Hull "settles" over the winter

[J. Tesoriero]

Does your hull "settle", "sag", "droop" or otherwise flex when the boat is out of the water and up on jackstands over the winter? I posted this question on the "Ask a Hunter Owner" forum and got no responses in two weeks. The boat is a 1980 H30.I have checked the archives and no one seems to have had this problem.My mechanic is having trouble aligning my shaft and engine because he thinks that the stern flexes too much. He aligned the engine last year after the boat had been sitting in the water for a week, but by the end of the season, the alignment was off and my transmission had big problems. Has anyone had any similar problems with this or any other boat?

 

[Jim Logan]

The mechanics skill may have sagged

Assuming your motor mounts, strut, propeller, and cutlass bearing were ok and didn't develop problems during the season(ie, you ran over something or something failed) then the boat settling in the water should not have caused a misalignment problem large enough to cause any sort of transmission problem - too many boats are done that way for it to be a general problem. IF the mechanic is saying that is the problem, I would look for another mechanic.

 

[Bill O'Donovan]

Defy gravity

For reasons that defy gravity (literally), a jackstand can sink somewhat into the hull and leave a mild dent. I've seen it on a 25 Catalina. But as to "settling" so much as to affect the driveshaft, I agree you should get a second opinion.

 

[Sam Lust]

Shape changers

Boats can and do change shape while up on stands. I see it on my 33 every season. Re-stepping the mast is different each year depending on how the boat sat in my yard on it's trailer/cradle over the winter. I've seen badly blocked power boats take on a remarkably visable twist. How much this would affect engine/shaft alignment is up for serious question. If you're getting so much change that it's wiping out components it the gear there's something big-time wrong.Did you do the alignment yourself or check it? How do you know it was done or done right in the first place. Even with the changes I see on my boat I've never seen more than a half of a thoudandth of an inch change in the alignment. The engine, coupling and strut are just too close together and in too strong a column for that to happen. (All this assumes there is no damage or weakness in your hull.)Two bits of advice.1 -- Install a cushion drive in the coupling. You can get a very good one from PYI right here on the site. Barring an enormous misalignment it should protect your drive system.2 -- Learn to do the alignment yourself. It might take a few hours the first time while you educate yourself on what's happening (READ THE ARCHIVES), but it will get easier as you go. Hint here: Don't lean on the engine as you measure with the feeler guage. And no, I'm not going to tell you how I learned that

 

[J. Tesoriero]

Thanks and update

Thanks for your advice.I hired a marine surveyor to look over the boat. His opinon is that the strut was badly aligned when the shaft and cutlass bearing were replaced last year. This resulted in the shaft binding at the strut and stern tube, overloading the engine and possibly distorting the shaft, giving an improper start point for alignment. The mechanic disagrees. I am having the yard loosen, align and rebed the strut. I'll let you know what happens. In the meantime, I visit the expensive slip I rented for the season and dream of late summer and fall sailing.