Yes I do and now I get about 2 drips per second when before it was about 1 drip every 3 or 4 seconds.
Luna, The Story of a Forgotten Catalina 30.
- Thread starter mikeracca
- Start date
You should be getting a couple of drips/minute max. while motoring and nothing while at rest.
Now may be the time to start working on the gland while IN THE WATER. A $$ haul out $$ is not required. For your first time, it's best to have a buddy in whom you have 100% confidence working opposite you if for no more than psychological backup.
#1 is to loosen off that locking nut (more like a ring) which can be a challenge if you've got a lot of corrosion back there. Lots of penetrant to start with. If that doesn't work, it's into the occult for further help.
Send us a photo of what it looks like back there and we can go from there.
How long since the packing was last changed ? If it's only a few years, then you can slightly tighten the packing nut. One flat at the absolute most and then test.
Last edited:
Great… my friends are the type that will watch you bugger up then laugh at you hysterically while turning red in the face. I’m screwed!
It’s been at least 15 years. The boat was left in the marina after the previous owner died. It didn’t drip at all when I first bought the boat. The drips started after I put the engine in gear the first time while it was running. Then it was a drip every few seconds, it really didn’t even get to the bilge unless it was a cold day. Now it’s much more aggressive and I’m guessing it had something to do with being dry for a few days. I will get pics when I get to the boat again. It’s a green mess where the drips are.
Ummmmm ? Do you have any homeless guys living at the end of your block ? They may be a better choice than your "friends ?"
Don't want to be a Debbie Downer here, but given the state of your social circle, how much is a full haul out in your neighbourhood ?
Doing a full clean up and re-packing job on a gland requires a grade four reform school education but if doing it in the water ....................... a little experience is nice just to let you know what it should feel like and what to expect.
Nothing to stop you from starting in the water and seeing what luck you have on the first strokes.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,048
Mike
You were on the hard for a couple of days. The packing had the opportunity to dry out. It would have been easier to do the clean out and repack on the hard with out the water coming in. But it is possible to do it in the water. Just assure that your bilge pump is working. You can wrap string or a rag around the shaft to reduce the incoming water.
Here is a great read about the Stuffing Box Re-Packing A Traditional Stuffing Box - Marine How To
You were on the hard for a couple of days. The packing had the opportunity to dry out. It would have been easier to do the clean out and repack on the hard with out the water coming in. But it is possible to do it in the water. Just assure that your bilge pump is working. You can wrap string or a rag around the shaft to reduce the incoming water.
Here is a great read about the Stuffing Box Re-Packing A Traditional Stuffing Box - Marine How To
I agree with John that it could just have dried out while on the hard. First, try adjusting the gland to see if you can get it down to something reasonable. In 23 years, and three different types of packing, I was never able to reach the Holy Grail of packing with no drips at rest and 4-5 drips per minute while motoring. I would ussually get down to 1-3 drips per minute at rest and a drip every 5-10 seconds while motoring. Less than that and I started to notice the gland getting noticeably warm.
As for doing the packing in the water, I have a 3700gph bilge pump and it ran about 25% of the time when I did mine in the water. That was without stuffing anything into the stern tube at the outlet end. Our PNW water is just too cold to swim in.
As for doing the packing in the water, I have a 3700gph bilge pump and it ran about 25% of the time when I did mine in the water. That was without stuffing anything into the stern tube at the outlet end. Our PNW water is just too cold to swim in.
Hmmmm. Then I should be swilling my morning coffee from the Holy Grail as I have NO DRIPS while running. I also understand that others run theirs dry as well as you'll see:
Do We Really Need to Leak .............
............. yes, for good health, about four to five times a day is good. However, for a number of years I have been chiming in here on packing glands leaking and the fact I have run mine bone dry almost from the day I bought the boat new in late 1998 as a '99 model H310. As mentioned in...
forums.sailboatowners.com
I would not suggest anyone try this unless they have a prop shaft with an unblemished mirror polish.
Yea gots me plenty of them, but as they are also good friends with the local meth dealer, I would prolly be missing many of my tools and stuff… but I would prolly also learn some really creative ways to “fix” my boat.
Finished the cupboard and got the shelf back in place. This is pretty much where my work stops on Luna, the new owners take over later today.
Great reports on all that you've done to Luna. You have given this boat a new life. Hopefully the new owners will continue the refit and be as meticulous as you have been.
When are you going to start the next one!!
When are you going to start the next one!!
Thanks for the kind words guys. The new boat will be sometime somewhere in Virginia or Florida. I’m going to Virginia first and we will see. I’m thinking of another C30, maybe a C36 but most definitely a MKII if I go with a Cat 30 again.
Luna was turned over to the new owner today, and the Marina is happy that they have decided to keep her there.
Luna was turned over to the new owner today, and the Marina is happy that they have decided to keep her there.
Nice work, Mike. Look forward to your postings on another labor of love
Well I think I may be back. Kinda. I got to board Luna yesterday and she wasn't doing so good. Her engine would not start and I think it's because of the mechanical lift pump giving up it's ghost. I did notice when I owned her that the when I would use an electric pump that the little engine would start easier and run just a little bit better. But I didn't want to try and rig the electric pump when the mechanical one worked fine. Now she is experiencing a couple issues. When she started the last time she slowly lost speed and died, then would fire for a few seconds and die again. Ether would get her to fire but not stay running. The new owners drained all the fuel thinking it was old fuel (it wasnt) and replaced both of the filters but didn't prefill the filters, cranked the engine till the battery became too weak to start the engine. I also noticed when we were cranking the sight glass of the primary filter was not getting fuller, which tells me the lift pump isn't working as well. I left them with the task of getting the lift pump replaced with an electric one (wired to the main panel) or a new mechanical one. Charge or replace the battery, and I also taught them how to bleed the injectors. He didn't think the glow plugs were bad, but if they were left on... yea, just pop them out and check. I didn't bring any tools with me, they said they had everything needed, but they didn't. I also gave them a list of tools to acquire for the boat that would be needed.
It was good to be on board again but she wasn't how I left her. Nor was she how I envisioned her future, but since I don't own her any more I cant say how she should be. Now why did I say I may be back when I just took a visit to Luna? Well while I was there I also took a look at a boat that used to be my dock mate and that is a Catalina 36. I believe it's a MK I but I do not know the year yet. The owner of the marina has been pretty stiff on the price of the boat for quite a while but in it's current material condition she isn't worth much more than scrap value. I offered a $1000 for her and I am going to see if he will hire me for a few hours a day in lew of the dock fees. I will let you all know how it goes, and if I do get her I will start a build thread on the Catalina 36 pages. She wont be named Luna but I will use the mermaid and moon logo on her!
It was good to be on board again but she wasn't how I left her. Nor was she how I envisioned her future, but since I don't own her any more I cant say how she should be. Now why did I say I may be back when I just took a visit to Luna? Well while I was there I also took a look at a boat that used to be my dock mate and that is a Catalina 36. I believe it's a MK I but I do not know the year yet. The owner of the marina has been pretty stiff on the price of the boat for quite a while but in it's current material condition she isn't worth much more than scrap value. I offered a $1000 for her and I am going to see if he will hire me for a few hours a day in lew of the dock fees. I will let you all know how it goes, and if I do get her I will start a build thread on the Catalina 36 pages. She wont be named Luna but I will use the mermaid and moon logo on her!