Leak Around Drive Shaft - How Bad Is This?

[nickfox45]

During boat winterizing yesterday I pulled up a floor panel and found a slow, steady drip of water leaking from what I'm calling the drive shaft (not sure if that's the right term, to be honest). One drop of water every 5-6 seconds. In the picture below, it's coming from the metal fitting that's blue and corroded looking. (Side question: why is that blue/is that normal?)

I'm not sure how to make it stop, how bad it is, or if it'll get worse. I can't imagine it's good to have with winter months approaching and potential thaw/freeze cycles. Any advice is, as always, much appreciated.

[robert sailor]

That's your stuffing box. Inside is some flax line to seal it. In front of the box is where it is tightened and if you snug it up it should reduce the water flow. If it doesn't improve it it's probably time to replace the flax packing.

[nickfox45]

Thanks! Just a few minutes after posting I happened on the correct term and found a nice description of how to fix here: Servicing Your Stuffing Box by Don Casey - BoatTECH - BoatUS

[svHyLyte]

Nick--

That's simply a standard stuffing box packed with flax or similar sealant and pressed around the shaft by the interlocking nuts on the shaft log. Not a big deal. That type shaft log needs to "drip", tho' normally one drop about every 20 seconds, to lubricate the flax packing and keep the shaft cool as it spins. You'll need to pick up some packing gland wrenches to adjust it (you can use spanners but packing gland wrenches and thinner and easier to work with). The "green" patina on the nut is known as verdigris and is formed when brass or bronze are exposed to sea water and is actually copper acetate. It is of no particular consequence either.

FWIW...

[Stu Jackson]

Easier to look at:

https://marinehowto.com/re-packing-a...-stuffing-box/

[Cheechako]

It should drip occasionally. 5-6 seconds isn't real excessive, but a small tighten could reduce it a lot.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

It should drip occasionally. 5-6 seconds isn't real excessive, but a small tighten could reduce it a lot.

It should not drip when it's not running, not at that rate.

If you have any plans to haul the boat in the spring, you could just tighten it down now to (try and) stop the leak for the remainder of the season, and give it a proper servicing when you haul the boat. It's relatively easy, particularly given the access you have, to service it in the water and replace the packing, but given the fact that you've never done it before it would be less stressful do do it for the first time when the boat is hauled. You won't have to deal with water rushing in and figuring out how to get the packing in properly with your hands freezing from cold water lol.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Suijin

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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It's relatively easy, particularly given the access you have, to service it in the water and replace the packing, but given the fact that you've never done it before it would be less stressful do do it for the first time when the boat is hauled. You won't have to deal with water rushing in and figuring out how to get the packing in properly with your hands freezing from cold water lol.

Many have suggested this ^^^^

What is often not mentioned and must be: once the boat goes back in the water you must check it again. If left out of the water for an extended period of time, the packing can dry up. Until it gets wet again when the boat goes back in the water, all it is is like sandpaper on your shaft.

I did mine in the water the first and all subsequent times. Unless you have an absolutely dry bilge and want to keep it that way, little water actually gets in. You could also wrap a rag around the hose end and reduce the water intake.

Tech Wiki – Catalina 34 International Association

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

What is often not mentioned and must be: once the boat goes back in the water you must check it again. If left out of the water for an extended period of time, the packing can dry up. Until it gets wet again when the boat goes back in the water, all it is is like sandpaper on your shaft.

Well you always have to check it when you go back in the water to ensure that it's adjusted properly and at a good drip rate. There's no way to do that without the shaft turning.

And the shaft is not going to be turning (hopefully!) until the boat is back in the water, so it really does not matter if it's dry (and like sandpaper) or not.

If he does it when the boat is hauled, it's easier to pull the nut off and inspect how the old packing is installed, to pull it out and check to make sure he has the right size packing to replace it with, and to cut the new piece for a proper fit and get it in the gland properly without having to worry about water. That should be enough of an education for him to deal with it in water going forward.

[ZULU40]

is anyone else concerned about the colour of those fittings?

[Boatyarddog]

You could address the corrosion, it can hide problems.
Flax packing needs a "calibrated" leak rate of 3 to 5 sec., this lubricates the shaft.
The shaft should rotate easily with a twist of the shaft, this can vary with big components.
Did you know you can repack the stuffing box with the boat is still in the water?

[seabreez]

Originally Posted by nickfox45

During boat winterizing One drop of water every 5-6 seconds. I can't imagine it's good to have with winter months approaching and potential thaw/freeze cycles. Any advice is, as always, much appreciated.

For winterizing, tighten the packing until the drip is stopped. In spring time readjust to have a drip every 5 seconds or so when turning. some packing glands have a grease fitting, some have one on each side to grease at the end of a voyage to stop the drip completely (if you will leave the boat for a while) and when you run again its starts to drip again.

[Mystktravler]

Nick got me howling cause he got everyone to write about what he should do.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by ZULU40

is anyone else concerned about the colour of those fittings?

Fairly normal color

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

That's your stuffing box. Inside is some flax line to seal it. In front of the box is where it is tightened and if you snug it up it should reduce the water flow. If it doesn't improve it it's probably time to replace the flax packing.

two for that thought.