without seeing that you replaced your clamps without a catastrophic failure in the water. Great video thank you.
Had the boat out of the water for 10 days; now getting 1 drip per second out of the stuffing box and the bilge pump is cycling every minute. Sound. familiar? Appreciate your video. Your stuffing box assembly looks a lot like mine. Off to Canadian Tire to buy bigger wrenches. Thanks for sharing.
I think the new hose clamp is too close to the middle…two should be as close to each end as possible. As others have said, the hose looks old, but you have squeezed it in the middle with the hose clamp. Keep up the good work on your upkeep. I am sure you are learning something new every day.
yup, pipe wrenches are for pipes, your very lucky you didn’t destroy the nut with that. Those cheap hardware hose clamps are not good either. Below the water line, go get some good ones from trotac marine.
Might want to get a throwaway rag and lay it on the bottom of the nut assembly and get som CLR in a spray bottle and see if you can get some of that corrosion under control, maybe get an old toothbrush to scrub it with. Not saturate it with clr but enough to keep it in place and work the area
First thing ALL BOATS LEAK its impossible to keep every drop of water fresh or salty out forever! There are plenty of old boats that have to pump gallons of water everyday so Dont Panic. Put this job on your list for haul-out! Packing is cheap and easy to change remember to make or buy a hook to pull the old packing out. Lots of good vids on packing but important to understand why you cut packing on an angle NOT Straight. Mine has a grease box that i pressurise with a couple of turns before i run the engine. That works great if you feel like upgrading on the next haul out. Well done and full credit for having a go at it btw !!!
Check your shaft wear in the stuffing box when you are on the dry and see if the packing has slowly worn down the shaft and may not seal properly. Also look into what the stuffing box pressure is and the RPM of your shaft when running, you may be able to have a self lubricated split-seal made that you could possible put 2 or 3 of them in the stuffing box and not have to worry about shaft wear :-0
You need to get a soft wire brush at the hardware store, it will look like a big tooth brush so you can clean the threads before you loosen the lock nut as it looks very corroded. Also you need to get some Aqua- lube lubricant and lube the threads after cleaning.
every few years , you always replace the short hose on you stuffing box, you would be amazed on how much water can come in, the shaft only 1in on a hole that is 2in and put a marine grease on the threads... i have seen it happen
ADVICE: I STRESS NEVER use "PIPE" wrench on nuts. "PIPE" wrench is designed for pipe. The wrench is designed to put pressure, almost like a vise. A Pipe wrench will distort/put out of round any nut. Because the more you force a pipe wrench the more pressure it puts on the object. You may get away with using it, but you will end up with more problems. You should use crescent wrenches, they are adjustable, designed to fit a nut, and not squeeze pressure on the nut. Crescent wrenches that size are more expensive but they will save expensive cost in the long run. To have a stuffing box/ lock nut being warped/ out of round will create more leaks. STAINLESS STEEL, there is different grades. For boats it's usually 316 grade. From none marine stores it will be 306 grade. Remember don't treat your boat like it's an apartment. A hose clamp on a hose in a dish washer in a house won't put your life in danger. Do get 316 SS when you can. Especially for Sea cock's or hull intake. You should have taken a one inch wire brush and cleaned all the buildup on the stuffing box/ threads/ nut, etc. Don't do a half a job. As for your setup on what I would assume is your your stern tube to hose, it's not most rugged set up. If you say you see leaking from the hose that fits the stern tube/ fiberglass section . It's possible it's your cutlass bearing is worn. If that were the case you would have vibration from your shaft. If you get to clean water or when it gets warm, or have a wet suit go under and move your shaft up and down, side to side to see if there is to much movement. A very little is ok. If there seems like lots your cutlass bearing may be worn down. Cutlass berating is a bronze tube with an inner rubber tube that the shaft turns in. It is were the shaft enters the boat. Your hose does look like it has softened up. It may be time to replace much of the whole set up. It may be the wax stuffing, start simple and go from there. My guess is the stuffing hasn't been changed in a while. Dependant on the hours you put on an engine per season, the packing should be changed every or ever other season. It's simple to do, but then I've done it many times. A story . I was Once motor sailing out of a very narrow inlet with about 2 1/2 meter waves ,I was waiting to turn my engine of when I was out of the inlet. When I got clear I was just