Help with packing size Morgan 34

[Coreg]

Looking at a Morgan 34 of 1969 vintage. Needs lots of clean up but good bones. I noticed the prob shaft stuffing box dripping 1 drop per second. The boat is located over 1 hour away and I didn't measure the shaft. It maybe possible for myself to back out the nuts and put in some new packing. But also noticed right at the edge of the nut on the shaft some corrosion. The engine has been replaced with a Kubota I would imagine they used the original shaft? The boats at dockside with power but must be moved soon. My plan was keeping it on anchor in the river. But obviously the frequent use of the bilge pump would kill the batteries within a few days. I'm shopping boat yards in the area of Pasco county Florida and having trouble. I was able to speak with One yard and they are taking appointments for over one month from now. Main worry is the shaft maybe compromised and will fail. I could use some emory cloth on it, maybe smooth it out to get new flax to seal. But if it breaks it's going to sink. Have a small budget to work with, would like to find a DYI boat yard in the area. I think the closest maybe in St. Petersburg Fl. Hard to get estimates on the shaft since they don't seem to have a data base on old boats. I'm all ears Thanks

[Paul Annapolis]

If I may suggest what the heart of the matter may be, but please dont be offended. You have just signed on and its your first post. It may also be your first boat, but that is merely conjecture based on experience--a lot of it. You have apparently bought a 50+ year old boat and have noticed a potential problem--a potentially disastrous problem. None of us can actually see or touch or inspect and you are asking for opinions from a potentially wide variety of boaters. If you are lucky you will get a handful of very helpful suggestions, all of which will be similar, and close to accurate. Or you are more likely to get a wide variety of opinions all over the place from anonymous strangers in cyberspace. Which ones do you follow? How do you determine risk? How do you decide what to do? But the real concern here is that you bought an old and probably inexpensive boat with a lot of issues and you casually and candidly admit that you "Have a small budget to work with" and that coupled with you apparent lack of expertise has brought you here. We are here to help, but you have supplied no photos, but the leak, the corrosion you mention, the age and the fact that you think this leak will run down your pump batteries at anchor suggest you had best act quickly and be prepared to pay for AND WAIT if necessary, for professional assistance. You could haul out and fix that and potentially many other problems ashore. Or you could find a way to improvise and jury rig some temporary method to seal the shaft...but it's risky. Many people can buy but not all can or should actually own a boat, but my best advice to you is play it safe and hire a professional while continuing to consult with other boat owners. I hope it works out--please keep us informed.

[Coreg]

Originally Posted by Paul Annapolis

If I may suggest what the heart of the matter may be, but please dont be offended. You have just signed on and its your first post. It may also be your first boat, but that is merely conjecture based on experience--a lot of it. You have apparently bought a 50+ year old boat and have noticed a potential problem--a potentially disastrous problem. None of us can actually see or touch or inspect and you are asking for opinions from a potentially wide variety of boaters. If you are lucky you will get a handful of very helpful suggestions, all of which will be similar, and close to accurate. Or you are more likely to get a wide variety of opinions all over the place from anonymous strangers in cyberspace. Which ones do you follow? How do you determine risk? How do you decide what to do? But the real concern here is that you bought an old and probably inexpensive boat with a lot of issues and you casually and candidly admit that you "Have a small budget to work with" and that coupled with you apparent lack of expertise has brought you here. We are here to help, but you have supplied no photos, but the leak, the corrosion you mention, the age and the fact that you think this leak will run down your pump batteries at anchor suggest you had best act quickly and be prepared to pay for AND WAIT if necessary, for professional assistance. You could haul out and fix that and potentially many other problems ashore. Or you could find a way to improvise and jury rig some temporary method to seal the shaft...but it's risky. Many people can buy but not all can or should actually own a boat, but my best advice to you is play it safe and hire a professional while continuing to consult with other boat owners. I hope it works out--please keep us informed.

