Rudder stuffing box

[Stephen Trapani]

I'm about to order supplies to re-stuff my rudder stuffing box and have a couple simple questions. I am going off this excellent link:

http://hunter.sailboatowners.com/in...7&cat_id=28&aid=7006&page=article&mn=33_77-83

So the top nut, the packing nut, tightens DOWN, right? and then you tighten the locking nut up against it? I had a hell of a time even seeing things on my boat, let alone figuring out what was going on. I did get both nuts loosened. Doesn't seem to be much corrosion. I thought I would try just tightening the nut before doing the job to see if that was all it needed. Couldn't tell how to tighten it.

Those of you who have done this job on the 33, how do you get two hands on it? All I could manage was laying on my stomach in the quarterberth and reaching over with my left hand. I don't think the whole job can be done with one hand!

I'll be doing the job with the boat in the water. Seems to be no water coming in when not under way.

 

[gray_penguin]

I had a hell of a time with mine. I could loosen the bottom one (turning it clockways looking from above, which moves it down the tube). But I could not budge the top one with my 14" adjustable wrench, and even if that had worked it would have been a major PITA (just not much room to move to the next flats). I had to get a 3/4" drive socket wrench with a 12" handle, a 2-3/8" (I think it was) socket, a 6" extender, and a 18" pipe to fit over the ratchet. then I had to crawl into the space aft of the quarterberth (thank goodness I am only 5' 5" and not to large. I had to use my legs while bracing myself against the hull, to get it to turn. all after soaking the whole thing with PB Blaster for 2 days.

After cleaning up the threads on the tube and nuts it went back together much easier. I used a copper based anti-seize grease to hopefully make it easier for the next person.

 

[Stephen Trapani]

So the top nut, the packing nut, tightens down, right? Mine are loose and I have a good wrench, I think, but I just can't see how I'm going to get two hands on it.

 

[gray_penguin]

The top one (which has the packing in it) is snugged down (clockwise looking at it from above) so that the top of the tube is compressing the packing material against the rudder shaft. You do not want to over tighten it. The bottom ones turns CCW up to work against the top one to keep them in place.