about ready to shut the engine of to go under sail, and I heard a big thump. I thought something hit me. I went down below to check, nothing. Then took a look in my engine room there was my shaft broke in two with my motor mount broken as we'll. Water gushing in From the stern tube/ cutless bearing. My wife was on the helm as was trying to stop the leaking, I was satisfied got most of it stopped. We had about 2O kilometers to a dock, as we had to sail to the dock with out no engine no tow. It all worked out, experience is the mother of perfection. I removed the shaft in the water as my wife was inside ready to stick wooden plug in the hole. Luckily my cutlass bearing wasn't damage, I got a new shaft made up and got my scuba gear on and put the new shaft back in while still in the water. Could never figure out if the shaft was misaligned and ended up vibrating untill the motor mount broke, or vise versa. There was no warning I could see or feel ahead of time. The key vis don't panic just go into action, and have tools and emergency paraphernalia at easy access. of the subject a bit. The Annapolis Book of Seamanship. It's a precursor to CYA) Canadian Yachting Association or ASA/ American Sailing Association. It's a book you should have as a novice/intermediate sailor. It has so much information to educate on theory. Good diagnosis is the key to minimize cost and excessive labour. Your doing a great job on looking after your boat.
Always back corroded or rusted nuts back and forth along the thread. Getting it started is good, but all that corroded material gets into the threads and can cause total jammage.
For wrenches I bought two f-wrenches for about 20$ each then cut the top "fin" off of them for better rotational clearance . Lost count of how many people I've lent them to for doing packing glands . Obviously a proper inspection is required to tell if there really is a crack in the stern tube ...can't help you with that . However I can tell you that the worm clamps you are using may not be up for the task of sealing that drip . In the past I have used SS wire T -bolt clamps and SS flat band T-bolt clamps that sealed weeping hoses a lot more frequently than the typical hose clamp . Not sure if they are an item that's available locally to you , might have to purchase online but you could give one of those a try . Have no fear though ...you wont be visiting Davy Jones' locker anytime soon with that drip .
I'm not a stuffing box expert however the color of the metal below the oxidation is looking very pink. Witch is a sign its lost it strength. It's time to replace the complete setup.
Me again. You need a small steel or better still, brass brush to clean the threads of the shaft. You can find them at Harbor Freight or Home Depot, etc. That will help to adjust in the future. While you are at it, clean that compartment so that you can more easily watch the drops hitting the bottom. A stuffing box, if worn out, can sink your boat. That item worried me more than any other item on our boat. Time to start adding to your tool box. A boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into.
Every drip counts. One drip a second will fill an Olympic sized swimming pool in a years time. FYI Those "Channel Locks" are actually named "Water Pump Packing Pliars". So.... you actually did have the right wrench.
Once you have cleaned those threads up, cover them in grease and them wrap the threads and gland nut in DENSO TAPE, next time your get it free easy, always keep threads exposed in an environment like that covered in DENSO TAPE.
At an absolute minimum get a couple of crescent wrenches (adjustable spanners if you will), some WD40 and a small wire brush to clean the crud off the parts you are working on. And please get those damn pipe wrenches away from any nut you are trying to turn.
The hose clamps don't need to be staggered. I think you've confused that with staggering the cords in the packing. This guy Hayden shows it perfectly. Search this video: Hayden how to stuffing box
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Great content. One note: Always use the right tool for the job. Only exception is during an emergency when the proper tool isn't availible. Pipe wrenches and Channel Locks should never be used on nuts. They are designed to grip smooth pipes, and will chew-up and damage the nut, especially the soft bronze ones used on your stuffing box. Get a couple of adjustable crescent type wrenches, and keep that lock-nut, shaft threads, and stuffing box clean so the wrenches don't slip. Use a wire brush and an acidic cleaner like Navel Jelly (phosphoric acid) to clean the blue corrosion off, (wear gloves and eye protection) you can nuetralize it with baking soda after a few minutes, and rinse it off. Lubricate the clean threaded shaft with a good anti-sieze / anti corrosive grease like Lanicote (lanolin from sheep's wool - it's awesome, but gets stiff in cold weather) or similar. Use 60 or 80 grit sandpaper or a flat-file to remove the burrs those nasty pipe wrenches created on your nuts.