Yes it would be a first boat of this size. I didn't buy it, I sent the owner the info I found. I'm a bit backwards on tech, the photos are on my Amazon FIRE tablet and getting that to my desk top is a mystery. Anyway I get what your saying. Its a bit too much for me. I may post the boat on Boats under $30K if the owner wants. Its got good bones just needs a lot of elbow grease besides what I mentioned. I called a mobile mechanic and he won't repack with boat in the water. Yards are 3-4 weeks out for a slot. Many yards have disappeared from the area with the real estate booms. If it were my boat I would try to re-stuff it in the water. The cost with bottom paint while its out in the area of $4500-$6000. Was wondering if some here knew the shaft diameter and length.

[Cheechako]

A dripping shaft packing is not an unusual thing. But corrosion does happen on shafts when the boat doesn't get used for too long. I've seen it very bad inside the shaft log, looking like worms ate a trail along the shaft! This is because the SS shaft doesn't get fresh water in there and oxygen depletion takes place corroding the shaft.
So right now you are stuck with a decision. The boat needs hauled at some point and the shaft replaced. This can be a big job if all doesn't go well. Especially if you dont do the work yourself. It can be a couple thousand dollars or more +++ now days.

It may be fine for a while, or you may find it gets worse fast if you run the boat in gear for some time. Then you'll know how bad the corrosion is if it tears up the packing.... OTOH, "some corrosion at the edge of the nut" may be nothing really...

A 69 Morgan may only be worth $5-10K to start with...

[Paul Annapolis]

Oh--you have not even bought the boat? But now you want to help the owner sell this boat? And somehow one of us might know the shaft diameter and size--well that is possible but why not ask the seller--or measure it yourself? Having problems loading photos is also a bit disconcerting. Repacking while in the water may be possible in some cases...but not generally, as your mechanic may have indicated. As you have also candidly admitted about having trouble loading photos that you are not a techie and that this endeavor may be a bit too much for you, I think that you may want to attend to your hunches. I would suggest you seek a newer and/or better and thus likely a more expensive boat, but I think I know what would be your response. Trust your gut and let us know.

[Cheechako]

Bottom line for packing etc is it's a 50 year old boat and could have any one of many shaft logs in it at this point. ie: not an original.
You are going to need to measure it, Which is not easy to do, or just buy a number of packing sizes.
How will you get the old packing out? I would not do this in the water. It can be done by experienced people but can be problematic then also.

[Madehn]

Is it possible to slightly tighten the packing nut and stop the leak.? You will find the internet full of experts and naysayers. Take all advice you get from it with a huge grain of salt. If you want to buy an older boat then realize it’s gonna have issues and boat issues equal money. If you have a limited budget and are going to buy a boat you will need to become very familiar with DIY to keep costs down. First step is to buy a copy of This Old Boat. Basic manual for fixing everything yourself as reasonably as possible. Go in with eyes open. Best of luck.

[Coreg]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

A dripping shaft packing is not an unusual thing. But corrosion does happen on shafts when the boat doesn't get used for too long. I've seen it very bad inside the shaft log, looking like worms ate a trail along the shaft! This is because the SS shaft doesn't get fresh water in there and oxygen depletion takes place corroding the shaft.
So right now you are stuck with a decision. The boat needs hauled at some point and the shaft replaced. This can be a big job if all doesn't go well. Especially if you dont do the work yourself. It can be a couple thousand dollars or more +++ now days.

It may be fine for a while, or you may find it gets worse fast if you run the boat in gear for some time. Then you'll know how bad the corrosion is if it tears up the packing.... OTOH, "some corrosion at the edge of the nut" may be nothing really...

A 69 Morgan may only be worth $5-10K to start with...

I think this probably what went on here. Ive worked on boats years ago, worked for boat yards doing some engine work. Only once had to do a repacking on a sailboat at the place I worked. Had to figure it out myself at the dock in the water. I did a ok job, had it to 1 drip per minute. No one showed me they told me just do this, and do that Ha. I got **** from the yard boss anyway because the owner wanted completely dry. Oh well the yard boss didn't know either. This was a big place where each department specialized in one area. Not really the best place about learning all about boats.

