I was wondering if anyone has experience/suggestions about getting to the packing glands on both the prop shaft and the rudder post in a 1982 Hunter 33. I can reach the rudder post from the port side quarter berth but have a tough time getting much leverage. The prop shaft and the raw water feed line under the engine seem impossible to reach. It looks like you have to either a) remove the fuel tank, b) remove the teak panel from the quarter berth side, or c) remove the water heater and possibly the holding tank to get in from the starboard side. Is there a best way? Can someone loan me a 6 year old or maybe a trained spider monkey?
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Jay Hill
Bag or Tank?
Is your holding tank an actual tank or the collapsable "bag"? A 33' I use often has the bag; just aft of the bag is an access panel to the compartment below which provides access (although very limited) to the prop shaft. If you get INTO the starboard lazarette and try to face port, the rudder post is accessible with your left hand/arm. OR, you can hang upside down in the aft locker by your waist (if you can fit in the locker at all.) This proved impossible for me since I could not fit, but the owner of that boat does this. OR you can remove the bulkhead in the bunk as you suggested. Based strictly on the maintenance assistance I've given friends with their 33's and the limited sail-carrying (stability) capabilities, I don't think I'd ever buy a 33'. But you didn't ask me for my opinion did you. Hope the info helps and good luck!
Is your holding tank an actual tank or the collapsable "bag"? A 33' I use often has the bag; just aft of the bag is an access panel to the compartment below which provides access (although very limited) to the prop shaft. If you get INTO the starboard lazarette and try to face port, the rudder post is accessible with your left hand/arm. OR, you can hang upside down in the aft locker by your waist (if you can fit in the locker at all.) This proved impossible for me since I could not fit, but the owner of that boat does this. OR you can remove the bulkhead in the bunk as you suggested. Based strictly on the maintenance assistance I've given friends with their 33's and the limited sail-carrying (stability) capabilities, I don't think I'd ever buy a 33'. But you didn't ask me for my opinion did you. Hope the info helps and good luck!
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Terry Arnold
Rudder stuffing nut access
1. Rudder Post Access- Removing aft partition from quarter berth is only sane way to get access to area. With that removed, access is a luxurious belly down stretched out on quarter berth position. Anybody who hangs upside down into the starboard cockpit locker or gets inside the cockpit locker for access to that area is a masochist or just dumb. Here I will have to admit that I had my boat for a year and did all of the above, peering longingly but ineffectively at that leaking rudder packing nut from afar before I finally realized that only two little screws held that aft quarterberth partition in place. As far as the packing nut is concerned, it may have changed materials over the years. My 79 packing and lock nuts are stainless and move easily while Sam Lust has quite a few posts earlier on his 83 H33 where he outlines his troubles with a rusted on non stainless packing nut. If yours is really stuck it may be non stainless too so you may want to look up his earlier posts. 2. Propeller shaft packing and raw water through-hull access . I can get to this area on my 79 H33 from 3 locations. First and usually, I remove the map table and the forward (main) engine access panel, simply stretch over the top of the engine and down to the nut. I also open and close the raw water through-hull this way. Access is also possible from the starboard cockpit locker and in any event opening this locker and the removable panel lights the area. The aft engine access panel is pretty much directly in line with both the propeller shaft packing nut and the raw water through-hull. Neither of these are under the engine on my 79.
1. Rudder Post Access- Removing aft partition from quarter berth is only sane way to get access to area. With that removed, access is a luxurious belly down stretched out on quarter berth position. Anybody who hangs upside down into the starboard cockpit locker or gets inside the cockpit locker for access to that area is a masochist or just dumb. Here I will have to admit that I had my boat for a year and did all of the above, peering longingly but ineffectively at that leaking rudder packing nut from afar before I finally realized that only two little screws held that aft quarterberth partition in place. As far as the packing nut is concerned, it may have changed materials over the years. My 79 packing and lock nuts are stainless and move easily while Sam Lust has quite a few posts earlier on his 83 H33 where he outlines his troubles with a rusted on non stainless packing nut. If yours is really stuck it may be non stainless too so you may want to look up his earlier posts. 2. Propeller shaft packing and raw water through-hull access . I can get to this area on my 79 H33 from 3 locations. First and usually, I remove the map table and the forward (main) engine access panel, simply stretch over the top of the engine and down to the nut. I also open and close the raw water through-hull this way. Access is also possible from the starboard cockpit locker and in any event opening this locker and the removable panel lights the area. The aft engine access panel is pretty much directly in line with both the propeller shaft packing nut and the raw water through-hull. Neither of these are under the engine on my 79.