The goal is to keep every nut and bolt and turnbuckle on your boat clean, free of corrosion, and able to turn freely. A properly lubricated and torqued bolt or nut should not back off by itself. Galling and siezing can be just as big of a problem depending on the fitting. Try to remeber to use anti-sieze compound on all fasteners. Especially on exterior and stainless steel fittings. You'll be glad you did next time you try to diassemble it. Wire critical rigging and shackles with safety wire. Use red locktight and proper torque on critical bolts or nuts not drilled for safety wire - it will act as both an anti-sieze and as insurance against working loose. Inspect all rigging and other critical fasteners on a regular basis - at least annually, preferablly every day if offshore.
Watch for chafe on running rigging and sails too. It sneaks up on you!
Fair winds!
Jeez, the eyes in this family are gorgeous.
Add the "drawing out the plan" segment to more videos, it was unique and interesting. Good idea!
I like seeing your brother in episodes. He brings good energy and his smile is too cute.
You guys are so cute... And now I know what a stuffing box is too. No deer in the headlight moment for me when I cross this bridge. :-)
You learn so much more when you have to explain what you're doing. Well done - both of you.
Cool to have a nice and helpful brother like that 👍
your brother getting to become a youtube STAR
Nice work Gillian👍👍👍
Gillian thank you so much this was very informative and it’s nice to see your brother again.
Safe sealing always ma'am tnx for sharing your video ma'am God bless and stay safe always ma'am
Awesome info. nice job on your research and clearly communicated.
Thanks for this timely video. I’m about to look at mine (C & C 26) as I noticed some water under it for the first time yesterday. Your video was very helpful in explaining what to do.
When you get a chance, adjust it with the shaft spinning, then re-adjust it under load at sea. We once had ours overheat so much than within an hour the steam pressure blew the packing hardware out of the hose. An old salt told me that adjusting it in gear alongside creates way less load and heat, so always double check at sea.
Thanks, I'll be sure to do that :D
@@BlueMoonLife apologies for butting in, but with every respect to Dana, I would be *very* wary of making that adjustment under way. In fact, for your safety my strong advice would be never to attempt to adjust the stuffing box while running the engine in gear, or when the shaft is turning. Thank you.
With the shaft Spinning?? Is that how u change a flat tire ?? With the wheel turning? Yeah makes sense..
I recently did the same repair to my 38 foot Morgan Catalina but eventually replaced the packing and replaced all the hose clamps on the bellow (hose). The work allowed me to control the drip from the stuffing box it also stopped the flood from my failing bellow. Now onto my rudder which also has a packing nut/stuffing box that is leaking. Oh yeah I tightened two through holes that were leaking so zI might finally (after one year) get a dry bilge! Best to you love your channel!
Is there anything about fixing things on a boat that scares you? You are amazing- first research then get to it. You are amazing and so interesting to watch as you approach your various projects.
PS - you have a wonderful brother by the way.
Thank you so much :D
I had my Catalina pulled out to do a bottom paint job and had a mechanic replace the the stuffing box, tubing and all components involved. That gave us a chance to inspect the area on the prop shaft where the box is situated for excessive wear or scarring from overheating. Checked out fine, Thank the Good Lord!! I have no idea when your CAT will need bottom paint but when it does and your boat is on the hard, change out the stuffing box nd you'll be good for the next 20 years or so!
You are one awesome young woman Gillian, no tantrum, just get on with the job. Need help, call brother, do whats needed and move on to the next project. Love to watch you at work, looking forward to seeing you cutting through the waves, going to new places.
Thanks so much John!
Hi Guys,
That rubber hose needs replacing.it looks like its gone soft.
Take care.
Thanks!
smart + crafty and super attractive, perfect! Your videos are pleasure to watch...I'm looking at buying a 30ft boat in the mid-term..your vids are helpful to help me orient myself in some aspects of boat life. tks
When it comes to finding leaks, cleaning is your friend, clean clean clean clean.
