Propshaft Leak

[witchofendor]

I have a 1977 Formosa 41' Ketch. I am hauling her this week to do some maintenance, including fixing a leak in the prop shaft. There is a tube that the prop runs through, which seems to be made of galvanized steel, and is rusting. The leak looks like its coming from where the prop shaft meets the stuffing box, but it is behind a wood timber that is fiberglassed to the hull.

Has anyone had this problem or is familiar with Formosas and the way this tube with the prop shaft is run? I'm guessing that there is a failing gasket somewhere but it's hard to figure out how to take this apart and get to where the gasket might be (or whatever is causing the leak).

I can't figure out how to post pictures here, so I made a shutterfly website so you can check out pictures of the prop shaft tube going through the fiberglassed timber. Go to: witchofendor.shutterfly.com to see them.

Thanks, Pascal

[zeehag]

yup got that


seen that5-mine thank the gods lleaks forard of the bleeding beam.
i am fixing mine with a dripless packing system.
you need to check your shaft log --the tube thru which the shaft passes...and your cutlass bearing. this is a THANG with formosas(and cts and hardin sea wolf, et alii)--fix it now and make sure is done well. also check your fiberglass tube thru which the mess passes--that can fail. also with rudder. do that one as well. than ye hhave a goood 20 yrs... also your chainplates-- they willl also fail. i am going to back my internal ones with external ones and replace the external ones. leaky teaky yacht club, a group in yahoo groups is a good one for our boats.
which model do you own?? mine is yankee clipper.