And I'm pretty sure that somewhere unknown to most yards there is a data bank on most boats. What mast was original, what boom , ..... what shaft and prop. Its just that very few people have these resources or know they exist. In that matter I could tell the yard my shaft is xxx in diameter, xxx in length and so on. What that would do for me is having the yard check the price for them to order one. Then I would make a appointment for them to do the work on the hard. They would verify then order. Then my Guesstimate I receive will be closer to the bill I get handed when its check out time. I'm sure everyone experienced coming to the cashier with shock.
I'm much older now so not into big projects, of which I do already have many at my house to do.

Now back to the boat and some insinuate I'm here to sell the owners boat. This is what I know, the owner bought a house several years back with dock. They are modest homes from the 60's. The real estate boom made them pricy even though as I said they are small modest homes. He's out of state, he has a tenet coming and needs boat gone. He's not a sailor, he took the boat out and motored a few times. So basically the boats been sitting for years. He's had divers clean the bottom. The shaft has rust or dark stains on it where it meets the packing nut, I can stretch out and feel with my finger that the surface is rough and I think smaller in diameter then other parts of the shaft. What I read and you concur is the lack of oxygen cause the metal to corrode. And some say that like micro fissures in SS chain plates, prop shafts can snap too.

In my area boat yard are getting rare, and whats left is expensive. You can't just call them up and say your bringing your boat by. They don't have room in the yard until they launch one thats already there. So that is a stumbling block. Unless I found someone near that would let me rent their dock and power short term.

Why I said I may put it up here in the under 30K forum was because talking with the owner by phone and him trusting me to get the key and look at it all by lonesome. I found that help full not having someone with a watch standing over me. I spent several hours, checking. He offered to let me take it to a yard right then without him knowing me or putting down 1 dollar. He just needed to sell the boat for his situation. I respect that. Bottom line on the boat was, if I could have nailed down a price to fix it and a yard to immediately bring it too I would have bought it. Thank you for a good answer that didn't pass some kind of judgment on me.

[Coreg]

Originally Posted by Madehn

Is it possible to slightly tighten the packing nut and stop the leak.? You will find the internet full of experts and naysayers. Take all advice you get from it with a huge grain of salt. If you want to buy an older boat then realize it’s gonna have issues and boat issues equal money. If you have a limited budget and are going to buy a boat you will need to become very familiar with DIY to keep costs down. First step is to buy a copy of This Old Boat. Basic manual for fixing everything yourself as reasonably as possible. Go in with eyes open. Best of luck.

I agree thank you. I brought a copy of Casey's "Inspecting the aging sailboat" with me. The boat was almost 1&1/2 hours drive. I didn't bring the tools needed for tightening it up. Wish I did but never can tell if trying it won't cause a bigger problem and without the owner's consent. Bad enough I sink my own boat never mind someones else's

[Coreg]

Originally Posted by Paul Annapolis

Oh--you have not even bought the boat? But now you want to help the owner sell this boat? And somehow one of us might know the shaft diameter and size--well that is possible but why not ask the seller--or measure it yourself? Having problems loading photos is also a bit disconcerting. Repacking while in the water may be possible in some cases...but not generally, as your mechanic may have indicated. As you have also candidly admitted about having trouble loading photos that you are not a techie and that this endeavor may be a bit too much for you, I think that you may want to attend to your hunches. I would suggest you seek a newer and/or better and thus likely a more expensive boat, but I think I know what would be your response. Trust your gut and let us know.

I detect a little disdain in your reply. I'm 68 I don't know all media tech or how to use it by heart. I could learn how to transfer a photo from one system to another. I'm sure it's possible. But why would I go through all the learning. It's not like 6 months from now I would remember how I did it. I reset the car radio clock every six months and struggle with it every time. I could care less, it's not important enough for me to commit to long term memory. It's not what I do for a living.
Bottom line is if there happened to be people here that owned the specific boat they may know and share the size. Not that it matters anymore to me anyway I moved on. Thanks