This will show you were it is coming from.
Also as old as that rubber hose is, I would suspect the hose first this is because as rubber ages, it dries out, once it dries out, it cracks, once it cracks it will start to leak, and if that hose fails, you will have a big leak on your hands so best not to screw with it in the water.
I would highly recommend hauling her and replacing the hose. That one looks like it was old 10 years ago. While you are at it check the cutlass bearing and if it is at all loose replace that too.
@Renegade Show
Don't forget to let the Blue Moon Life crew know that prior to three years ago you've never sailed a boat before in your life, and that even now, you've never done an overnighter, or have ventured outside the protected waters of Puget Sound. You're a day sailor at best, all verifiable on your own TH-cam channel. So Blue Moon Life crew, take whatever this charlatan says with a grain of salt. He spends a lot of time perusing the comment section of TH-cam sailing vlogs acting as if he's been cruising for a 100 years.
Thank you both! I currently have my C30 on the hard and need to inspect/replace all the above. I’m quite new to this so I appreciate you pioneering the way!
So many great comments. I agree with the remove sunglasses comment. If you haven't hauled the boat and removed the hose from the shaft housing going through the boat. consider doing that soon. IF it is a crack in the fiberglass you want to get that fixed sooner than later. Definitely get a wire (brass or SS to) clean the threads and use WD 40 to get them good and clean. The bilge in the area needs a good clean too. I'd look into where all that gunk is coming from if it's getting dirty quickly. Good Luck on a Catalina 30. Small boat to live on for sure.
Get some normal WD40, and always keep some on the boat. Whenever you change anything the WD40 will help loosen it, but also when you fit something new like those hose clamps give them a coating of WD40 and it will help slow down future corrosion. Oh and you have beautiful eyes.
This is correct. WD-40 is a very good friend of the sailor. And you have pretty eyes.
Good to know, thanks!!
WD-40 also has an anti-corrosion variant. The Catalina owners forum has a huge amount of Catalina specific information and helpful members
And every time you check the oil before you leave/once a week when you check the fluid levels, spray the parts of the eng. that have a tendency to corrode. Remember this "Cleanliness is next to godliness"!!!! Few things in life are better dirty then when clean!! LOL
Who was looking at her eyes ? really...
Yes that needs to be taken off and cleaned and definitely replace the back part
Gillian, get yourself Nigel Calders book on boat maintenance. Is there a second hand shop in Vancouver that sells tools rather than expensive brand new wrenches? The right tool is best on soft metals like bronze. Also smear some grease or Vaseline on the nuts to slow that petina corrosion.
that's really good advice
Good job paying attention to your boat! So many people aren't aware of what's going on in their surroundings! For the stuffing box more than anything I would want to use higher quality hose clamps than you did. The embossed thread style (no holes in the band) in all 316 stainless are recommended over the perforated (threads have holes in the band) (search up BoatUS hose clamp myths, you'll find a great article on them). A popular brand is AWAB. If you upgrade the hose clamps, you can use a small mirror to look under the hose to see if there are any cracks while the clamp is off. At your next haul out, I'd plan to replace that hose and either service, clean up and repack the stuffing box or replace it with a dripless seal. Buck Algonquin makes stuffing box hose which is about the heaviest duty hose you'll find anywhere.
Thanks for the advice!
Yeah an old salt told him,not an expert
Pipe wrenches chew up the brass,please find the proper size open end wrenches.
This is an example of when one needs the right tool for the job: you can get stuffing box wrenches from Catalina Direct - measure your packing and lock nuts carefully - you may need two sizes (I needed a 1 7/8" wrench and a 2" one for a different boat with the same engine)
BTW - you have about the best access to the stuffing box I've seen in a long time. Try putting a piece of paper towel under the stuffing box to monitor/count drips.
Absolutely time to haul out.
Tip for anyone tackling this job, it helps to use a little Naval Jelly and a wire brush to remove the corrosion, particularly on the exposed threads next to the lock nut. It makes getting the lock nut loose a little easier. After I was done I put some lanolin on the stuffing box in hopes of preventing more corrosion. Hope that helps.
