Saildrive VS Direct Shaft

[Franst8]

I have a Pearson 365 with the Westerberg 40. I had the stuffing box serviced locally here in the SF area last year.My main worry is having to do it another time and finding someone willing. That is the type of thing I couldn't do myself. How often do you think it might need to be done? What can I do to keep it healthy?

[four winds]

Originally Posted by Franst8

I have a Pearson 365 with the Westerberg 40. I had the stuffing box serviced locally here in the SF area last year.My main worry is having to do it another time and finding someone willing. That is the type of thing I couldn't do myself. How often do you think it might need to be done? What can I do to keep it healthy?

Sailed my boat regularly for four years before ever hauling. It had been eight years since the last haulout. Some shaft work and new shaft log were needed so replaced the stuffing as well at that time. Never touched it during those four years and it dripped the same the entire time. No idea when the last service was before my ownership.

Had the common flax stuffing and replaced with the same. Wouldn't surprise me if I don't haul again for four more years. Probably replace it again then.

If a mechanic is not willing to service a v drive stuffing box I'm thinking you don't want that mechanic working on your boat anyway.

Not sure about what to do to keep it healthy as I did nothing at all except sail regularly. And it never needed any attention.

[Jimlad]

Originally Posted by tdoster

To answer yours, would have to first ask if the engine is facing fore or aft. The output of the engine is aft.

How about this. The engine is fore of the main mast and the shaft is less than 2'.

Crikey no ideas there!

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Aqualibrium

As a Catamaran with Dagger boards if i want to sit on a tidal beach to clean, repaint etc I will be sitting on saildrive legs and rudders rather than a shaft supporting Skeg, so my flexibility is significantly reduced.

With hard earned experience I wish I had not installed sail drives!!!!!!!!

I hate to tell you this but that has zero to do with how your prop is mounted. You can have a skeg hung rudder with sail drives (our new to us boat does).

Likewise, if you have spade rudders with a shaft drive, I wouldn't recommend setting those one the bottom intentionally.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Franst8

As long as drives are in discussions, anyone have an opinion on V drives?

Had V drives on our old power boat. The V drive itself was never a problem. Getting to the stuffing box was a pain.

[svrodeorm]

Pro's and cons with them both as said. To me no deal breaker at all with a Saildrive. As said, the. were ones (thank God) allows oil- and anode replacement in the water. If you have corrosion problems on a Saildrive leg it's not to blame the drive unit. Your lack of good practice and maintenance on your electrocs are to blame!

If in marinas, on shore power, a huge issue no matter what kind of drive train you've got.

Just ask metal boat owners ;-)

[Sailorbob8599]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

I've always wondered about these stories. If you lose your prop shaft, could one not simply stuff a BIG rag in the 1 1/2" hole? I change my speed transducer and fully understand the amount of water that comes through that size hole, but it's not a whole lot of pressure. Surely a jury rigged plug of some sort would be high on a list of things to have "just in case" would it not?

Saildrive holes? Not so much.

How about a tapered wooden plug? . . . You do have an assortment aboard for broken 'Thru-hulls' do you not? . . .

[glenn.225]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

V-drives--inefficient, noisy, difficult to service.

Yes the stuffing box may be harder to get to but the drive itself is much the same design as all drives, less the prop shaft location. So, serious question here; how would they be any less efficient or noisy?
The few I've worked on were more accessible and easier to service.

[Terra Nova]

Less efficient because of all the changes in direction of power, which also produces more gear noise/whine, typically.

[Grottie Yachtie]

I have a 43' catamaran with saildrives and folding props. I have been boating for over thirty years now and I would never go back to a shaft drive, mainly because of the noise made by the shaft when sailing. Anything over 4 knots and you start to get that rumble from below. I have even secured the shaft by putting large screwdrivers through the universal joint on the shaft etc. Give me a saildrive any day.

[capt jgw]

My Columbia 36 is one of those crazy designs (along with one from Irwin, I believe) where the prop shaft is offset, passes next to the rudder shaft, and the prop sticks out aft of the rudder. The boats a real PITA to maneuver under power. Except for the stopping part, it would be easier to sail into a slip. This is one design where a saildrive would be an improvement, but they weren't around in 1969.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by Sailorbob8599

How about a tapered wooden plug? . . . You do have an assortment aboard for broken 'Thru-hulls' do you not? . . .

Even better is to put a hose clamp on the shaft just forward of the stuffing box. If it comes uncoupled, the clamp won't let it slide out of the boat or jam the rudder. And you can put it back together without having to haul out.

[svrodeorm]

Surprising no one mentioned how much more silent and vibration-free a Saildrive is! Good reason alone.

Anyway, quite an academic discussion, when looking for a boat there many other parameters far more important.

[Bulawayo]

That is a point ......but also, if someone were looking at buying a used boat, would the type of drive really be a deal breaker?

Originally Posted by svrodeorm

Surprising no one mentioned how much more silent and vibration-free a Saildrive is! Good reason alone.

Anyway, quite an academic discussion, when looking for a boat there many other parameters far more important.

[gjorgensen]

My boat just turned 15 years old and has a Volvo MD2030 with a Volvo saildrive. Knock on wood, but I've never had a single problem with it. The fluid still looks new between haul outs (mine requires a haul out to change the fluid, which is not required on new ones). I've never had any corrosion at all. Use the right bottom paint and keep up with the zincs and it should be fine. I did have the through-hull seal replaced when the boat was 10 or 11 years old, but after we got the old one out decided it could have gone many more years. If you're already hauled for a bottom job changing it's cheap insurance though.