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Ken Palmer
The job I hate the most
I have spent a lot of time upside-down in the starboard lazarette. After I bought the boat 3 years ago, I replaced the bladder holding tank with a solid. This takes up much more room. Removing the solid tank to give me more room when maintaining the stuffing box is pretty easy. I then fit my 6 foot body down inside the lazarette, fitting my feet and legs between the hot water heater and the hull. I then have enough room to dive head first behind the engine. God forbid if you ever get stuck in this position; they would have to saw the boat away from around you. I have studied the teak partition on the port side of the engine. I have two access doors there. The opening closest to the stuffing box just isn't wide enough to reach through and get two hands behind the engine. I have thought of enlarging this opening, or better yet, devise a way to open that whole area for maintenance. I have never tried the trick of going over the engine. Interesting, but I would worry about breaking something on the engine. The other solution is to go for the dripless stuffing box that everybody is talking about. Put it in and forget about having to adjust the nut or replace the packing. My problem there is that the previous owner placed a "shaft-locking" device on the shaft to lock the shaft when sailing. I'll be darned if I can figure out how to get that thing off so that I can pull the shaft out. Let's see what other H33 owners have to say on this subject. Good luck. Ken Palmer, S/V Liberty
I have spent a lot of time upside-down in the starboard lazarette. After I bought the boat 3 years ago, I replaced the bladder holding tank with a solid. This takes up much more room. Removing the solid tank to give me more room when maintaining the stuffing box is pretty easy. I then fit my 6 foot body down inside the lazarette, fitting my feet and legs between the hot water heater and the hull. I then have enough room to dive head first behind the engine. God forbid if you ever get stuck in this position; they would have to saw the boat away from around you. I have studied the teak partition on the port side of the engine. I have two access doors there. The opening closest to the stuffing box just isn't wide enough to reach through and get two hands behind the engine. I have thought of enlarging this opening, or better yet, devise a way to open that whole area for maintenance. I have never tried the trick of going over the engine. Interesting, but I would worry about breaking something on the engine. The other solution is to go for the dripless stuffing box that everybody is talking about. Put it in and forget about having to adjust the nut or replace the packing. My problem there is that the previous owner placed a "shaft-locking" device on the shaft to lock the shaft when sailing. I'll be darned if I can figure out how to get that thing off so that I can pull the shaft out. Let's see what other H33 owners have to say on this subject. Good luck. Ken Palmer, S/V Liberty
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Jim Logan
Stuffing Box Access
Before I bought my boat, the previous owner had rigged it for "world cruising"(!!!) as he said - anyway, he did a lot of modifications, but the best one was that he completely cut away the area between the two engine access ports on the port side of the engine compartment and refitted it as a removable area and also fitted the rear bulkhead with a snaplatch arrangement. I can remove four screws, unsnap a few latches,remove the chart table, and have virtually free access the entire length of the engine, fuel tank, and back compartment all the way to the base of the stern lazarette. If you haven't done this to your 33, it really makes maitenance easier. By the way, does anyone know what size the packing nuts on the rudder packing box are?, I think mine are stainless, but I need to buy the correct size wrench, as a cresent is hard to use there.
Before I bought my boat, the previous owner had rigged it for "world cruising"(!!!) as he said - anyway, he did a lot of modifications, but the best one was that he completely cut away the area between the two engine access ports on the port side of the engine compartment and refitted it as a removable area and also fitted the rear bulkhead with a snaplatch arrangement. I can remove four screws, unsnap a few latches,remove the chart table, and have virtually free access the entire length of the engine, fuel tank, and back compartment all the way to the base of the stern lazarette. If you haven't done this to your 33, it really makes maitenance easier. By the way, does anyone know what size the packing nuts on the rudder packing box are?, I think mine are stainless, but I need to buy the correct size wrench, as a cresent is hard to use there.