Holy Cow - Yours is SUPER accessible! I have to contort under the cockpit through the seat to get to mine. lol
Great vid though :)
Thanks so much!
Thats a good job looking after your home/boat! Just a couple of things: get the right wrenches for the packing gland and lock nut. Those pipe wrenches will eventually make those fittings unusable and you'll end up having to replace the whole thing which is a major project. 2nd: replace the hose. This will probably stop the leak. Use good, strong stainless hose clamps. 3rd: use WD40 on all metal parts. It will save you lots of grief!
Great video! Good attention to your yacht and remember, any work with the words boat, yacht, marine, etc just takes longer!👏👍👌⛵🌏😊
A GOOD TIP IF YOU HAVE TO MUCH WATER COMING IN THE BOAT; Roll up a cigar size with play doh, then roll it with saran rap. Go in the water and stuff it between the shaft and the inlet of the opening. That will slow down the water from coming in the boat.
I have a 1978 26' Paceship. I just recently replaced the stuffing box, shaft, and shaft bearing. My confidence in the system is ten fold. Don't skimp, do the whole thing you won't be sorry. We used teflon and it did not work. We went back to flax with no problems in two years. It's hard to believe we still use the same material they used to build sails out of in the six, and seventeenth centuries!
Thanks for the tips! We'll keep that in mind :D That is really crazy to think about!
Good job! Such a nice brother. Ship ahoy...
Thanks Moneysuckle!
Captain Gillian, you and Andrew make a great team. It is so good to see two siblings get along so well. You must have a lovely family. Now when are you going to weigh anchor?
Very very soon!!
That packing nut is dezinctifying and hopefully be on your replacement to do list. Like to see you getting technical....well done.
One task at a time may seem like you working forever. That is because you are not looking at all you have done at the same time like we do things that need to be fixed. Like the man said he just finished eating 5 bushels of apples. Yes he ate 2 everyday till he had eaten 5 bushels. You Three are doing great.
The stuffing box hose needs to be replaced (looks really distorted)(think thats the issue not a cracked fiberglass shaft log). When you eventually replace your flax packing look into Gore GFO packing. It's less likely to heat up and ruin your shaft. Wire brushing & lubricating the threads helps get things loosened up.
You have no idea how happy I am to hear that haha. Thanks!! :D
Nice video. My only advice is more drips are better than fewer. I know of one boat that bend the prop shaft because the stuffing box was over tighten. Also we replaced ours with a dripless one and I don’t think I would do that again. When a dripless one fails it’s a massive problem. Also more drips means the water is the bilge is circulating faster which means it’s cleaner because nothing has time to grow in there. Just my two thoughts and I’m sure others will feel differently.
You need a tooth brush sized wire brush to clean off the corrosion first then WD40 then the wrench job. When finished smear the threads with marine grease. Mo problem next time. Tom
If your alignment is good, 2-3 dips a minute should keep it cool. When you go for a test run touch it to see if it is cool, warm or hot. You could try vinegar and a brush to clean up the nuts and threads. With the nuts free and lubricated you should be able to manage the job with channel locks. Someone noticed the aft clamps seem too far forward and I agree. Can you add a 5th clamp aft of 4 that are there. If counting from the bow it seems like #3 clamp should be behind #4. Fusion tape/rescue tape could probably stop the drip and would be good to have if the hose cracked. Yep new hose and packing would be ideal at the next haul out. You could do it on a tide grid if you get your ducks in a row. Parts are cheap for this job which is a bonus compare to other haul out tasks. It's tough to tell if things can hold together for a few more years or if that hose will crack the next time you are out. Good call on updating the bad clamps.
Good for you noticing the bilge pump cycling and being proactive! A couple of suggestions, in the future before trying to adjust the stuffing and lock nuts, use a wire brush to clean the threads and apply penetrating oil (or WD-40 if you don't have penetrating oil), this will make the adjustment a lot easier. Separately, you might try another hose clamp closer toward the aft end of the hose and as you correctly pointed out, make sure you offset the clamp by 180 degrees.
