I recently experienced a near knock down in my 81H30. To make a long story short I suffered some damage to rigging and sails. The most serious damage was caused by me. After getting the boat under control I started the engine, big mistake. The halyards were in the water and you know what that means. The engine stalled immediately after clearing the line from 'round the shaft. I re-started the engine and it stalled when I engaged the reduction gear. After getting the boat safely into the slip I dove the bottom. The strut appears to be bent slightly to starboard. When I try to spin the shaft it hangs up and the cutlass bearing spins with the shaft. Does anyone have any ideas on how to correct this, short of a haul-out? Suggestions/advice will be greatly appreciated. Hawaii Dan S/V Illusions
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The Short Answer is....
1. As a minimum, it looks like a new shaft. If the shaft's bent at all you'll have vibration when motoring. 2. The cutlass has (at least) two set screws which should be tightened - could be done in the water. 3. The strut might be able to be straightened but I wouldn't want this on my boat. Recommend opting for a new strut and a haulout. While the strut is off, for a good job, clean out the bolt holes and epoxy them to seal the water out. Check "Site Search" for a recent article on strut replacement - about the same question as yours. I don't think the strut can be properly trued by rebending it back, let alone trying to do it in the water. 4. Align the engine and shaft. Had a person from our office that really enjoyed a detail working at Kaneohe Bay. Aren't boats a lot of fun? Good luck on your new project!
1. As a minimum, it looks like a new shaft. If the shaft's bent at all you'll have vibration when motoring. 2. The cutlass has (at least) two set screws which should be tightened - could be done in the water. 3. The strut might be able to be straightened but I wouldn't want this on my boat. Recommend opting for a new strut and a haulout. While the strut is off, for a good job, clean out the bolt holes and epoxy them to seal the water out. Check "Site Search" for a recent article on strut replacement - about the same question as yours. I don't think the strut can be properly trued by rebending it back, let alone trying to do it in the water. 4. Align the engine and shaft. Had a person from our office that really enjoyed a detail working at Kaneohe Bay. Aren't boats a lot of fun? Good luck on your new project!
OBTW, Don't Forget Your Insurance
..this is certainly covered by your insurance. It could be just the engine alignment, but as you described your analysis, it is likely the shaft, strut or both. Good luck and update us. Rick D. (P.S. ... this means you are going to have a GREAT 2002..you got all the bad stuff at the front of the year.)
..this is certainly covered by your insurance. It could be just the engine alignment, but as you described your analysis, it is likely the shaft, strut or both. Good luck and update us. Rick D. (P.S. ... this means you are going to have a GREAT 2002..you got all the bad stuff at the front of the year.)
plus....
when you haul out, be sure to check the laminate where the strut is supported, for any stress damage. It is possible to yank the strut right out of the hull, which you did not do, but you might have some stress fractures. I hope not, but it is better to find out.
when you haul out, be sure to check the laminate where the strut is supported, for any stress damage. It is possible to yank the strut right out of the hull, which you did not do, but you might have some stress fractures. I hope not, but it is better to find out.
Voice of experience here
I,ve been there, unfortunately, but that's how we learn. I understand that the costs for a haul-out in Hawaii are quite high, but I guess that's what you get for living in paradise. I don't think anyone in his right mind would try a full strut repair with the boat in the water with the possible exception of the following down and dirty method. You might try puling the strut back to the side it came from using both winches and a couple of strong backs. I would run a line from the strut where the shaft goes through, (you can tie directly to the shaft, as long as you're right at the strut you can't/won't bend the shaft. Set a gin pole against the point where the strut connects to the hull, and then up to the winch on that side of the boat and then on to the other winch. Synchronized hauling on the winches just might straighten you out enough to get by for a while, although you would most likely have to realign to the strut's new configuration. Just keep a close eye on the hull itself. It's pretty strong and will take an amazing amount of abuse. Mine seems none the worse for the experience. I HAVE used this method to straighten a rudder in the water and it worked well enough to finish the season without a costly haul. It is highly unlikely your shaft has been bent. 1" shafting is incredibly strong. I went through this, bending the crap out of the strut on my 33 and the shaft (bronze at the time) checked out perfect on the truing bed. [In checking a used 1" stainless shaft on the truing bed, my entire 186 pounds on a 6 foot lever could not bend the shaft. It would deflect an inch or so and come back to exactly the way it was. I gave up and accepted .00195 runout. Believe me, you'll never know the difference.] The shaft is fairly easy to check even in the water. Once it turns freely just have someone turn it from inside while you compare it to a fixed object. You can even use a piece of wire wrapped around the strut as an indicator. Set the indicator so it barely touches the shaft, then turn the shaft. You'll see any runout. I don't know what if any Hunter's spec is but for similar applications I've always gone with .003". That or less should be just dandy. According to the maker of the struts, George at Dahmer in Keyport N. J. a few miles from me, you can bring the strut back to perfect by heating and persuading. This would require a VERY good vise, a good heat source, IE; more than just a propane torch, and a goodly long stick or "B.F.H." (Ask any mechanic what a "B.F.H" is.) Bronze is readily maleable and easily formed when hot. A new strut will cost in the vacinity of $250, but I'm sure you'll have to pay a premium to ship it to paradise...
