Dewatering a small space

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by wmcunninghamii

The problem with a Freedom 30 is there is almost zero clearance between coupler and seal. About 1/2 inches at best. My lasdrop is a lip seal designed to be able to replace the seal while in the water but It is so tight between seal and coupler I can't get in there to do the lip seal replace while afloat. The shaft has to be backed out and etc. It is a pain.

^This is the crux.
The need for a dewatering pump is for a band aid to cover up one of the major sins for a yacht designer to commit.
Immediate issues understood, perhaps some cogitating for some way to slide/mount the engine further forward in the future.
I remember the "hot shot" aluminum race boat from a well-known designer that had the same clearance issue, and although it was a regular packing gland, it could not be repacked whilst in the water unless the engine was slid forward.

[ItDepends]

With a mechanical face seal like this, ANY leak would have me seriously worried.

They are not like stuffing boxes where they drip more, and more as they wear. ANY leak means something is potentially seriously wrong. It’s not certain for sure, but a catastrophic leak could be just around the corner.

[wmcunninghamii]

Originally Posted by ItDepends

With a mechanical face seal like this, ANY leak would have me seriously worried.

They are not like stuffing boxes where they drip more, and more as they wear. ANY leak means something is potentially seriously wrong. It’s not certain for sure, but a catastrophic leak could be just around the corner.

I am not sure if you are referring to my situation, but I am equipped with a lasdrop lip seal which degrades gracefully over time as the lip seal wears. It is really a question of how much leakage I am prepared to tolerate. In my case the leakage stops when the shaft is not rotating as described earlier in the thread. I monitor this closely and will schedule haul out when the leakage becomes intolerable. Due to the various projects I wish to accomplish at next haul out, and the high cost thereof, I am trying to get as much mileage out of the seal as possible which is why I started this thread. I believe the risk is low but recognize it is not zero.

I used to own a dual engine power boat equipped with PSS face seals. Was never a huge fan to be honest. I always worried about those bellows which the lasdrop does not require ( I don't have room for them anyway). Not dissing face seals in any way, but owners need to monitor them carefully because if they go, they can go spectacularly.

[wmcunninghamii]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

^This is the crux.
The need for a dewatering pump is for a band aid to cover up one of the major sins for a yacht designer to commit.
Immediate issues understood, perhaps some cogitating for some way to slide/mount the engine further forward in the future.
I remember the "hot shot" aluminum race boat from a well-known designer that had the same clearance issue, and although it was a regular packing gland, it could not be repacked whilst in the water unless the engine was slid forward.

Yes, it is an unfortunate design, but it is what it is. I love my boat...deeply. I just deal with her deficiencies. There is no reasonable way to move the engine forward, however, one long term solution would be to transition to an electric drive which one Freedom 30 owner (I am aware of) has done. There are many threads here re electric conversions so I don't wish to start a debate on that topic, but when battery energy density improves substantially from where it is today, I will be more than willing to go that route. The Freedom 30 which was converted has an almost comically small motor where the Yanmar used to be. However, let's not talk about the size of the new battery compartment - or the weight thereof.

[wmcunninghamii]

After all of the suggestions here I have been inspired to think outside the box and inside the bottle.

What??

As I made my morning coffee I used my small usb rechargeable water pump to extract water from our 5 gal water bottle...typical Nestle delivery water...we did not want a big dispenser so we just bought a small electric pump on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Char...s%2C246&sr=8-6

I thought, wait a minute, this is exactly the type of pump i need for the shaft well. Small, reasonable lift, super low power. With a full charge the thing will pump four or five 5 gal bottles before running out of power. If a USB cable is connected it will run as long as power is available.

So I disassembled the thing to see what was what. Pretty simple set up. A small battery, a tiny pump housing, a charging controller board and a switch. So I bought a cheap timer on Amz and when it arrives will integrate the timer with the pump, set up the sponge arrangement at the pickup, get a waste water container for the output and I have a automatic system for $30.00. Still have to empty the wastewater but somehow I will manage. Thanks everyone for the inspiration.