Been sailing all my life. I’ve hated the stuffing box in every boat I’ve owned. 🤣
They make hose clamps that are a T-bolt style, They are about 500% stronger than the style you have on there, It will cost a couple hundred bucks to get enough of em to do your entire boat, I highly recommend going to that style as they are far less prone to failure.
A good friend of mine almost sank his boat in the middle of commencement bay when a hose clamp failed him, a fifty cent part damn near sank a 60,000 boat!
It did about 4 grand worth of damage as he got about 3000 gallons of water in the boat.
I get a kick out of you two. Really enjoy your channel. As for the packing gland, since you have no idea of the history, you need to change the oakum, or use Teflon rope. Plan on doing it during your next haul out.
My father taught me, many years ago, to NEVER use any kind of pliers on a nut. Only as a salvage operation. Find the correct wrench. Channel locks are great but they will slip and round off the nut. Also, there is a front way and a back way to use them. The small jaw points in the direction of the turn.
You should have used a wire brush and cleaned the corrosion from the bronze and out of the threads. Sorry to mention it again, but your bilge is a very unhappy bilge. Use a toilet brush, some Pine-sol, and/or dishwasher detergent to clean up that greasy mess. I add Pine-Sol to my bilge several times a year. Keeps it clean and fresh smelling.
Ok the wrenches are the wrong wrenches. They do work really well when facing the correct direction but they will tear up brass or bronze nuts. Anyway I’m guessing you know that by now. What I was very much interested in was, that you replaced your hose clamps on your bellow, (your hose). This is the first video I’ve found on TH-cam that addresses it. Not only are my clamps rusty but the hose became loose and slid towards the transmission which in turn removed it from the fiberglass tube to which it should be clamped. The fact that you changed your hose clamps gave me the courage to loosen then change out my rusty clamps and then slide the bellow back into position, then re-clamp with new hose clamps. I wouldn’t have tried it without seeing that you replaced your clamps without a catastrophic failure in the water. Great video thank you.
Thanks!
Thank you so much!! :D
Had the boat out of the water for 10 days; now getting 1 drip per second out of the stuffing box and the bilge pump is cycling every minute. Sound. familiar? Appreciate your video. Your stuffing box assembly looks a lot like mine. Off to Canadian Tire to buy bigger wrenches. Thanks for sharing.
Haha sounds very familiar! Good luck and hopefully this helps!
I think the new hose clamp is too close to the middle…two should be as close to each end as possible. As others have said, the hose looks old, but you have squeezed it in the middle with the hose clamp. Keep up the good work on your upkeep. I am sure you are learning something new every day.
What size are those nuts ? I think that open ended spanners would make the job easier, my worry would be that using pipe wrench’s may cause damage.
Good to know, thanks!
On ours they are 1¾ and 2 inches
yup, pipe wrenches are for pipes, your very lucky you didn’t destroy the nut with that. Those cheap hardware hose clamps are not good either. Below the water line, go get some good ones from trotac marine.
Respect ✊
Buy some 3" adjustable wrenches for the packing nut. They are fork shaped and will work a lot better.
Might want to get a throwaway rag and lay it on the bottom of the nut assembly and get som CLR in a spray bottle and see if you can get some of that corrosion under control, maybe get an old toothbrush to scrub it with. Not saturate it with clr but enough to keep it in place and work the area
Another great how-to video. I'm glad you have such a supportive brother!
What do you do about the corrosion? WD40, or just leave it as is?
Hi
There could be wear on the
Propshaft ,just at the stuffing box is
2-3 drips/minute when running.
Check out calico sky sailing, they just did the same thing
Oh great! Thanks :D
Hmmm, looks like it's been awhile since the stuffing box was serviced or tightened. Hope all it needs is tightening, lots of thread still showing.
I'm not sure if this would do any damage but I've used PB B'laster penetrant when loosening frozen or rusted parts in the past.
PB will stain everything orange though in a boat.
@@popsoldboats3406 Ah dang, I was guessing there was a reason not to use it, haha.
First thing ALL BOATS LEAK its impossible to keep every drop of water fresh or salty out forever!
There are plenty of old boats that have to pump gallons of water everyday so Dont Panic.
Put this job on your list for haul-out!
