It has been a long wait but spring is here. Being a new owner would like some input on first things to check after this long idle time.
Anxious!!!
- Thread starter lee oakley
- Start date
Just a few if the things I am doing before splashing:
Batteries charged
Bottom painted
Hull washed and waxed
All thru-hulls checked, rebedded if necessary, plugs or instruments installed
Stuffing box checked, repacked if needed. Tightened if loosened over the winter.
Check all tank vents for spiders, mud daubers, or any other obstructions
Bend on the sails...and go sailing!
Come on Spring!
Greg
Batteries charged
Bottom painted
Hull washed and waxed
All thru-hulls checked, rebedded if necessary, plugs or instruments installed
Stuffing box checked, repacked if needed. Tightened if loosened over the winter.
Check all tank vents for spiders, mud daubers, or any other obstructions
Bend on the sails...and go sailing!
Come on Spring!
Greg
I've done most of what Greg posted this spring. I've also replaced the water pump impeller, and both fuel filters on the diesel. I'll change the oil and filter once I splash it and get the engine warmed up.
Looking forward to getting on the water soon!
Looking forward to getting on the water soon!
The impeller should you just keep one incase? As long as its passing though like it should only reason I know of to tear into it
I'll add to Tally Ho's list checking and/or replacing the shaft zinc, and servicing winches.
I prefer to do the oil change as part of the winterization in the fall, so that the engine doesn't sit with old oil over the winter.
I prefer to do the oil change as part of the winterization in the fall, so that the engine doesn't sit with old oil over the winter.
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They should be replaced before they fall apart and get into the system. Mine had some cracks in the vanes. It's a simple job. I'm guessing I shoukd get 2-3 years out of it.
Ok I was able to understand everything on this list except for stuffing box. Can someone please help me out with what that is? Thanks.
The stuffing box is where the propeller shaft exits the hull on an inboard powered boat. There's a nut on the fitting that you loosen and tighten to adjust so that you have some, but minimal water dripping through. After some time the "stuffing" (windings of various types of material) wear out and need replacing. Looking at your profile I'm guessing that your boat has an outboard and therefore not applicable.
I've heard that it's possible, although I've never tried that myself, and I personally probably wouldn't the first time.
Here's a sampling of threads on that question:
http://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/stuffing-box-replacement.154227/
http://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/replace-stuffing-while-in-the-water.32318/
http://forums.sailboatowners.com/in...placing-the-flax-packing-in-the-water.100257/
You can definitely do the adjustment in the water. Tighten the nut until you have a drip about every 15 seconds when the shaft is turning. (But do the actual adjusting with the engine off). If you can still keep the drip rate close to that without having the nut at the end of its travel, then you probably don't need to replace yet anyway.
Thanks for the education. One less thing to worry about for now. But if in the future... at least I will know.
I wouldn't do anything to the stuffing box adjustment unless it is leaking excessively. Don't want to over tighten because it will cause excessive heat & score the prop shaft. If an adjustment is necessary, only a very slight turn of the compression nut will do the trick. Once the compression nut has "bottomed out", it will be time to disassemble the fitting and pull out all of the worn packing ( there is a special tool for this that looks like a sharp wine cork remover). Best to do this when the boat is hauled out. I have done this in the water and I have to say it is very stressful. You have to cut the packing in advance so it fits around the shaft exactly. When you pull out the last piece of the old packing, the boat will start flooding immediately. With water gushing in, you have wrap each piece of packing around the shaft with the packing seams staggered, then reattach the compression nut & tighten to stop the flooding. In most cases there isn't much room there so it becomes a one person job. I had someone standing by just in case I ran into problems or needed another tool. Again, it is stressful and you have to work fast. Have a rag handy to jam into the stuffing box if the operation runs amuck to give yourself time to regroup. When everything is reassembled, adjust the drip rate. You will have to check the drip with the engine running & the transmission engaged. Do the adjustment with the engine off or at least out of gear. If everything goes according to plan you're likely to get 10-20 gallons of water in the bilge. If you have an older boat, might want to replace the piece of exhaust hose that attaches the stuffing box to the shaft log. I had to replace my stuffing on an emergency basis after hitting an unidentied submerged object with my prop. It didn't bend the shaft; however, it definitely caused problems with the packing. As luck would have it, the compression nut on the stuffing box was almost bottomed out so I couldn't adjust it to stop the water ingress. The options were to have the boat hauled out or do the repair in the water. My "helper" said he had done it many times in the water and coached me along the way. Not a bad idea to have some packing and Teflon grease on board in the event of an emergency. As a previous post mentioned, try to do this while hauled out, at least for the first time.
This might be a time when knowing someone at the marina with a hydro-hoist would come in real handy!
As far as your Impeller westerbeke reccommends replacing it every year or if it has been run dry by say forgetting to open your seacock. Oils should always be changed on the hard so none are leaked into the bilge and overboard. All batteries checked. All wiring and lights checked. Fresh water tanks cleaned with small amounts of bleached and pumped out a few times to get them cleaned and rinsed good. All thur hulls checked all chain blattes and toe rails checked and rebedded where needed, one will always need some atention. Standing rigging gone over for meat hooks and replaved if found. All turnbuckles blocks tackle etc... inspected throughly with a magnifying glass to find cracks that will inevitably break in high winds causing you to loose your mast overboard. This is not fun...quite dangerous in fact. Turn buckles must tighten and stay tightened. All pins replaced yearly if you sail hard. Even us crusers that sail into seven foot waves during storms that pop up at the end of the day as we are coming the last hour into port need to check because that wind will stretch your wire and crak your turnbuckles. Noe check your running rigging and all blocks and tackle. If you have your mast down go over it. If not go up you mast and check out the sheeves and lights, wind systems pins bolts the works. Do these basic items your summer will be an enjoyable one. Don't and your liable to have a summer full of fixes every time you want to go sailing or worse. Be safe and have fun.
Fruition.
Fruition.
Thru hulls, prop and running gear, the rudder, keel or centerboard. Also the starting battery and engine basics just to get to your slip.
Everything else can be done after the splashing.
Owning a boat is a constant learning experience.
Enjoy!
Everything else can be done after the splashing.
Owning a boat is a constant learning experience.
Enjoy!
I didn't see anyone mention lubricating the seacocks. West Marine sells a lube for this purpose (probably a common household product re-packaged and re-priced). Disconnect the hose and lubricate the ball from inboard and outboard, work the ball open and closed as you apply the lube, then reconnect the hose. If the hose or the clamps are at all suspect, replace them. Hose connections below the waterline need to be double-clamped with the tightening screws oriented in opposite directions and diametrically opposed to each other. If you're my age make yourself some kind of reminder to double-check that all hose clamps have been tightened before launch.