Can somebody please explain to me if there is such a compartment (stuffing box?)where water circulates to cool the prop shaft on my Oceanis 321?! If so where is the seacock located so that I can open it to prevent freezing during outside winter storage? I failed to see anything like a seacock under the main cabin cushions where the prop shaft enters the hull when I winterized it. Did I miss it?! Anyone with insight please e-mail me at: sljaphe@aol.com
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water cooled stuffing box
I think maybe you are getting mixed up on sail/power boats with reguards to the stuffing boxes. Most sail boats do not have a water injected cooled stuffing box, most inboard power boats have a water injected cooled stuffing box. The major difference being the rpm's of the shaft. You sail boat has a drip packing gland that cools by leaking small amouts of water to cool the shaft or it may have a newer type dripless gland that won't leak,power boat have much faster shaft rpm's and have a water injection system to cool the shaft. The bottom line is I don't I don't think you have a water line to the shaft to winterize. Hope this was of some help!
I think maybe you are getting mixed up on sail/power boats with reguards to the stuffing boxes. Most sail boats do not have a water injected cooled stuffing box, most inboard power boats have a water injected cooled stuffing box. The major difference being the rpm's of the shaft. You sail boat has a drip packing gland that cools by leaking small amouts of water to cool the shaft or it may have a newer type dripless gland that won't leak,power boat have much faster shaft rpm's and have a water injection system to cool the shaft. The bottom line is I don't I don't think you have a water line to the shaft to winterize. Hope this was of some help!
Fwiw, dripless packing is not limited to
sailboats. Standard OEM stuffing boxes are always flax, because it's cheaper than dripless...but a lot of powerboat owners upgrade to dripless for the same reasons sailboat owners do. In fact, I considered putting it on my own boat (twin engine inboards) instead of just having 'em repacked...but decided it wasn't in the budget at the time. So I don't THINK that RPMs have anything to do with it.
sailboats. Standard OEM stuffing boxes are always flax, because it's cheaper than dripless...but a lot of powerboat owners upgrade to dripless for the same reasons sailboat owners do. In fact, I considered putting it on my own boat (twin engine inboards) instead of just having 'em repacked...but decided it wasn't in the budget at the time. So I don't THINK that RPMs have anything to do with it.
Peggie and the dripless shaft seals
Peggy I don't want to start an argument with you however there are two type of "dripless" packing glands and they are designed with and without water injected into the gland. There was a thread about this recently right here on HOW. (in the archives) The reason there are two type are basicaly sail and power boat. the high speed (shaft rpm's)power boats need more cooling then slow speed (sail) shafts. I would suggest to you as a power boat owner that you install the water injected type "dripless" packing gland. The original guestion was about a water cooled shaft on a sail boat, where I believe that the owner was not sure of what type of packing gland he had, not about the dripless gland or flax type drip gland,he was getting the two dripless packing glands confused with water or non water injected. The water injected being for high rpm's and the non water injected being for slower rpm's The rpm's have a direct connection to what type of dripless gland you use. I hope I have made myself clearer or at least easier to understand. As long as I have your attention Peggie let me take the time to thank you for all your great articles and info !
Peggy I don't want to start an argument with you however there are two type of "dripless" packing glands and they are designed with and without water injected into the gland. There was a thread about this recently right here on HOW. (in the archives) The reason there are two type are basicaly sail and power boat. the high speed (shaft rpm's)power boats need more cooling then slow speed (sail) shafts. I would suggest to you as a power boat owner that you install the water injected type "dripless" packing gland. The original guestion was about a water cooled shaft on a sail boat, where I believe that the owner was not sure of what type of packing gland he had, not about the dripless gland or flax type drip gland,he was getting the two dripless packing glands confused with water or non water injected. The water injected being for high rpm's and the non water injected being for slower rpm's The rpm's have a direct connection to what type of dripless gland you use. I hope I have made myself clearer or at least easier to understand. As long as I have your attention Peggie let me take the time to thank you for all your great articles and info !
No argument from me! 
I just didn't want to leave anyone with the impression that only sailboats can use dripless packing. There are several kinds on the market...I have no idea which are suitable for power and which aren't. However, I'm not sure anyone has made it clear that there's no "plumbing" to plain ol' flax packing...that the stuffing box itself draws water to cool the packing when the shaft is turning. As the flax "rope" becomes more compacted, it lets more water in--and can start letting water in when the boat's at rest, which isn't good, and which is why they have to be tightened. The first clue is a bilge pump that runs AND spits out a couple of gallons of water with increasing frequency for no apparent reason. And as long I have YOUR attention, thanks for the compliment...I'm always glad to help.
I just didn't want to leave anyone with the impression that only sailboats can use dripless packing. There are several kinds on the market...I have no idea which are suitable for power and which aren't. However, I'm not sure anyone has made it clear that there's no "plumbing" to plain ol' flax packing...that the stuffing box itself draws water to cool the packing when the shaft is turning. As the flax "rope" becomes more compacted, it lets more water in--and can start letting water in when the boat's at rest, which isn't good, and which is why they have to be tightened. The first clue is a bilge pump that runs AND spits out a couple of gallons of water with increasing frequency for no apparent reason. And as long I have YOUR attention, thanks for the compliment...I'm always glad to help.
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