Packing is cheap and easy to change remember to make or buy a hook to pull the old packing out.
Lots of good vids on packing but important to understand why you cut packing on an angle NOT Straight.
Mine has a grease box that i pressurise with a couple of turns before i run the engine.
That works great if you feel like upgrading on the next haul out.
Well done and full credit for having a go at it btw !!!
Check your shaft wear in the stuffing box when you are on the dry and see if the packing has slowly worn down the shaft and may not seal properly. Also look into what the stuffing box pressure is and the RPM of your shaft when running, you may be able to have a self lubricated split-seal made that you could possible put 2 or 3 of them in the stuffing box and not have to worry about shaft wear :-0
Get a laser thermometer. Use it to test your stuffing box temp. I hear up to ambient +40degF is ok. Mine never gets warmer than 2 or 3 deg above.
You need to get a soft wire brush at the hardware store, it will look like a big tooth brush so you can clean the threads before you loosen the lock nut as it looks very corroded. Also you need to get some Aqua- lube lubricant and lube the threads after cleaning.
PB Blaster
every few years , you always replace the short hose on you stuffing box, you would be amazed on how much water can come in, the shaft only 1in on a hole that is 2in and put a marine grease on the threads... i have seen it happen
ADVICE:
I STRESS NEVER use "PIPE" wrench on nuts. "PIPE" wrench is designed for pipe. The wrench is designed to put pressure, almost like a vise. A Pipe wrench will distort/put out of round any nut. Because the more you force a pipe wrench the more pressure it puts on the object. You may get away with using it, but you will end up with more problems.
You should use crescent wrenches, they are adjustable, designed to fit a nut, and not squeeze pressure on the nut. Crescent wrenches that size are more expensive but they will save expensive cost in the long run. To have a stuffing box/ lock nut being warped/ out of round will create more leaks.
STAINLESS STEEL, there is different grades. For boats it's usually 316 grade. From none marine stores it will be 306 grade. Remember don't treat your boat like it's an apartment. A hose clamp on a hose in a dish washer in a house won't put your life in danger. Do get 316 SS when you can. Especially for Sea cock's or hull intake.
You should have taken a one inch wire brush and cleaned all the buildup on the stuffing box/ threads/ nut, etc. Don't do a half a job.
As for your setup on what I would assume is your your stern tube to hose, it's not most rugged set up. If you say you see leaking from the hose that fits the stern tube/ fiberglass section . It's possible it's your cutlass bearing is worn. If that were the case you would have vibration from your shaft. If you get to clean water or when it gets warm, or have a wet suit go under and move your shaft up and down, side to side to see if there is to much movement. A very little is ok. If there seems like lots your cutlass bearing may be worn down. Cutlass berating is a bronze tube with an inner rubber tube that the shaft turns in. It is were the shaft enters the boat.
Your hose does look like it has softened up. It may be time to replace much of the whole set up.
It may be the wax stuffing, start simple and go from there. My guess is the stuffing hasn't been changed in a while. Dependant on the hours you put on an engine per season, the packing should be changed every or ever other season. It's simple to do, but then I've done it many times.
A story . I was Once motor sailing out of a very narrow inlet with about 2 1/2 meter waves ,I was waiting to turn my engine of when I was out of the inlet. When I got clear I was just about ready to shut the engine of to go under sail, and I heard a big thump. I thought something hit me. I went down below to check, nothing. Then took a look in my engine room there was my shaft broke in two with my motor mount broken as we'll. Water gushing in From the stern tube/ cutless bearing. My wife was on the helm as was trying to stop the leaking, I was satisfied got most of it stopped. We had about 2O kilometers to a dock, as we had to sail to the dock with out no engine no tow. It all worked out, experience is the mother of perfection. I removed the shaft in the water as my wife was inside ready to stick wooden plug in the hole. Luckily my cutlass bearing wasn't damage, I got a new shaft made up and got my scuba gear on and put the new shaft back in while still in the water. Could never figure out if the shaft was misaligned and ended up vibrating untill the motor mount broke, or vise versa. There was no warning I could see or feel ahead of time. The key vis don't panic just go into action, and have tools and emergency paraphernalia at easy access.
of the subject a bit.