I,ve been there, unfortunately, but that's how we learn. I understand that the costs for a haul-out in Hawaii are quite high, but I guess that's what you get for living in paradise. I don't think anyone in his right mind would try a full strut repair with the boat in the water with the possible exception of the following down and dirty method. You might try puling the strut back to the side it came from using both winches and a couple of strong backs. I would run a line from the strut where the shaft goes through, (you can tie directly to the shaft, as long as you're right at the strut you can't/won't bend the shaft. Set a gin pole against the point where the strut connects to the hull, and then up to the winch on that side of the boat and then on to the other winch. Synchronized hauling on the winches just might straighten you out enough to get by for a while, although you would most likely have to realign to the strut's new configuration. Just keep a close eye on the hull itself. It's pretty strong and will take an amazing amount of abuse. Mine seems none the worse for the experience. I HAVE used this method to straighten a rudder in the water and it worked well enough to finish the season without a costly haul. It is highly unlikely your shaft has been bent. 1" shafting is incredibly strong. I went through this, bending the crap out of the strut on my 33 and the shaft (bronze at the time) checked out perfect on the truing bed. [In checking a used 1" stainless shaft on the truing bed, my entire 186 pounds on a 6 foot lever could not bend the shaft. It would deflect an inch or so and come back to exactly the way it was. I gave up and accepted .00195 runout. Believe me, you'll never know the difference.] The shaft is fairly easy to check even in the water. Once it turns freely just have someone turn it from inside while you compare it to a fixed object. You can even use a piece of wire wrapped around the strut as an indicator. Set the indicator so it barely touches the shaft, then turn the shaft. You'll see any runout. I don't know what if any Hunter's spec is but for similar applications I've always gone with .003". That or less should be just dandy. According to the maker of the struts, George at Dahmer in Keyport N. J. a few miles from me, you can bring the strut back to perfect by heating and persuading. This would require a VERY good vise, a good heat source, IE; more than just a propane torch, and a goodly long stick or "B.F.H." (Ask any mechanic what a "B.F.H" is.) Bronze is readily maleable and easily formed when hot. A new strut will cost in the vacinity of $250, but I'm sure you'll have to pay a premium to ship it to paradise...
thanks fellas
Thanks for all the great advice. Not having owned a boat on the mainland I can’t compare haul out prices. The problem with having a boat on the windward side of Oahu (Kaneohe Bay) is there is no facility that supports haul-outs. We have to sail around to Honolulu. I’m scheduled to haul this spring or early summer and would prefer to straighten that strut in the slip so I’m not beached until I sail for Honolulu. Semper Fi Dan
Thanks for all the great advice. Not having owned a boat on the mainland I can’t compare haul out prices. The problem with having a boat on the windward side of Oahu (Kaneohe Bay) is there is no facility that supports haul-outs. We have to sail around to Honolulu. I’m scheduled to haul this spring or early summer and would prefer to straighten that strut in the slip so I’m not beached until I sail for Honolulu. Semper Fi Dan
Dial Indicator on Propeller Shaft
Given what Sam Lust had to say it would be a good idea to put a dial indicator on the shaft close as far aft of the coupling as possible to measure deflection. Put the transmission in neutral and slowly rotate the shaft by hand while noting what the dial indicator reads. The dial indicator will have to be attached to something solid that doesn't move so you'll have to rig something up. My experience has been that it doesn't seem to take a tremendous amount of force to tweak the shaft. I'm currently on my third shaft, the last two being stainless steel, so I tend to be skeptical that it could still be straight but who knows, sometimes you luck out. The taper section on the shaft is the weak link so it's possible that a line around the shaft may not have had enough strength to do any shaft damage. If you haul the boat to replace the skeg the rudder may or may not have to be removed. There may be enough slop in the shaft log to pull the shaft past the rudder. If not, then the rudder has to come off which means the boat needs to be set a couple feet or so higher in the stands or dig a hole under the rudder.