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Jim O'Brien
Same job next spring
I will be going through the same gyratations next spring with the rudder post. But just a word of caution! Before going down inside the Starboard Lazarette, make sure you secure the locker door. I have heard of instances where the door slams shut and the latch fall over the ring and you are virtually locked inside! Embarrasing to be knocking on the hull and screaming for someone to free you. (if you have the luxury of being in the vacinity of other human beings). Good idea about removing the port side cover. My access door is very small also. And Jay, I love my 82 H33.
I will be going through the same gyratations next spring with the rudder post. But just a word of caution! Before going down inside the Starboard Lazarette, make sure you secure the locker door. I have heard of instances where the door slams shut and the latch fall over the ring and you are virtually locked inside! Embarrasing to be knocking on the hull and screaming for someone to free you. (if you have the luxury of being in the vacinity of other human beings). Good idea about removing the port side cover. My access door is very small also. And Jay, I love my 82 H33.
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Sam Lust
OH Boy Oh Boy!!
One of my favorite subjects -- access to and repair of the rudder tube packing nut. The second thing to get heaved off my boat was the fuzzy cloth covered "bulkhead" at the foot (aft) end of the quarter berth. (The first was the cheesy 1/4" plywood cover panel in the starboard (sail) locker.) That provided access to the rudder post. Comfort is not real good here. Laying on the down slope of the hull with a 3" strengthening rib in the kidney isn't fun. Of course I discovered that my packing nut was coroded in place. I tried all manner of wrench on it with no success. I was going to cut it off with my air cut-off tool when I noticed an air powered chisel I'd forgotten I owned. A 1 second shot with that and the nut broke free. The nut is not a standard piece. It was made by a small, now defunct contractor for Hunter, who in their infinite wisdom discarded the drawings so it's impossible to get an exact duplicate made. The next best solution I found was having one made up by the (very pleasant and helpful) people at Buck Algonquin in Delaware. (I can never find the number when I need it.) Access to the prop shaft is slightly less painful. You can get access from the Starboard sail locker. You're working below the level you're sitting or laying on. If you try to sit the cockpit in the way and there's no place for your legs. If you lay with your legs aft you can only get a single, left arm in. I simplified it by cutting the interior plywood panel that forms the port side portion of the engine box into three pieces. I set the aft-most piece up so I can just pop it out. Full access to the shaft and the top of the fuel tank where I installed a view port, but that's a diferent post.
One of my favorite subjects -- access to and repair of the rudder tube packing nut. The second thing to get heaved off my boat was the fuzzy cloth covered "bulkhead" at the foot (aft) end of the quarter berth. (The first was the cheesy 1/4" plywood cover panel in the starboard (sail) locker.) That provided access to the rudder post. Comfort is not real good here. Laying on the down slope of the hull with a 3" strengthening rib in the kidney isn't fun. Of course I discovered that my packing nut was coroded in place. I tried all manner of wrench on it with no success. I was going to cut it off with my air cut-off tool when I noticed an air powered chisel I'd forgotten I owned. A 1 second shot with that and the nut broke free. The nut is not a standard piece. It was made by a small, now defunct contractor for Hunter, who in their infinite wisdom discarded the drawings so it's impossible to get an exact duplicate made. The next best solution I found was having one made up by the (very pleasant and helpful) people at Buck Algonquin in Delaware. (I can never find the number when I need it.) Access to the prop shaft is slightly less painful. You can get access from the Starboard sail locker. You're working below the level you're sitting or laying on. If you try to sit the cockpit in the way and there's no place for your legs. If you lay with your legs aft you can only get a single, left arm in. I simplified it by cutting the interior plywood panel that forms the port side portion of the engine box into three pieces. I set the aft-most piece up so I can just pop it out. Full access to the shaft and the top of the fuel tank where I installed a view port, but that's a diferent post.
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