The Annapolis Book of Seamanship.
It's a precursor to CYA) Canadian Yachting Association or ASA/ American Sailing Association. It's a book you should have as a novice/intermediate sailor. It has so much information to educate on theory.
Good diagnosis is the key to minimize cost and excessive labour. Your doing a great job on looking after your boat.
I think a dripless seal like a Tides is important. Shop carefully. They're expensive.
In another video the guy first loosened the lock nut with a dull chisel and hammer. Didnt hammer too hard just enough to slightly break it free
Always back corroded or rusted nuts back and forth along the thread. Getting it started is good, but all that corroded material gets into the threads and can cause total jammage.
For wrenches I bought two f-wrenches for about 20$ each then cut the top "fin" off of them for better rotational clearance . Lost count of how many people I've lent them to for doing packing glands . Obviously a proper inspection is required to tell if there really is a crack in the stern tube ...can't help you with that . However I can tell you that the worm clamps you are using may not be up for the task of sealing that drip . In the past I have used SS wire T -bolt clamps and SS flat band T-bolt clamps that sealed weeping hoses a lot more frequently than the typical hose clamp . Not sure if they are an item that's available locally to you , might have to purchase online but you could give one of those a try . Have no fear though ...you wont be visiting Davy Jones' locker anytime soon with that drip .
Maybe Andrew should launch a marine mechanics TH-cam channel? Have to admit at first I thought a stuffing box involved turkey too 😊
Make sure to replace all those rusted clamps with good quality 316
T Bolt clamps!
Jonah looking a lil rough eating his lunch on the dock
I'm not a stuffing box expert however the color of the metal below the oxidation is looking very pink. Witch is a sign its lost it strength. It's time to replace the complete setup.
I would buy the right tools, haul out the boat, and completely overhaul everything. You probably have a leak somewhere else.
I think this episode confirms we are dealing with a unicorn, according to the HC matrix.
Me again. You need a small steel or better still, brass brush to clean the threads of the shaft. You can find them at Harbor Freight or Home Depot, etc. That will help to adjust in the future. While you are at it, clean that compartment so that you can more easily watch the drops hitting the bottom. A stuffing box, if worn out, can sink your boat. That item worried me more than any other item on our boat. Time to start adding to your tool box. A boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into.
I'm pretty ok at stuffing boxes.
Every drip counts. One drip a second will fill an Olympic sized swimming pool in a years time. FYI Those "Channel Locks" are actually named "Water Pump Packing Pliars". So.... you actually did have the right wrench.
Three words:
W
D
40
Well start using PB blaster on corrosion weekly
Wd40 that thing & use a brass wire brush to clean the threads out.
wire brush and clean the threads, then spray it down WD40 or PB blaster... Then loosen.
Once you have cleaned those threads up, cover them in grease and them wrap the threads and gland nut in DENSO TAPE, next time your get it free easy, always keep threads exposed in an environment like that covered in DENSO TAPE.
Ok, I am just going to say it, someone needs to issue Gillian a man card, she would put most guys to shame. I am really impressed.
At an absolute minimum get a couple of crescent wrenches (adjustable spanners if you will), some WD40 and a small wire brush to clean the crud off the parts you are working on. And please get those damn pipe wrenches away from any nut you are trying to turn.
The hose clamps don't need to be staggered. I think you've confused that with staggering the cords in the packing. This guy Hayden shows it perfectly. Search this video: Hayden how to stuffing box
actually it is recommended hose clamps do need to be staggered.
Bilge water ingress < Sump pump egress: happy
Try WD 40 for a couple days before trying to force old or corroded joints,
I'd swap all that out. That corrosion isn't going to get better.
Ob blaster!! Get a few cans of it. Spray and let it sit. Then work your nuts.
You could go fit a dripless shaft seal
OMG WD40!
Do yourself a favor and get stuffing box wrenches.
get yourself the dripless shaft seal...much better.
should have cleaned up the threads a bit with a wire brush maybe
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Should replaced the packing, there are you tube videos to help
Yaa use corn oil when inside , oil /wd40 will smell for ever.