Given what Sam Lust had to say it would be a good idea to put a dial indicator on the shaft close as far aft of the coupling as possible to measure deflection. Put the transmission in neutral and slowly rotate the shaft by hand while noting what the dial indicator reads. The dial indicator will have to be attached to something solid that doesn't move so you'll have to rig something up. My experience has been that it doesn't seem to take a tremendous amount of force to tweak the shaft. I'm currently on my third shaft, the last two being stainless steel, so I tend to be skeptical that it could still be straight but who knows, sometimes you luck out. The taper section on the shaft is the weak link so it's possible that a line around the shaft may not have had enough strength to do any shaft damage. If you haul the boat to replace the skeg the rudder may or may not have to be removed. There may be enough slop in the shaft log to pull the shaft past the rudder. If not, then the rudder has to come off which means the boat needs to be set a couple feet or so higher in the stands or dig a hole under the rudder.
It can be done in the water
because I did it on my 27 ft. 90 Hunter. Making a long story short: I remove the strut and placed bolts with rubber washer in the 4 hole that where use to mount strut. Then I took the strut and heated it up and bent the strut back straight. I replaced the bearing and then reinstalled the strut and align all. Note: as I removed the bolts I used wood dial to temporary plug hole from the inside of the boat. All of this underwater stuff was done with just holding my breath but the next time I would rent equipment. If you need more information call me 731-422-1999 between 9 and 5 EST.
because I did it on my 27 ft. 90 Hunter. Making a long story short: I remove the strut and placed bolts with rubber washer in the 4 hole that where use to mount strut. Then I took the strut and heated it up and bent the strut back straight. I replaced the bearing and then reinstalled the strut and align all. Note: as I removed the bolts I used wood dial to temporary plug hole from the inside of the boat. All of this underwater stuff was done with just holding my breath but the next time I would rent equipment. If you need more information call me 731-422-1999 between 9 and 5 EST.
Bent Strut
I did the same on my 87 Hunter 27'. After wrapping the sheet on the prop the strut became unseated and started to leak a little. (The wood backing plates were soft and the screws moved). At least it was the last day of the season. I pulled the boat and rebedded the strut. The strut had a small bend in it. With the adivse of my yard man I took a big stilson 24" (pipe wrench) and with a few tries was able unbend the strut by placing the wrench 90 degrees to the strut and pulling down on the handel. My son was in the boad while I did the bending and was able to tell me how much the alignment improved with each try. The shaft flexes and bends a little at a time. If your strut isn't bent too bad you should be able to fix the bend. I didn't use heat. I was afraid I would melt the resin in the hull. Becides I figures if I couldn't fix the bend I had the rest of the winter to get the replacement strut. I had to re-align the shaft after I was done but it seems OK. Even if you replace the strut you have to re-aligh the shaft. Hope this helps.
I did the same on my 87 Hunter 27'. After wrapping the sheet on the prop the strut became unseated and started to leak a little. (The wood backing plates were soft and the screws moved). At least it was the last day of the season. I pulled the boat and rebedded the strut. The strut had a small bend in it. With the adivse of my yard man I took a big stilson 24" (pipe wrench) and with a few tries was able unbend the strut by placing the wrench 90 degrees to the strut and pulling down on the handel. My son was in the boad while I did the bending and was able to tell me how much the alignment improved with each try. The shaft flexes and bends a little at a time. If your strut isn't bent too bad you should be able to fix the bend. I didn't use heat. I was afraid I would melt the resin in the hull. Becides I figures if I couldn't fix the bend I had the rest of the winter to get the replacement strut. I had to re-align the shaft after I was done but it seems OK. Even if you replace the strut you have to re-aligh the shaft. Hope this helps.
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