1981 30' questions

[duncanew]

Hi, just bought a 1981 30' Cherubini. This boat is in superb condition, the previous owner paid to get the deck / cockpit painted, new main sail, auto pilot, GPS, traveller and much, much more.

I have a few questions.

1. How do I get to the stuffing box, just lie on top of the diesel and go for it or what?
2. Same with the transmission, how can I access it?
3. Should I install a PSS dripless stuffing box?
4. The throttle lever will not stay where I set it but springs back to idle, where can I adjust this?

Great site that helped me decide on this boat, thanks.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Does the boat have the cockpit access to the motor?

 

[Steve Dion]

I think you can access the tranny & packing by removing the panel in the aft quarter berth.

PSS work well, but how often do you need to repack? If you have an extra couple hundred go for it.

Not sure which pedestal you have, the Y/S Merriman had a set screw under the compass. The Edson pedestal mave have something similar. If they don't you can get a J-clamp from Morse/Teleflex.

 

[duncanew]

No, there is no cockpit access.

I will look at the quarter berth panel this weekend.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[rardiH36]

4. The throttle lever will not stay where I set it but springs back to idle, where can I adjust this?

Hello Duncan:

If its a Yacht Specialities Pedestal, like mine, then no it doesn't have a set screw inside the pedestal to tighten the throttle handle shaft tension.

I've attached a picture of my pedestal if it will help with the Yacht Specialities identification. Also, if the steering wheel is still the original, Yacht Specialities will be embossed on it near the hub.

Sounds like you have found a very well maintained boat. But just to mention while on the subject of Yacht Specialities pedestals (if you have one) is that the plastic housing into which the throttle and gear handles/shaft are mounted is prone to stress-cracking and breaking as the plastic has become brittle over the many years. A sudden failure could leave the helmsman without engine control at a critical moment. Might be worth dismantling the pedestal head to carefully inspect. When I bought my boat I did find some small cracking.

 

[jphud]

Check for the cockpit floor hatch to gain access. If you need to make an adjustment and can not or do not want to open hatch, the aft quarter berth access and a couple of wrenches works. If you tie a short rope to the end of one the wrenches it makes life a lot easier. Just be sure not to leave any ropes lying down around the drive shaft when you are done.

I use a short bungee on the throttle. It stays in place but does not interfere with backing off.

 

[MLampner]

My 30 is an older boat a 77 so things may have changed but if like mine your throttle is not on the pedestal check for kinks that may act like springs.

 

[Nelsonhow]

On my 1893 H-30 you access the shaft gland (and tranny) from the deep starboard lazarette in the cockpit. You remove a divider panel from the lazarette and can climb in the lazarette. It's tight but better than leaning over the motor. The old bronze packing gland is easy and cheap to service why replace a proven technology. I've heard that there are problems with the PSS system although I know others swear by it. To replace you'd have to remove the fittings on the shaft which cam be very difficult on 30+ year old boat.

Mt throttle also used to slip until I noticed that there was a small clamp on th cable near the motor. It has 2 fingers with a screw in the middle that slides over the cable. To add friction to the cable and reduce slipping you tighten the screw a little. Don't know if it is original or an add on but it works. I'll see if I can get a pic for you this weekend when I'm down at the boar.

 

[Dalliance]

In my '82 H30 I also must lean over the engine to reach the stuffing box behind it. No other access. I drape an old towel over the engine to keep my shirt clean and luckily have long arms.
There is a friction clamp on the throttle cable in the engine compartment. Just tighten it down a bit.
Transmission access is no better than the stuffing box. When mine started leaking a few years ago and needed a new gasket, my mechanic just pulled the little Yanmar 2GM out and took it to his shop for few days.

 

[John T1594]

H30

I had a 1980 H30 for many years. The compartment aft of the engine could be accessed through a factory panel on the side wall of the quarter berth (take the cushion out first). I think you could remove the entire wooden bulkhead of the quarter berth if necessary to gain more access. Through the access panel, I could drain and fill my transmission, service my Racor primary filter, maintain my stuffing box, remove and service the batteries and get to the battery charger I had in there. The opening of the panel was not that large but I'm a big guy and I managed. My boat also had a removable floor panel in the cockpit forward of the pedestal but you could not really reach anything easily. I used it once to remove the fuel tank. There was also a starboard lazarette that you could probably get into but not easily. The lazarette had a wooden side panel facing the engine/tranny that could come out to give you access.
The wooden bulkhead at the aft end of the quarter berth also came out with a few screws and provided access to the rudder stuffing box, rudder skeg bolts, prop shaft skeg bolts and cockpit drain hoses.